Location [Alvadas Location] The Sanity Center

[Vizyous Aconitum]

3rd of Winter, 510 AV

"No, thank you." Vizyous looked over the copper key in his hand, feeling the odd pulling sensation of the key trying to guide him home. "Thank you Miss Berrel, I'll be leaving now. I look forward to living in Alvadas."

He gave a slight nod of farewell and turned from Serenity without a second glance, grateful for her help but far too eager to experience the city begging to be explored. He put his sandals, picked up his bag and put away the key to his new shelter, then began his walk to the door. With each step he felt anxiety build within, and by the time he reached the exit, it was coiled tight in his chest, making him sweat cold.

Once he stepped out that door, he would be dedicating himself to something that could help him or destroy him. Would Vizyous not be able to handle Alvadas's illusions, which could potentially drive him even madder than he already was? With a smile that was as sure as the statues but wary as Serenity's, Vizyous left the Sanity Center and stepped into the new world awaiting to swallow him up.

[Stas Grigori]

27th of Winter, 510 A.V. Stas took severe pains to tie Rakel to the most sturdy seeming protrusion he could find that was actually a part of the building before him. Since it was the only building he had discovered after passing through the Maw into Alvadas proper that did not either move, distort, swirl, open and wave its bloody doors at him or, as in one case, have a sign stating it was a business but turn out to be a residence, he thought this an excellent idea. After securing his horse and checking that his actual miza were with him and not in one of the saddle packs, he made his way to the door and then entered beneath the blazing red sign. He stopped immediately once he had stepped over the threshold. The room was entirely packed with various things he associated with his teacher's old office. Thinking that it was, after all, a welcoming centre that this was suitable, he was nevertheless surprised by just how much was packed into the rather tiny room. Reaching up he pulled his wiry goatee between his longer two fingers of his right hand, straightening it before stiffening as though a long pin had been driven into his spine. To his eyes, his goatee had just erupted into a small blaze sat there on his chin. 'Not this again. Calm down. Calm down. It's fire on my face. But it's not hot, it doesn't smell, I can't even feel it. I can SEE it, but nothing else tells me it's real. I'm even holding it there on my fingers. Ignore it. Ignore it.' That was what he tried to do, though his eyes would flicker downwards time and time again as he made the short walk over to the one fairly clear spot in the room, the desk. He managed to focus on that enough so that he could see that there was a small bell on it, and an empty chair behind it. That made it clear enough what he needed to do if he wanted any help, but he did not get right to it. His attention was entirely wrapped up in his own chin, for he had brought the index finger and thumb of his left hand up to pinch the fire on his beard. Instead of that putting it out however, it migrated onto his fingers and he found himself fighting the urge to flick his hand away, and instead lowered it to the bell. Watching the fire more than his fingers, he rung the bell three times and then stepped back a bit. He did not want to see whomever it was that would come out covered in fire, he was not going to deal with that today.

[Cadence]

Stas Grigori Serenity Berrel pushed open the backdoor leading into her office, humming softly under her breath. It had been a good day, so far. She hadn’t had to deal with anything too out of the ordinary earlier in the day, and if she tried really hard she could almost pretend that she was living in a regular city. But even the best of luck doesn’t last long in Alvadas. The woman’s customary, welcoming smile faltered a little as her gaze fell on the man before her. “Good day, sir. I’m Serenity Berrel, proprietor of this fine establishment we call the Sanity Center. How may I help you today?” she said smoothly, taking a seat at her desk, and gesturing at the chair across from her for Stas to do the same. Was it just her imagination acting up or was there something not quite right with the man? He appeared to be slightly skittish, and the way he would occasionally pull at his goatee made Serenity nervous. Luckily, she was more than used to visitors who weren’t exactly normal.

[Stas Grigori]

27th of Winter, 510 A.V. Upon seeing a door push free of what he had mistaken for just another edge of one of the many piles of books, papers and assorted mess, he snatched his left hand away from the counter. Hurriedly tucking it behind him as he watched a tangled sort of reddish bush come through the doorway, he blinked and came around to his senses. Managing for a moment to forget about his fingers, he tried to return the relatively small woman's slightly shaky smile with a small one of his own. After watching her move with the sort of smooth, practised motion of someone with long experience at it, including delivering her greeting to him with the offer of assistance, he tried to make his smile a bit larger to be friendly. Somewhat worried for a moment that the smile which unnaturally lifted his cheeks, his right one noticeable higher than the left, he reached down and drew the chair out. He hadn't noticed it properly at all before, and as he settled himself into it he almost sighed with joy. The bloody flames had gone away. With the attention freed up from his hand, he could take a proper look at the woman, 'She said her name was Serenity', and he found her a little bit arresting. Her eyes seemed to bulge in a way that brought curiosity out of him, as to if she was all there. 'Remember, this is Alvadas. No one here is going to be fully on board the sanity boat. I'll try to get her to like me, she might be better help if she does' With there being some sense of a peace, his eyes calmed down and lightened into a clear, reflective blue. "Yes...I'd very much like some aid. I hope the centre lives up to its name, I could do with a bit of sense. I need four things here. Some work. A place to live. A place to store my horse Rakel. And some sort of idea of how this city works. I was told that it changes, but pre-warned does not mean prepared for." Stas spoke with a cracked sort of voice, where every few words seemed to dip very low in volume. Low enough to make the usual listened strain to make the word out properly. He brought his right hand up and squeezed the bony protrusion on the front of his throat, shifting it as if that would sort his vocal difficulty. 'Three years of saying less than a hundred words a week will not be fixed with a little throat tickling. Get it together. I don't even know how to bring up the flames. Is seeing and being tortured by uncontrollable illusions a common thing here? Or is she going to call for the guard, whatever they may be here? He shook his head a few times before stopping quite still, realising that he was doing so, his wiry hair swinging around one side of his face which he quickly pulled back over his shoulder.

[Malanos]

16th of Winter An Isur without a shirt is quite a sight, and malanos wasn't an average Isur. He was about a third stronger than most of his countrymen due to his habits of weightlifting. So as he walked around he began to notice people watching him curiously. That was when he saw a building labeled "the sanity center". That seemed an obvious next step. So he went towards it... As Malanos entered the building he was slightly put off by the mess. He tried his best to keep his entire life open and free of constraint and this messy room was giving him trouble keeping internal serenity. But he banished these thoughts quickly. He needed a place to sleep and a job. He had very little funding as he had left his home quickly, so a job at least was critical. He walked up to the counter and rung the little silver bell that stood there. The tinkle of sound trickled around the room giving the Isur thoughts of a peal of hamers. He stood, waiting for service.

[Navir]

21st of winter 510 AV Navir pushed open the door and entered the greeting center, his head still spinning form the weirdness he saw in the streets. "What in the name of izurdin's hammer is the matter with this city?" Navir grumbled out once he was safe and sound inside the building. When he got his bearings however he gave the room he was standing in a look.Piles of books that would easily bury the small isur if they fell him, files and other stuff littered the floor obscuring it almost completely form sight and a small old wooden desk was shoved to the back a silver bell resting on it. Seeing as the desk was unmanned navir just rung the little silver bell and waited on service.

[Cadence]

Stas Serenity leaned in slightly to catch everything that the man was saying, nodding along with Stas’s words. The woman was obviously in her element now, and any anxiety she may have had about the visitor dissolved as she settled into her routine. “Perfect,” she said, picking up a few nonessential papers and stacking them against the surface of her desk. “I’ll have to begin with a little briefing on Alvadas, seeing as none of the other information will make sense otherwise. Not that it would make sense either way, but that’s just how it works here…” ((Continued here)) Malanos A harried-looking woman with springy, red hair pushed open the backdoor leading to the office and walked through. She smiled a tired smile at Malanos, and motioned wordlessly for him to take a seat in a chair across from her own. She sat at her desk, interlocked her fingers in a rather business-like manner, and introduced herself, “Welcome to the Sanity Center. I am Serenity Berrel. How may I help you today?” “And who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?” she asked, flashing Malanos a smile that didn’t look very convincing due to the lines of exhaustion that were evident on her face. Navir Serenity Berrel hurried through a backdoor a few seconds after the ringing of the bell subsided. Her frizzy, ginger locks stuck out at odd angles from her head, and she appeared slightly frazzled. Seeing the Isur in her office, she offered him a friendly smile and plopped down in the chair behind her desk. “Welcome to the Sanity Center, sir. I am Serenity Berrel. How may I help you today?” she asked politely. After a beat, she waved her hand at the chair that was pulled up to the desk across from her. “Please have a sit, Mr…?} She trailed off, clearly expecting a name from the man.

[Navir]

Navir just looked at her with an business like expression on his face as she stumbled inside. “Welcome to the Sanity Center, sir. I am Serenity Berrel. How may I help you today?” Serenity berrel waved to a chair that was standing in front of the desk. “Please have a sit, Mr…?} The woman trailed off, clearly expecting him to state his name. "Navir Firmhand." He just responded in his business like tone as he climbed onto the chair, his small size, even for an isur, being a bit of a bother. "I was looking for a Job and a place to live, though any explanation about why the streets are so messed up would be very welcome." Navir just shivered involuntary at his memory's from a few minutes earlier. Him trying to navigate those streets before he knew even what was going on would probably be the joke in quite a lot of taverns as far as he knew. "If it helps for you I am a fairly good blacksmith."

[Malanos]

Malanos merely nodded when the woman introduced herself. He saw little point in continuing formalities. But his face softened slightly when he saw how badly exhausted the woman was. Her eyes were softened by the large black circles that held under her eyes. "I am Malanos." he said this without family or clan name due to the manner of his leaving. They more than likely no longer lay claim to him and therefor he had no right to the name. "I am looking for a job and hopefully a place to stay."

[Cadence]

Navir “Well, Mr. Firmahand, the streets of Alvadas are governed by Ionu’s illusion. That is why they are constantly on the move. For a temporary residence, I would suggest the Cubacious Inn. It’s cozy and very affordable.” Serenity paused, rearranging some papers on her desk. “Anyone with blacksmithing talents would do quite well at the Kitrean Krafts. The head smith of the establishment is an Isur like yourself and he is always looking for new hands. Vacielli Haolven, is his name.” Malanos Serenity nodded her head brusquely, saying, “The Cubacious Inn is quite popular among visitors to the city. The atmosphere is pleasant and the price for a room is quite affordable.” “As for a job… Vacielli Haolven, the smith atKitrean Krafts, is always hiring. I don’t mean to presume anything, of course, but I know that many Isur are quite skilled with a hammer and anvil. I’m sure you could get a job there.”