[Verlyna's Emerald Pool]A bad place to swim[Nixie]

by **Ssafirsotibones** on March 31st, 2012, 3:20 am

41 Spring 512

Bones so often wandered around Alvadas. He did not put much care into were he was going, after all, things rarely stayed still, or were where you expected. So he just went to were his feet took him.

Since the more you tried to go to one place, and end up were you wanted, the least likely you were to end up there. It was simply better to just go wherever the city wanted him.

So Bones found himself walking in a familiar area... Though he was sure he would figure out why soon enough. Though he was pretty sure he had just seen some movement... And heard someone doing something... Maybe he would try and creep up on them, and see what they were doing, before they noticed him, and stopped.

by **Nixie** on April 3rd, 2012, 1:04 am

Nixie stood at the edge of the emerald colored pool, sword drawn and held before her. She had come here in search of a quiet place to clear her mind and find some long overdue solitude. But it seemed even in this place of quiet, the illusions would still plague her. Inside the pool, flickers of light caught her attention, and as she watched them, they started to create an image of herself in the form of a reflection. Something was different about it though, at first the differences were blurred, but soon gained clarification on the surface. As if the image appeared in parts, floating up from the bottom of the pool. With the clarity came recognition, though it left her far more confused then when it was distorted. The reflection she saw, was of herself, but different. Instead of her short hair, the image portrayed her as having long hair that looked to fall down as far as her hips. And instead of her regular garb that mostly consisted of pants and shirts, she was wearing a summer dress decorated with lace. There were more subtle things too, like enhanced curves, and even a shade of dark red to her lips. The image generated a bubbling of conflicted emotions as she felt herself losing a bit of her composure. She knew what she was, though others might not have. Did the water see what she was too?

While her thoughts continued to pester her, she lifted her sword up above her head, then slashed downward. Repeating this, in the beginning, with a rhythmic pace. Lift up swing down, lift up swing down. The sound of her blade slicing through the air soon faded as her mind returned to bothersome thoughts and uneasy feelings started to arise. It was the image that kept staring back at her, unmoving, that pierced her calm state of mind and swayed her swing pattern. The more she tried to understand what she saw, the more chaotic her swings became. They grew in speed and changed in direction, and before realizing it, she was swinging quickly and wildly in diagonal slashes. Sometimes letting the tip of he sword cut the surface of the water and distort the image of herself even further, if only to be rid of it. She continued in silence of voice, the only audible sound being the huff of heavy breaths escaping her lips as her heart pumped and blood boiled. Was this practice anymore, or had it turned into a battle against herself? All she knew, or thought she knew, was that the image mocked her. As if the water knew who Nixie was, better then she herself knew. It threatened and challenged to rip away the mask that was forced upon her. Would it be kinder if it could take the mask?

by **Ssafirsotibones** on April 3rd, 2012, 11:00 pm

Bones came out of the trees, to see a woman near the pond. Memories of the other times he had been here ran through his head... That guy never had floated up... he was likely dead... Though he had been wearing heavy armor...

She seemed to be slicing at the air with her blade, and was completely lost in whatever was going on with her, not paying attention to anything else.

She seemed to be quite worked up, and was attacking the water even, panting. So Bones crept closer, keeping quiet, until he got a bit closer.

She seemed more or less normal, though what in the world she was seeing to make her freak out at the water, he had no idea.

Bones simply came up a bit behind her, and spoke, "You know, I have found water isss not to good of a fight partner..."

He would stand there, having made sure to keep out of range of her blade, which was longer than his own gladius, just in case she freaked out and attacked him in her surprise.

Bones smiled at her, with his smile which was still not quite like that of a humans, but admittedly much better than it used to be... Not nearly as animal like and unnatural.

"if you want a partner... We could alwayss crosss bladess..."

Saying this, he slowly moved his hand back to his gladius hilt, though doing so slowly, making sure she did not take it as a violent action. He did not want to have meeting a new person go that badly...

by **Nixie** on April 10th, 2012, 4:24 am

In her moment of seeming desperation, a voice broke her focus and took her by surprise. Quickly she turned to face the interloper, pivoting on one foot with her sword extended forward. When her eyes found the stranger standing only a short distance away, she would not speak a word. Only watching him with fixed eyes where he stood. For a second she wondered if he saw the image that she had been assaulting. In her fast reaction, she missed the strangely sinister grin that twisted her reflections face before the image disappeared in the dancing ripples of water.

The unknown person greeted her stare with an odd smile, but his seemingly friendly gesture did little to ease her discomfort. Though she had no reason to suspect anything, she still found him a bit odd. Nixie found it hard to not assume the man had some trick up his sleeve. And having no patience for such things at the moment, her brows furrowed and her eyes fixed on his.
"I came here to relax, not to spare." Hopefully her words would coax the stranger to leave her to the peace she sought. This was her normal reaction to people she didn't care to know. Especially in a situation where there was no need for her to interact with them. But her words may have been foolish this time. For Nixie knew not the story behind the pool she was staring into a moment ago. And if the stranger left her alone, as she wished he would, she might find herself in dangers way. Perhaps falling prey to the myth that surrounded the place.

OOCSorry its so flippin short. @_@

by **Ssafirsotibones** on April 13th, 2012, 4:38 am

Bones simply smiled, his hand itching to be brought up to behind his back, were he kept his blade in his back sheath, due to the threatening nature to which the person had responded. She certainly seemed angry at him. Though he was able to fight the impulse, and keep from moving his hand up.

"I came here to relax, not to spare." Bones simply smiled once more. Relaxing here. That did not seem to good of an idea. Not if one preferred keeping there sanity in check... Though being around Alvadas, it seemed like there was something on every other street corner which might bewitch, enchant, befuddle, or kill you. He had gotten to the point were he could simply ignore it most of the time.

"Well, I sssuppossse I could leave you alone... But I don't ssink ssisss isss sse bessst place for it... Essspecially ssat pond... Don't you know itsss tale? Or perhapsss you don't mind risssking losssing your mind, or being bewitched into drowning yourssself."

Bones simply smiled as he said this, looking her over. She did not seem to threatening, but she might be fun to get to know, perhaps trade a few blows. Dhani's tended to have a different view of greetings than humans, tended to be a bit more violent in doing so, even though they did not feel they were being violent. But Bones was pretty good at not being overly violent... For a dhani anyways...

"I ssought it would be better to ssspar wiss me, and enjoy a real partner, ssan to do ssat..."

oocUhm, Bones has his sword on a back sheath, across his back, not on his hip. Though I understand the misunderstanding, as I only mention it in passing once on my CS, easy to miss.

by **Nixie** on April 20th, 2012, 8:32 am

For a moment Nixie was pleased when the stranger offered to leave, as she wished he would, but then he said something rather curious. The pond had a story? She eyed him suspiciously, there was something unnerving about this person. Something about his smile, it felt slightly off, slightly wrong. Not to mention his voice. Was he trying to annoy her, or were his intentions really to just give some advice? She had momentarily considered simply ignore the man, but if there really was something to be said about this place, it was probably best to at least hear him out. Even if it was just a tall tale, it would be foolish to dismiss it so soon; given she was within the city of Illusion. She still had so much to learn.

Letting the blade fall to her side, held in a firm grip, Nixie let out a long breath. Plucking an empty pipe from her pocket and simply holding it for the moment. She would hear him out, but refused to sheath her weapon just yet.
"Will you tell me than, or not? What tale does it have?" While she wasn't keen on sparing the the stranger yet, perhaps she would think about it after some conversation. Perching the pipe at the corner of her mouth, she pulled out a small tin.

by **Ssafirsotibones** on May 17th, 2012, 1:06 am

Bones made his unnerving smile, as the woman asked for him to tell the tale of the place. Though he was no expert on it. He certainly did not claim to. But he knew the general story. It was hard to live in Alvadas for long, without over time picking up on its details and many oddities.

He watched as she pulled out some odd thing... And simply looked over at her, beginning his tale.

"Well, it isss not to long. A powerful magic ussser died here... Ssshe could bewitch people... And decided one day to try and bewitch herssself by her reflection in sse water... But ssshe ssslipped in an drowned... And her magic hasss haunted ssessse watersss ever sssince, sssuffusssed wiss sse illusssions of Alvadasss."

"Ssso sse pond itssself isss a bit magical... It isss not a good place to dwell alone... Essspecially not when gazing into sse watersss asss you were... You cannot truly trussst what you sssee."

Bones looked around, inspecting the area. Not to much seemed to be going on. He could hear a few animals brushing around in the distance, likely something small like a rabbit. Along with that a few birds could be heard tweeting.

"Ssso, perhapsss fighting me would be better ssan fighting sse water?"

ooc :

by **Nixie** on May 28th, 2012, 8:15 am

Once the pipe was prepared, Nixie returned the tin to its pocket and retrieved the tinder, slipping the hilt of her sword between arm and side. Lighting the pipe, once contents were lit ablaze, she put the box away and took her sword in hand again. Smoky tendrils grew long and stretched to the sky while tobacco burned and Nixie listened obstinately. A magic user? The story seemed too incredulous. One she wasn't sure she could believe, or if she even wanted to. The power to bewitch people, it sounded godlike to her. Though in after thought, she supposed that tavern wenches were pretty good at bewitching others. But to bewitch yourself? Since she had come across so few magic users in her travels, it would have been easy to chalk the story up to nothing more than that. A silly story to keep children away from the pond. But the image from earlier still gnawed at her, stopping her from dismissing the strangers tale as easily as she might have otherwise.

When the strangers words ran dry, and Nixie was mute in her thoughts and contemplation, the sounds of ambiance filled the would-be silence. But it didn't last very long before he pushed her for an answer once more. Reluctance and an irritated stare followed first, but she eventually answered. Words pushing past the pipe held between lips.
"If I win, will you leave me be?" In the pause between her question, and his eventual answer, she wondered what would he would request if he were to be the victor. Waiting for his reply, she took her blade in both hands but did not take any stance. Standing with her weight shifted to one side.

by **Ssafirsotibones** on May 28th, 2012, 3:54 pm

Bones smiled back... From what she said, she did not want him around, wanted him gone... She also seemed sure that she would win, and that she could thus drive Bones away...

But he had also long ago learned to not take what humans said at face value. Perhaps she was also saying that, so it would appear that she did not want him around... But she was really just looking for an excuse to seem that way, when in reality she wanted to spar...

Either way, Bones would just have to make sure that he won. Though it was hard to say how it would go... He did not yet know how good she really was with her weapon...

"If ssat isss what you really want, and you win, sssure I will leave you be..."

He said this, drawing off at the end of the last word a bit... Though he purposely did not complete the sentence, and say what would happen if he won... He doubted she really had anything to offer him, besides a partner to spar with... He would let her mind race to conclusions in the meantime, and let her try to think of a suitable exchange if and when he won...

He drew his gladius, in one swift motion, taking it off of his back... There was the subtle slick of metal on leather, as he drew it out... He would have to be careful in this... As he knew, and thought of the situation...

Her weapon had the advantage of a longer length, since he was using a shorter gladius... However his weapon was better balanced, and of finer make... Though since they were only sparring, his weapons ability to thrust and stab was mitigated... Since that usage would be deadly...

Though in real combat it would be an advantage, since a longsword could not stab to well, or put out to much force behind a stab, due to its longer length, and more flexible nature. A gladius could stab since it was shorter, and was designed for doing so...

Ready to fight, Bones came at his partner all at once, swinging his gladius across her chest. He did not expect it to strike, but it would force her to react, most likely to either block his blade, or to dodge it if she knew how to. But more importantly, it would allow him to judge her skills better, by how she did avoid being slashed.

Though he also was careful to not go at full strength... Even in his weaker human form, he was easily more than twice as strong as a human... If he were to go full force when she tried to block him... That might end the fight right there... He would try to hold back his strength, to only a little more than a humans...

Assuming she managed to stop the first, Bones would continue on, doing a few one handed slashes at her, giving her the chance to stop them, and for him to better gauge her skill... Along with keeping her on the defensive.

speech :

by **Nixie** on June 9th, 2012, 12:27 am

When his words hung unfinished, Nixie waited for him to continue but it seemed he had no intention to. Anticipation fell in the place of unspoken words when he drew his blade. But even after having seen and heard it, she still barely managed to dodge the first attack. His blade grazing her shirt. It was in that moment she cursed herself for being so ill prepared for such an encounter. Wearing little more than a cloth shirt and trousers, if he were to land a hit it would prove rather painful and no doubt leave its mark in the hours after. Having successfully, if not narrowly escaped, Nixie swung her blade up to slap his gladius away using its broad side. But too slow in her reaction, the next strike landed in a painful blow to unarmored flesh. Gaining from her a reaction of little more than furrowed brows and tensed muscles.

Keeping in mind the pond that limited her ability to maneuver, she sidestepped to allow some freedom if she needed to gain any ground. Once satisfied with her standing, she stepped forward in a lung and over hand thrust, hoping it would push hi back a ways. There she kept her blade extended towards him and spoke. A poor time for the exchange of words, no doubt.
"And if you are the victor?" If he were to strike while she spoke, she would attempt to knock it away again in waiting for his answer, but would most likely painfully fail. Forcing her back several steps to compose herself.