Closed The First Year

[Dulute Jadesmith]

With his eyes focused entirely on the spread, Duluute hardly noticed one or two patrons entering or leaving. When Ricky finished his greetings by telling Duluute to dig in, he practically floated over to all the trays of food. Standing in front of it, he could feel his mouth just watering. Fortunately the last thing he'd eaten was a leftover roll from the former day's supper. Hardly enough to fill up his appetite. That left plenty of room to fit in whatever he wanted.

One of everything seemed the easiest course of action, but at the same time he had the urge to stuff his face with Sand-Fish. With so many choices, Duluute looked to other people's plates to see what they had. To his surprise, almost nobody had picked up a plate yet. "I would be honored to become this party's taste tester," he thought devilishly.

As he made for the plates, Duluute finally noticed that they were missing someone. The giant furry man-creature had left the party. "Or perhaps he turned into a bird and flew away," he added with a shrug. Getting his food, Duluute was about to go sit down to eat when he caught sight of another familiar face. Why the Lord of Counsel decided to show up at a child's party Duluute had no idea. He half wondered if he had paid for it all as he was feasting.

[Ignotus Everto]

Ignotus' brow quirked at Altaira's show of hostility. "You'd think I was back in Sunberth." he thought somewhat bitterly before Ricky saved the party from what could have turned into a nasty exchange of words.

"I made time. It's such an important day for such an important friend. I couldn't possibly miss it. Oh! And there's our guest of honor." Ignotus said as he spotted little Martin, an amiable twinkle in his eyes. "That might be the sweetest baby I've seen in my considerable years. I see why you're so proud, Ricky." A gentle puff of warm feeling wafted from the Nuit. He didn't miss Ricky's nervousness, and with the antagonism of the woman next to him and the atmosphere so festive, he had little desire for tension. Fairly soon the Wave Guard left them, and Jadlin took his place.

"Ricky's told me far too little about you." Ignotus beamed, "It's fitting that he would have a brother as gracious and jolly as himself. People really undervalue his role in preventing the Denvali coup, you know." the wizard said seriously. "Without him, I doubt I would have been able to do what I did. But enough of Ricky," he said, his casual smile returning. "Tell me about you."
"His secret brother..."

OOCDear lord this took FAR too long. I hope I didn't kill the thread. D:

[Jadlin Hayes]

Jadlin Hayes

Jad mouthed a few empty syllables at first, in response to being asked for details of himself. Then he shrugged, "Well, there honestly isn't much to tell yet that isn't at least a little unpleasant. I won't go into those details much, if you don't mind. Suffice it to say, I only have a clear memory of the last year or so. prior to that, my life was a haze of hypnosis and drug-induced slavery. I really only know myself to be Ricky's brother due to someone with what they call a "Lykata" - I don't know if you are familiar with that - revealing it to me, along with this ring, which belonged to my father. It turns out that he's Ricky's father also. So we're really only half brothers."

He rolled his eyes with a measure of grim amusement. "Then, when I get here, right away they think I might be this 'Mage Silencer', and I undergo an interrogation. Not a terribly enjoyable ordeal, but at least it cleared me. At least that's what a different investigator confirmed for me, when he helped me fend off a bunch of those earth...freak...Yuck...men, or whatever they're called."

It occurred suddenly to Jad that his listener might be about to ask why anyone should have thought he could be the 'Mage Silencer'. This made him uncomfortable, as any further discussion would most likely lead to either a refusal to elaborate, or an admission of his ability in 'Leeching', neither of which were desirable ends. So he changed the subject.

"So anyway, I've been working on my Shielding skill with Ricky. I've got this technique that allows pretty fast forming of my shield, but it has the drawback of tending to make me automatically task it against water. Good I suppose if I need to hold my breath underwater for a longer time than usual. Or maybe ice? Hmmm...I wonder if it would hold off some kind of elemental wizard's ice attack?" He realized he was rambling, and though it was what he'd initially desired, he didn't want to go too far with it.

"Actually, I'm from Syliras, as far as I know anyway. Like I said, I was a sort of a hypnotized djed-slave to a bunch of wizards in a cult there, until the guard arrested them all. They let me go, and I had this ring, and word of a father in Zeltiva. So here I am!" He held his arms out to his sides, and turned this way and that, to visually encompass all of the city.

Satisifed, he now posed himself to give the floor to others, "So that's enough about both Ricky and me. So tell me about you. You said something about 'never being able to do what you did without Ricky'...So, what was it you did?" If the dark eyed woman was still there, he would give an indication that she was every bit as free to tell of herself as this gentleman was.

x

[Altaira Readva]

Common | Vani | Others | ooc*Note: Views and opinions expressed of the nuit-hating-crazed PC here are not to be affiliated with those of the writer herself.

Altaira was not a fan of the conversation, not in the slightest. The ease in which the nuit that stood so disgustingly close conversed and played with words and wit with the men and women around her- it had every fibre of the kelvic's being alight.

'No, no. This won't do.' She bit her lip and furthered her glare, a short survey of the room to see if she was the only one so alarmed by the presence of undeath, and she prayed to dear Dira that the lack of care and note was more so due to ignorance than acceptance.

Then, his words twisted. They were every bit of them discomforting. She shot him a harsh look, pressing her lips as she bade her frown not to burrow too deeply. Every honeyed word the nuit let slip from his dead lips caused a shiver to rivet her spine. She didn't trust one breath of it. There is no good that can come from a thing that will not accept death.

But then the man answered what the husk of a human had asked of him.

The words that unravelled and slipped from the stranger's mouth - now known to be named Jadlin Hayes, the supposed uncle of the sweet child for who so many had gathered - left the kelvic woman near speechless. She herself was one who would speak perhaps too much to those she'd just met, though the detail that the man went to left her feeling... as though she knew too much about a man who she didn't even know existed some chimes before.

What struck her to the core, perhaps, was the mention of ground so familiar. She'd been in Syliras a mere season before, breathing its air and tramplings its earth. But a cult?- Her faith in the knights had grown so enormously in the year, and yet how quickly they'd then fled down. 'Think of sweet Oriah. Of dear Marrick-That darn knight himself. Good people. Good work.' Then, as quickly as they began, the words turned from Jadlin to Ignotus, and the look that painted the woman's features were all the but too keen for the tale that was to come. "Indeed," she hummed, "It sounds a most fascinating tale." The own smile and gaze she turned on the nuit was as warm and welcoming as she could feign, which was not quite at all, and her hands moved to cross her chest as she waited for the tale to be told.

'Dira, let him tell something of use.'