Completed Second Impressions

[Hwyn]

516 Av Fall 81st

Their was a unique sort of Rhythm to holding down a career. Waking up at the same time each day, going to see the same people every morning and spending your day with them. It wasn’t family, no not even close but at the very least their was a sort of closeness to it. And there was stability within the walls of the cafe, Hwyn had only worked for a short while at the cafe but it was already beginning to feel like a place in which he could belong. Darnel never asked for anything too odd, he was quite happy as long as Hwyn was pleasant with their customers.

As far as customers went Hwyn was starting to become familiar with some of the faces and voices that were regulars at the cafe. Most of the cafe’s regulars were older for the most part, men and women who had enjoyed fairly successful if uneventful lives who now had the time and money to relax and drink tea in their morning hours. On some level Hywn resented them, the thoughtless way they lived their lives, day in and day out comfortably existing, Hwyn had hardly been able to sleep in the past days, the city was revealing itself to be much scarier than anything his mind had been able to imagine, and now that he’d seen slivers of the truth, he’d been having a hard time trusting anyone, too many mornings as he went to work he caught himself looking over his shoulder, too many days were spent looking out for soldiers as he briskly made his way to his home to try and sleep, only to break into a cold sweat whenever sleep tried to take him.

No, he was much less happy than he had been smiling faces had lost their charm and the thin smile he wore when he chatted with customers was wearing him out. He could settle into the regular motions that he was required to do, but he didn’t feel like the people he served at the cafe actually saw him when they looked at him, they just looked through him as if he was another part of the monotony they so happily settled into, not concerned that at any moment a dead body or monster might crop up, they all simply passed it off as Rhysol being their to protect them. Hwyn hadn’t seen any signs of the god since he’d arrived in the city, but he wondered how benevolent the guy could be all things considered. Shrugging off the negative thoughts as he planted a tray of eggs and muffins before a older couple and poured them tea, he smiled at the two before walking out to the terrace. The terrace was nice but barren he’d only seen it in fall but he liked the idea of it always being bit of a solemn location. Rolling his shoulders Hwyn composed himself and pulled a forced smile on, maybe he could find some sort of happiness if he delved for it, he didn’t enjoy being miserable and he didn’t want prying eyes seeing his own sadness.

“Alright Hwyn, let's face this morning in stride, can’t spend all of our time worrying”

Speaking softly to himself Hwyn sought out some motivation to get him through the day.

Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy

[Evarista]

Evarista didn't want to wake up that morning. Realizing that she woke up anyway, she lied unmoving in her bed for a long time, staring up at the ceiling helplessly. Her mind was consumed by a continuous, undulating, otherworldly noise, feeling as though it even consumed the corners of her vision with a dull static. It drowned out a large part of reality, perhaps mercifully so. Her limbs still twitched involuntarily from time to time. It felt as though invisible hands played her nerves like a musical instrument. It's been a few days since she made it home. No one seemed to notice her absence. How long was she gone, even? A day? A week? A year? She had no idea. She didn't want to know. The recent events repeated themselves in her mind, over and over. They reached her in her sleep, reached her when awake, an endless flow of cacophony. There were very few images. The memories were of sounds. Unfathomable, indescribable sounds. Staying in her quiet room alone with the sounds; she couldn't bear it anymore. She had to get out. Evarista rose out of bed, her joints rigid like wood. The slightest movement made her nauseous, but staying put was worse. She pulled on her clothes with some effort. Apparently, these were found strewn all over the marketplace. A slave was sent to discretely collect and launder them, and here they were again. As if nothing strange has happened at all. No one in her family had asked any questions. She was eternally grateful for that, but it showed just how little she meant. She needed some fresh air. Having been both unable and unwilling to leave her room since she came home, she needed to stretch her aching legs. Like a ghost, she crept along the corridors of the mansion, ignored by slaves and family members alike. Nothing has changed here. She hoped that nothing has changed outside, as well. Dealing with any more change was beyond her at this time. Leaving the estate, she drifted along the walkways of the Noble District, not really knowing where she wanted to go. The storm has passed, and there were no clouds, but the sky was grey. The buildings were grey, and the people were grey. There was still something wrong with her sight. Maybe it'd return to normal eventually. Maybe not. There was nothing particular she wanted to see, so she didn't care too much. As she reached the Merchant District, she felt a sudden wave of weakness wash over her. Tears blurred her vision, and she grasped the nearby railing to prevent losing balance. Even so, her knees bent, unable to support her. The rush of salivation signaled the inevitable. Clutching the walkway railing convulsively, the young aristocrat let out a miserable whimper as the contents of her bowels erupted from her mouth, vanishing into the dark waters of the lake. The lungs drew air hoarsely, the added oxygen narrowly preventing her from fainting. Fortunately, there was no one nearby. As much as she wanted someone to save her from her suffering, she knew there was no one who could and would. Being left alone was much preferable to receiving some stranger's impotent pity. Forcing her shaking body back into an upright position, the girl resumed walking slowly, supported herself on the walls. The lush vegetation of a familiar café became apparent just one block away. She couldn't walk much more, so she had to sit down. Nearly crawling her way to the café terrace, she climbed up onto a chair and dropped her head on the table with a thud, unable to move a limb. Now that the immediate discomfort of the digestive distress has passed, she really wanted something to drink. No, not wine. Merely getting a whiff of alcohol would probably make her heave again. Hearing the door to the building open, Evarista raised her head with some difficulty. Seeing the blurry figure of a waitress swim before her eyes, she forced out her order. She wished she could communicate telepathically, so that she didn't have to. Her voice barely came out, but hopefully the waitress would hear. She doubted she'd have the strength to repeat herself. "Bl... black... tea." As soon as she finished, her head went back to the table with a thud. She wasn't even sure she had brought any money with her, but washing the taste of bile out of her mouth was her only priority at the moment. Hopefully she wouldn't be made to wait.

[Hwyn]

516 Av Fall 81st

When he saw her, recognition dawned on his face, followed by mild concern and horror, he hadn't seen her since the incident at that bizarre he'd assumed the young woman dead, he was happy she wasn't but she looked worse for wear, her already pallid corpse-like visage was particularly worse than usual. dark circles hung under her eyes, or at least what Hwyn saw of them before her head flopped to the table. Jumping when he got the order Hwyn scampered inside and retrieved a pot of tea that was still steaming and... against his better judgment grabbed a couple of plain muffins from the kitchen, on his way out of the kitchen one last thing caught his attention, a clean unused apron, frowning Hwyn decided that if any questions were asked he'd just explain it off as trying to help a customer, hopefully since the woman was rich no questions would be asked.

Making his way back out to the terrace hwyn set the tea tray and muffins before Eva and poured her a cup of tea. Not putting sugar in the tea Hwyn simply made the small bowl of sugar readily available. Stepping Behind her Hwyn draped the cloth over the Woman's shoulders to shield her from the cool fall breeze.

"Ms... Evarista... is there anything i can do for you? If there is anything else i can get for you let me know ok."

Standing at attention next to the young woman he observed her she really did look quite ill, she moved like her limbs were fragile and a mild flush to her cheeks spoke to some sort of ill feeling to her. Hwyn wasn't a doctor but it wasn't too hard to figure out what illness looked like. That said he was not terribly sure what he should do to help the woman.

Beyond that he stood fidgeting the woman had been there the day the spider had attacked, but he hadn't seen her since, was it a safe topic to broach deciding against troubling the woman while she was sick Hwyn would wait patiently ready to get anything else Evarista might want, he remembered vividly her first visit and that she had a keen dislike for the wine the kept in stock so he wouldn't offer her anything like that, plus when sick alcohol wasn't usually something anyone should be drinking in his own opinion.

"Ms Evarista... I.. Uh... well I am glad you visited me again, I was worried you wouldn't be coming back to the cafe since you didn't care for the drinks last time."

That seemed safe enough to say, he didn't want to cause her any offense or pester her, but on her last visit she had paid him to talk with her, so perhaps she would again appreciate conversation, he was not sure if anyone in such a sour condition was keen on chatter but it was worth a shot, if she dismissed him he'd go about and just try to check on her every now and then like any other customer.

Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy

[Evarista]

The vibration of the table told her that her tea has arrived. focused only on the steaming drink poured up for her, she reached for the cup, not bothering to straighten her back. A tremor of her hand sent a splash of scalding hot tea splattering on her thigh, instantly soaking through the fabric of her skirt and searing her skin mercilessly. The sensation barely registered. Intently continuing the motion, the girl brought the cup to her mouth, chugging down the hot liquid as steams of it seeped down her chin. It burned intensely, but it was a good pain. Exhaling heavily, she put the rapidly emptied cup back on the tray roughly. The scalding heat and bitterness left a coarse trail all the way down her throat, but compared to what she was feeling before, it was pleasant. It was a replacement of a great pain with a slightly less great pain. A clever solution. The drink rejuvenated her a little. Now, at least she wasn't teetering on the brink of fainting anymore. Now that she could afford to think about things other than maintaining her consciousness, she noted the voice that has been chattering over her ear. There was something familiar about it. Looking up, still slightly dazed, she saw the face of the waitress whom she knew to be a boy. His huge, beautifully colored eyes struck her, instantly reviving her memory of him. The world around him was still grey and smudged, but those brilliant eyes had color. The only things in the world... with color. And they looked at her with what seemed like genuine concern. Suddenly overflowing with emotion, the young aristocrat opened her mouth to call his name, but immediately closed it again. She couldn't remember it. This wasn't something unique to him, admittedly. It was as if all names were completely wiped from her memory. She had trouble remembering the names of her family, the slaves, people she has seen every day for her entire life. That wasn't strange, either. For the first day after she returned, she couldn't remember her own name. Names seemed like something trivial and unnecessary, even burdensome. Something humans made up. She didn't want to go back to the made-up world humans lived in. She didn't want to go back to the world where she had to think more than five second ahead. Without saying anything, and without warning, she simply reached up and stroked the boy's cheek. It was soft and warm. Unlike anything else she had touched in her life. But then, a sense of déjà vu. Did she do this the last time she was here? She couldn't remember. But she wanted to do it now. A small smile touched her lips as she pulled back her hand and finally tore her eyes away from his. He brought her muffins, huh? Her recently emptied stomach cried for a refill, but she couldn't force herself to eat anything now. There was another nagging feeling. Revulsion. Even though she used to quite like sweets, they didn't have the same appeal anymore. It was like food not for her stomach... or something. She silently gestured towards the teapot for a refill. Regardless of anything, she got a new appreciation for black tea today. Focusing her gaze on the boy again, she could barely keep her hands to herself. Without looking away or blinking, she rested her elbows on the table, and rested her chin on her palms. She wanted to say something to him, wanted to express her emotions, but there were no words. Maybe he'd just stay with her like he did last time if she pays? The overgiven girl stuck her hand into her skirt pocket, hoping to find at least a single coin. There was an entire handful. Pulling it all out, she set it on the tray he brought his tea on, without even looking at it. At least a dozen of shining gold-rimmed mizas spread over the smooth surface with a cascading clatter. He had such a pleasant voice. Perhaps it could drown out the agonizing dissonance in her head for just a moment. "Uh... huh. Stay. Please. Hmm... Sing something for me." Her breathy voice paused erratically, but carried a sort of commanding tone never the less.

[Hwyn]

516 Av Fall 81st

Hwyn frowned when he heard the woman's request, and further frowned at her actions, she;d burn herself and stain her clothing if she kept up such terrible habits, was she drunk? He knew she liked to drink in the mornings but she didn't reek of alcohol, she simply seemed shook up and weak. When she stroked his cheek Hwyn froze, it was a foreign action but it wasn't a slap or a strike so he let it happen without reacting to it.

Pouring the woman a second cup of tea Hwyn added a spoonful of sugar and blew on it for a moment before handing it to her, it hurt to see someone hurt themselves. It was still hot and bitter, but it should take the edge off of the tea, it wasn't something that Hwyn was keen on drinking himself, he didn't care for bitterness. As for her request to hear him sing, well he wasn't confident in his ability to sing but perhaps he could offer a story in its place.

"Uhm, I'm sorry to say I'm not much a m-musician, but if you'll settle for a story I'll try to e-entertain you."

Looking for the words hwyn searched out a story to tell, he didn't have any that he could recite from memory, but he was a fairly decent liar. Thinking about it, he decided that a bit of his own life story veiled as a work of fiction, that, that he believed he could do, but what comparison could he draw that would veil the truths.

"In a place many leagues away, there was a woman, who lived in a city built from rubble... and rot. It was a place where violence reigned and fear ruled. But the woman had accepted the city as her home, and would not leave, so she built a home from the nicest rubble and gilded it with gold pulled from the hands of the unfortunate."

Hwyn smiled, he wasn't much for words, but he'd been listening to the way the rich folk that lived in Ravok liked to talk and found that he could pull words they used out of his head and use them. Furthermore, he felt the description was apt of his "mother". Anyways to continue the story he would introduce himself to the tale, he wasn't sure what to call himself yet, but, Evarista's desire to hear him sing gave him an idea.

"But the woman, who sat in her castle in the city of rubble was not happy, no amount of suitors could bless her with what she desired, the woman was barren and she could not bring into the world, a child to share her castle with. So one day she went out into the town and purchased a little bird, and brought it home with her. She kept the little bird in a gilded cage and as long as it would sing for her, she kept it fed and clean. But there were times when the woman had fits and spells of anger at the world for cursing her with a body that could not produce, so she shook the little bird's cage asking the bird questions that it knew not answers too."

It didn't feel too bad to talk about himself when he was only telling half truths that did not convict him. So continuing didn't feel too bad either, but he was running out of analogies so it might be best to cut the story short soon than to draw on.

"So when the birds singing no longer brought the woman joy but sorrow, she locked the bird away in a dark corner of her castle, a grim reminder of what she could not have. The bird would have wasted away were it not for the compassion of a servant who decided to set the bird free. So the bird flew far from its cage in the city where the sun was born, it flew until its wings were tired never looking back to the woman that had raised it. But the bird had never lived outside of its cage, and found the real world colorful and scary so the little bird flew from place to place and saw all sorts of cages, some old and worn, some guarded by knights and others that shifted like water, a cage that shifted colors and played host to a god, but the bird for fear of a cage ever flies on, unable to truly understand the world outside of cages."

Hwyn sighed, he was out of words.... Yep he couldn't think if a good way to continue such a tale.

"Or at least that was the way I heard it.... It's been some time since I-I've heard the story, so I can't say that I told it as well as the author. but I hope it was ok"

With that, Hwyn silenced himself eyeing the pile of coins. He frowned he could not in good faith take any of them not when he was already being paid to be here.

"The story is free, s-so you don't have to pay for it.. especially s-since it was probably not t-terribly interesting"

Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy

[Evarista]

Sipping her second cup of tea, Evarista listened to him silently as he told his story. She noticed the absence of the jarring stutter that usually plagued his speech. The warmth of the tea and the boy's mellow voice spread a wave of calm through her, calming her shaking hands. Not a drop of the tea was spilled from the second cup. Her eyes never left his as he elaborated his strange tale. Absent-mindedly, she pinched off a small piece of a muffin and chewed on it slowly. The sweetness didn't turn out to be as terrible as she had imagined. This story, though. The words pouring from the boy's lips set her mind adrift. Evarista imagined the story as literally as he told it. A city of ruin and violence. A barren woman with a caged bird. It sounded fantastical, like a fairy tale, but it also didn't sound like something one would make up on the fly. An odd tale from foreign lands. This boy really was well-traveled. She would have preferred to hear him sing, but his awkward evasion implied he wasn't much of a singer. Not yet, anyway. "Hmm... A riveting tale." After a pause, she realized she forgot to add something. "...thank you." Putting down her anew-emptied cup, Evarista let her eyelids close halfway and licked her lips in contentment. For the first time since her return, she felt good. She almost regretted not getting out of the estate earlier. Sitting here, listening to the boy's voice and the light rustle of the vegetation felt completely blissful. She's never noticed the rustling before, even though she has frequented this place. Was it always there? It almost felt like a new channel of hearing opened to her. She wanted to make the most of it. Now that her brief rest was over, she'd have to return to the estate soon. To that silent room. Evarista looked down briefly, clutching the folds of her skirt until her knuckles turned even whiter than they already were. She didn't want to back, and she knew she couldn't stay. However, there was a third option, emerging in her mind out of nowhere. The thought hasn't even crossed her mind until now, since it's something she has never done in her life. Visibly straining in her efforts to choose the right words, she spoke slowly. "There's... hmm. Will you join me for dinner today? At my house... I would appreciate your company." The anxiety made her forehead moist with sweat. Naturally, she had no idea how to properly express an invitation, but she hoped he got the idea. Someone from the Noble District would find such a sudden familiarity abrasive, but she knew the boy wasn't as soft-skinned as he looked. That, and being invited to dinner by someone obviously rich should be an enticing prospect of its own, so maybe her appearance would do the work for her. Whatever she case, she did her best. Resigning to that thought, the girl leaned on the table and rose to her feet unsteadily. The pile of coins on the tray couldn't stay like that. Now that her mind was a little clearer, she understood it was a mistake. Tipping servants too little was rude, but so was tipping too much, as it gave the impression of bribery. Scooping the money back up awkwardly, she shoved it back into her pocket. There were two golden mizas left on the tray; one for the boy, and one that would presumably cover the tea and the muffins. Forcing a weary smile for the boy's benefit, she walked towards the exit of the terrace, throwing a last line over her shoulder. "It was... a pleasant break. Someone will be sent to pick you up once your shift ends." Walking away from the café, she realized that she forgot to tell him that she was looking forward to seeing him again. Or, more accurately, hearing him. A slip of politeness, but also a slip of honesty. She has never invited anyone home before in her entire life. This was the first time she felt the urge. She wasn't sure what to expect from this, but she had little to lose. As she returned home, she young aristocrat looked up at the sky briefly, shielding her eyes from the grey sun. It was noon. Something within her had changed forever, and the brief moment of clarity and relaxation made her decide. There was no point in fighting the change. From now on, she would go along with what her instincts told her. The old instincts, as well as the new. Her thoughts on her remaining way home were of birds and cages. Continued in Iron Tongue.

[Crow]

“Chaos in the midst of chaos isn't funny, but chaos in the midst of order is.”

 

Hwyn

Skills

• Observation +1
  Storytelling +1
  Rhetoric +1

Lores

• Lore:Darnel Redroot: Owner of Café Fleurs
  Rhysol: Benevolent God?
  Storytelling: The convoluted story of my mother
  Evarista: Going through some changes
  Evarista: I care for her through actions
  Observation: Noticing changes from one’s health

Miscellaneous

You're employer will note that you have been giving out free drinks and muffins. He will grow wary of you as an employee and likely fire you if you show such attempts again.

 

Evarista

Skills

Endurance +2
Observation +1

Lores

• Lore:Ravok: The Noble District
  Hwyn: A helpful…friend?
  Endurance: Recovering from a devastating morph
  Endurance: Throwing up is painful

Miscellaneous

• Effects last 4 days:dark circles hung under her eyes
  Burnt taste buds
• Permanent change to item: Stained shirt
• Recovering from the full body morph: Your character will feature intensely pale skin from this point forward. As a side effect from the forced morphing you will unable to perform any magic from the expansive effect it had on your Djed for 45 days. From this point forward if anyone was to look at your aura it would feature an immensely dark and animalistic tone. It will not appear to be human. Your abdomen will be softer than that of typical human skin and can be penetrated easier (resemblance to that of a symnestra's skin.)
  

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