Completed Home Semi-sweet home

[Hwyn]

Home Semi-sweet home

He hated pain, it was a useless sensation that only served negative ends, and seeing one inflict it on themselves made him cringe as hard as feeling it himself, Even when it was inflicted on someone who’d similarly harmed him, but it just wasn’t in his personality to wish harm. But, even ah his master harmed herself the pain he knew she felt seemed to do her more good than bad. He knew she was capable of magic, a talent she’d not hidden from him but he still feared the art and knew little about it, only that it was occasionally the root of issues and odd eccentrics.

Eva however had no such qualms, though it was debatable if there were really any things other than her siblings that she had qualms about. Then she moved, tearing him out of one of his many moment of introspection embracing him. At first, his hands hung limply at his sides unsure of what to do about the gesture but then he felt her lips against his forehead. Letting his arms tentatively move up he returned the gesture. He enjoyed the moment, Even sweaty and disheveled Eva’s presence was comforting. Hwyn had decided that he thought Eva was scary, and unpredictable, but there was comfort in that. Like if some sort of monster had decided that it wanted to be your friend, though to him Eva was no monster, no matter what rumors her siblings had about her. To him she was… well… he still didn’t have a word for what she was, or how he felt about her, but at least in her presence he felt safe.
Then the moment was over and it was once more time to move along. She took his hand not caring about or noticing the crimson trickle coming from it, though he noted her burned hand was linked with his own wound. She was in some way sharing his pain, and he hers, what an odd sensation. As they walked Hwyn talked, he wasn’t sure of Eva actually herd his words sometimes, or she did and didn’t deign to respond to them, though that had ceased bothering him long ago, he didn’t mind his stoic companions long silences, and if his chatter bothered her she’d never shown such.
“You know miss Eva… it feels like the world changed a bit while we were away, it feels like the city… is darker, more defensive? I dunno… but I don’t think we’ve changed much, like… I think that’s a good thing, change is, well sometimes it’s good, but, I think I’m happy with how things are, I mean, I’ve eaten better sense I came to Ravok than ever before, and, I haven’t been scared of what the next day is going to bring, cause…. Well I know I can count on… uhm… uhm… My.. master being around… I mean… uh, it’s nice just not being lonely ya know, Like… I feel like a person can be surrounded by people and still be lonely, but sometimes you could be with just one person and feel like you’ve got all the friends you need…. Uhm… does that make any sense?”

Continuing to babble like a spring brook as they walked Hwyn contentedly filled the silence with gossip and such deciding that any more deep conversation was probly left for a later time, the gossip he chatted on, consisted of the fact that it seemed the silks from some desert city had arrived in ravok and the so called dancing silks were quite popular. Another tidbit about the fact that you could tine’s exotic goods was selling a tea that made people fall in love with who they drank it with and a story that the Head Matron of the Lark family had lost her hair and was now wearing a wig. All perhaps inconsequential but the act of talking always relaxed him and he hoped to drive away the thoughts that this morning’s attempt at breakfast had brought.

Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy

[Evarista]

Not allowing anything specific to occupy her mind, Evarista strode down the stairs, across the foyer, and out of the front door, pulling Hwyn along. She still gripped the prayer beads tightly, even thought they have already left a deep trench in her hand. As they were about to leave, they earning a quizzical look from Victor, who stood at the doors. He was already very familiar with the sloppy heiress, and on some occasions when she was about to head out while looking socially inadequate, he actually had to turn her around. This was a bit of a border case. She was still dressed in pajamas, but the effects of Hwyn's haircare were still plainly visible, and her smooth black mane billowed evenly behind her. The combination of messy clothes and pristine hairdo made her look odd, but not completely ridiculous, so Victor shrugged inwardly and let her walk past without incident. Above all, Evarsta just wanted to get out of her room. This was a rare occasion when she couldn't force herself to stay cooped up in there. Strutting unhurriedly along the walkways towards the marketplace, she enjoyed Hwyn's irregular monologue and inhaled the lukewarm late-spring air deeply. Hearing the boy talk was, in some ways, similar to hearing him play the violin. While his anxiety-tinged voice was not exactly a musical symphony, it gave her a soundscape without the pressure of reciprocation, which allowed her to simply relax and listen silently. The loss of two-way contact made it less of a social activity and more of an artistic performance. Basic as it was, she appreciated the distinction, and the fact that he has caught on to its importance. The further they walked, the more the surreal experience that just happened to her seemed like a thing of the distant past. They were coming close enough to the market to hear its ambient noises in the distance. Most of Hwyn's words didn't really register to her, but the line about being lonely in a crowd made her turn her head slightly. She looked like she was about to say something, but suddenly a familiar female voice reached them from behind. "My lady, what a surprise to meet you here!" Turning around, Evarista saw Bryony just about to pass by on an adjacent walkway, with two male slaves in tow. The maid gave a practised curtsey and smiled widely. The other servants were carrying a heavy-looking wooden box, and were clearly not as pleased by the interruption, but forced themselves to smile and nod as protocol required. Evarista nodded briefly in acknowledgement, her gaze soon shifting from Bryony to the conspicuous box next to her. The maid, of course, noticed this. She quickly brought her index finger to her lips and feigned shifty eyes. "It's the secret delicacy for Lady Milina's upcoming Spring Party. Please don't tell anyone!" The maid didn't look particularly worried that the secret would come out, seeing as she was talking to the least gossip-prone person in the entire household. She expected Evarista to shrug and continue walking like she always did, but there was an awkward pause while the pajamas-clad aristocrat stared at the box blankly. Evarista was prying inside the box with her auristic sense. Despite the recent overgiving episode, she could already use the sight again. The strange technique taught to her by the priest in the Outpost chapel seemed to be potent indeed, though the girl couldn't begin to guess how and why it worked. Her singed hand tightened its grip on Hwyn's slightly, and her other hand tightened its grip on the prayer beads, while her cloudy eyes were still directed at the box. Piercing a thin layer of wood was not an issue; she's done it before. What was more difficult was interpreting the auristic reading of the item inside. The aura was a small, dirty and formless smudge, just as any inanimate object, or in this case, a dead animal. The animal was not the only thing in the box, as its aura was surrounded by a whitish fuzz, vaguely following the shape of the box. The carcass was apparently being kept fresh by an ice bedding. But what was the animal? Now that it was dead, the colors in the aura no longer had an easily distinguished visual shape that often made blind identification easier. Instead, she had to go by the contents of the aura itself. Taking a step closer to the box to see the details better, she tried to The slaves holding the box exchanged confused glances, seeming worried that she was going to try taking the box away or to pry it open. But that wasn't her intention. Peering between the building blocks of the secret delicacy inside, she began mentally picking them apart with practised ease. Yes, dead things were truly superior to living ones; at least they could be understood. Some patterns were familiar, but most were not. It was a water-dwelling creature, but not a fish. Clearly something exotic, which was already a given, since her mother wouldn't have anything less for her parties. Perhaps it was worth a closer look. It was a welcome distraction, in any case. "I'll tag along with you." Without looking at Bryony or the box-carrying slaves, she turned around and began strolling back the way she came, pulling Hwyn along like always, without explaining anything. The servants exchanged nervous glances, but didn't protest, and continued along their route with Evarista and Hwyn in their company. Bryony was curios what the pair was doing out here, oddly dressed at that. Naturally, she knew better than to chat up the probable source of the issue, and instead turned to Hwyn. "You were going to help in the kitchen, right? The party is getting closer and you guys came back just in time. This one's big, and we need an extra pair of hands." She nodded towards the wooden box and lowered her voice. "We still don't know what's in there, ourselves. Apparently only the head chef is allowed to open it. Lady Milina really doesn't want anyone to spoil the surprise." Bryony continued the explanation in a low voice. Milina Nitrozian loved feasts and parties as much as any other sensible family member, but when hosting her own, she was certainly a "quality over quantity" person. Her annual Spring Party was rather famous in the Ravokian upper class due to the painstaking detail she put into it - it was annual precisely because it took about a whole year to plan it properly. Of course, Evarista never attended it in her life, so it was quite strange that she suddenly took interest this year. "So... what are you guys up to? Were you-" The maid cast her blonde fellow a curious look, but her voice trailed off when she saw the thin trickle of blood seeping out between Hwyn's and Evarista's locked hands. However, she recovered quickly. "Were you going somewhere?" She pretended not to notice anything in Evarista's presence, but the second time she looked at Hwyn, there was worry in her eyes, more for his sake than for his masters'.

[Hwyn]

Home Semi-sweet home

Covering for Eva, or at least making the effort to do so, and endless chore at time. Though he was rarely any more informed any more than anyone else as to what her intentions were he’d at least learned to read her, and the way she looked at the box had already told him everything he needed to know. She was interested in it and once curiosity grabbed her it held on like a vice. Hwyn merely sighed when she informed Byrony that they would be tailing along for time being. Nodding in response to Byrony’s request for help he acquiesced assuming he wasn’t needed by Eva who could veto his plans depending on her whims. The way Byrony looked at him wasn’t particularly unusual, or at least it was a look he was used to. There some slaves who looked upon him with envy as he was spared many of the mundane chores of the household, however Byrony’s looks were more often those of a mild concern or curiosity, though it wasn’t too surprising considering the reputation his master held.
When the maid’s attention was drawn to their interlocked hands and she again gave Hwyn that questioning look he shrugged, it wasn’t that it wasn’t uncomfortable, his hand still mildly throbbed but there was little he could do about it, and drawing attention to it would do him no good.
“Miss Evarista is simply enjoying a morning stroll with me, we hadn’t any location in mind, just relaxed now that we’ve returned to the estate. An improve in climate to say the least.”
Smiling cordially Hwyn pushed off his seniors concerns even if they were founded. Following after the group Hwyn wondered just what it was the other slaves carried, he wasn’t interested enough to pry but by that same token he was aware that he was no longer able to escape involvement with whatever it was contained therein.
They made it to the kitchen in short order where the box finally came to rest, though what Byrony wanted out of him specifically he wasn’t sure, manual labor was something he preferred to avoid given the option, he did have the advantage of playing the role of a maid more so than that of a mundane servant.
“Byrony are all Nitrozean’s expected to attend this… Event? The return trip was quite taxing on my lady and I’d rather not cause her undue stress over a social event, that is if she’s not feeling up to it.”
On one hand he was trying to be useful to his mistress, he was aware of her dislike of social events, and on the other he didn’t particularly want any part in whatever was being planned either. His experiences so far with the well to do of Ravok’s upper class gentleman was primarily in the form of leering stares and the odd compliment that was laced with derision or worse. Perhaps it was just a natural consequence of his station, but he was glad for Eva’s more… Icy disposition. Looking to Eva for her answer Hwyn arched an eyebrow wondering just what her position on this all was.
“Miss Eva do you plan to Attend?”

Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy

[Evarista]

Once they had arrived back at the mansion and entered the kitchen through the back, the slaves carried the box down into the basement in a hurry to avoid meeting anyone. Evarista followed. Bryony opened her mouth to protest, but stopped herself once she realized that causing a ruckus would attract even more unwanted attention. Although it had never happened before, if the mystery dish surprise got spoiled, the one responsible would get thirty lashes at the very least. After all, it was one of the high points of the party, and Milina Nitrozian took her parties very seriously. Bryony and the box carriers looked obviously pained as the pajamas-wearing wildcard descended after them. While Evarista was not known to deliberately bully slaves, she would certainly not come to their defense if anything happened, either. On Hwyn's question of whether she would attend the party, his master only shook her head. Sure, all the family members were expected to attend, but she never attended anyway. She didn't even own any proper evening dress, and showing up on an event like that in a sailor blouse was as good as showing up in a potato sack. Her absence on such events wasn't exactly mourned, though. Most of the relevant people outside of the family only remembered her as a child, while she was still at least a bit publicly visible. She's heard her mother complain that people assume her eldest daughter is abroad or even dead. Heh. The cellar was the underwater portion of the massive platform that carried the estate. Besides the Temple, it was probably the largest platform in the city, and the submerged cellar spanned the entire area. There were many small rooms and angled passages, making the place a true labyrinth. It was dark, damp and getting lost in here was a real possibility, so the slaves who went to fetch or deposit anything did so as fast as they could and without any unnecessary movements. Family members never went here at all, which made the cellar an excellent place to hide things from them. After multiple twists and turns into the maze, following Bryony's lantern, they stopped in a nondescript empty room with a small round window, held in place by a rusty iron ring. The view was mostly dark water, but the occasional fish flashed its scales under the light of the lantern. It was hard to believe that this atmosphere of an ancient dungeon could be found right under the mansion. Bryony's followers carefully set down the box on the floor under the window. A pause followed. Everyone looked at Evarista with a degree of anxiety, unsure what she was going to do next. Her dispassionate face looked eerie in the dim light of the lantern, and it was impossible to tell what was going on in her head... but it was probably something unreasonable. Finally, a quiet verdict came. "You can leave. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone what's in the box." Bryony shrugged and turned to head back, gesturing her two underlings to follow. Before she could walk out of the room, she paused, realizing something. "My lady... I've got only one lantern. How are you going to get back? It's pitch-black down here, and we're pretty far in." Behind the fake concern in her voice, there was a sense of relief. In this situation, there was surely nothing to do but to admit the mistake and call off whatever it was that Evarista was planning. However, the reply made her eyebrows rise all the way to her hairline. "Just go." Bryony's intuition told her that this was one of those times when she had to grab Evarista by the collar and forcibly drag her along. While slaves strong-arming family members was normally ground for execution, certain senior servants had special license to knock some sense into Evarista if she was about to do something extremely stupid, which did happen at regular intervals. Then, the maid had to raise her eyebrows at another strange line. "I tied a string at the entrance." Evarista held up her hand. Around her pinky was a silvery loop, extending into a cord that disappeared back into the darkness. A very unusual way to navigate, but at least it showed that the pajamas girl knew what she was doing. Bryony gave a deep sigh of resignation. "Please be careful." Turning around with a snap, the maid strode out of the room, taking the light with her. The other two slaves hurried after her, not even looking back. By the time the trio's footsteps died down in the distance, Hwyn and his master were left in total darkness. The only sound was the dripping of water from the ceiling nearby. The foggy-eyed airhead stepped closer to the box, never letting go of Hwyn's hand. Her auristic sight told her where her object of interest was, so finding it was easy. Navigating in the dark, at least in short range, was something Evarista was already familiar with. While her hand pushed away the lid of the box, her lower jaw split into a flora of sensitive mandibles, feeling their way towards the aura of the carcass inside. While the darkness spared Hwyn the bizarre sight, the wet clicks of sinew and chitin were still audible. Visually, the aura was not very telling - just a dirty smudge, with very little dynamics and movement inside, as with most inanimate objects. But to the touch, it was something completely different. It was the difference between looking at a delicious dish and eating it. The graze of her mandibles against the surface of the dead creature's flesh was an explosion of experience, and unlike anything else. There was no sound or color, and the wet and soft physical sensation was only a tiny part of it. It was like she was turning the object inside out to feel the depths of its being. Rather than looking at the building blocks, she was grasping them, feeling their texture, their shape, their connection to one another. There was no need to wait for a full understanding before beginning to mimic. The hand that still held Hwyn's began to slowly change in texture, rearranging the building blocks inside to resemble what she was feeling. It was exciting to turn into something without knowing what it was; a primal sense of giving yourself over to the unknown. Hwyn's hand slowly became enveloped in something soft and slimy, flexible muscles giving him small squeezes. The wound on his hand was soothed by the caress of something cool. While fully transforming right here was out of the question, Evarista already had a good idea what to do, and how. Since it would be best to not stay down here for too long, she decided to call it a day and head back. After clumsily pulling the box lid back on, and allowing her hands and face to return to normal, Evarista gave her security string a provisional pull... but there was no resistance. The blood-chilling news was announced in a casual tone. "Oh. The string got undone. Huhuhu." The ensuing pause suggested that there was no plan B to fall back on. The dripping sounds coming from the corner of the room seemed slightly more menacing, enveloping the pair in a choking atmosphere.

[Hwyn]

Title and Date

It’s funny how when one sense is lost, another grows stronger. Hwyn frowned when Eva chased away there only source of light in favor of a string, but as always, he didn’t voice his own opinion on the matter though he now desperately wished he had. He knew Eva was interested in what was in the box but wasn’t this a bit excessive? Or maybe it wasn’t Eva was quite knowledgeable for a ditz, maybe she was onto something with wanting to understand everything about something and being indomitable in her research about said thing.
Then the Sounds began, a moist cracking and creaking followed by hard sounds and soft sounds that Hwyn couldn’t and didn’t want to place. The came from his master but he could only guess at what grotesque things she might be doing, for a moment he was thankful for the darkness. Then he immediately wished it back, the hand holding his changed, into something… thick.. and slimy, it took a fair bit of his will power not to jerk his hand away and he felt bones and flesh molding while her fingers were entwined with his. For a moment he wondered if he too could learn to do whatever it was his master did. It was grotesque and odd, but it had proved useful. He didn’t think himself much like his master in her high regard for insects and such but her abilities had proved her useful many a time, though he wondered if she would deign to teach him.
Though if feeling eva’s had become something else, feeling it shift back was even weirder, like feeling ugly clay form into a delicate human hand. It was like phantom hands he couldn’t feel were molding her like clay, could he mold himself like that? Though when she finally finished becoming normal, “normal” the thought earned a quiet snicker Hwyn’s sense of humor was quickly quenched by Eva’s announcement that her string had come loose, or… Hwyn thought, had been cut. Or maybe Eva was fooling them all, he didn’t know. Sighing Hwyn smiled slightly, he could get them out.
Making a show of smelling the Air Hwyn heavily lidded his eyes and pulled his bangs forward. He Hated using magic, and he hated even more letting Eva know he was capable of such a thing, though he hated being lost in a cellar even more than that. He frowned; there was no easy way to do this. He had a choice, use his magic and let his master see what he was capable of or not to use it at all.

“Petch”
Letting the magic flow into his eyes Hwyn frowned, even in the darkness ribbons hung in the air, he just had to find one to latch onto so they could leave this place.
“before you ask… I don’t have any answers, I just can… Smell? Like.. I can smell people, but… with sight… so… I can smell how to get out of…. Here… please follow me miss Eva.”

Maybe she’d try to take his eyes out again, or something worse, he hated peoples fascination with them. But it was inevitable that eventually someone would find out about what he could do whether he liked it or not. The question was would he be forced to use this power over and over again by Eva, or worse.
Shuddering Hwyn looked about in the darkness, seeing the wispy lines dance in the air over a backdrop of darkness was surreal, but that also made them easier to see. Latching onto the freshest ribbon, a pretty… sorta violet one Hwyn pursued it, he was no exert but it felt very proper, even. Perhaps it was Byrony’s. Pulling Eva along Hwyn found himself pausing often whenever they came to a corner or doors, but slowly he navigated to the flight of stairs that would lead them to the light.
Pulling the door to freedom open Hwyn frowned. It was sealed tight the knob unburning as Hwyn applied more force to the knob, had somebody locked them in?

“Miss Eva… it’s locked…”

Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy

[Evarista]

Evarista was ready to simply sit down and wait for someone to come. Someone would need to be here reasonably soon to change the ice in the box, since the meat would get spoiled otherwise. Hwyn's babbling didn't register with her until he pulled her hand. "With sight...?" Confused his disjointed explanation, she allowed herself to be pulled along, trying to figure out what he said. That's when she noticed it. His eyes were glowing, while he lead her confidently through complete darkness. And no, it wasn't that he could see in the dark. Just that wouldn't let him know which turns to take in a maze of small rooms and corridors where everything looked the same. But he did know. She couldn't see his face, but she could see his aura closely next her. He exuded determination, guided by a force clearly not of natural origins. These eyes were not just for show. There was some sort of power within them, and it clearly became evident that this power had a mind of its own, and didn't want to be examined. The morning nightmare... it all fell into place. Overwhelmed by the revelation, Evarista trailed unsteadily behind the blonde with the warmth of his hand as her only orientation point. At that rate, it didn't take them very long to arrive at the door leading to the stairwell. The futile rattle of the doorknob and Hwyn's verdict took a while to register as well. Evarista's first assumption was that they've gotten lost. Having gotten lost here countless times as a kid, she came across locked doors in the strangest of places; doors that were probably locked for a very good reason. Maybe they've took a wrong turn somewhere after all. "Is this the right door?" Holding up her free hand to the doorknob, she let her fingertip light up with a cool green glow, reminiscent of a firefly. The light the didn't provide much illumination, and wouldn't be enough to have gotten them through the maze, but it was enough to see what Evarista wanted. On the doorknob were two characteristic notches, which she remember ever since childhood. This was indeed the exit. Letting the glow on her finger go out, the girl took a long pause to process the absurd situation. Did Bryony lock them in? She was not the sort to risk her neck for the sake of a passive-aggressive prank. Did some overly orderly servant pass by and lock the door to keep things neat? The door was at the bottom of a stairwell, so a random passerby wouldn't even see it was unlocked. Not able to mentally tangle out the increasingly bizarre knots of today's adventure, Evarista felt herself becoming dizzy. Not bothering to analyze anything more, she melted her fingers together into a chitinous spear, jamming the edge between the door and the doorframe without further ceremony, and leaning her entire weight on it. The lock gave a soft creaking noise, but didn't budge. Evarista leaned back to take a charge and pushed again, as hard as she could, grunting from the strain. When it felt like her own arm would come off before the door did, she had to give up, pulling out the spear and taking a few deep breaths. It wasn't enough. The toughness of she chitin was more than sufficient, but she simply wasn't strong enough to pry the door, even with leverage. "You've lived on the streets. You can pick locks, right?" There was a faintly demanding note to her normally breathy voice; she was clearly expecting him to perform again. A soft green light radiated from her palm, showing the outline of the lock. Pretty bad working conditions, but better than total darkness.

[Hwyn]

Home Semi-sweet home

Hwyn frowned at the lock, he too was wondering if this had been intentional or not, it was hard to believe someone would accidentally lock a door. Looking at the lock Hwyn shook his head, even if he’d grown up in a city of crime, the ability to pick locks was simply beyond him. Not that he couldn’t do it, he’d seen it done, but he at the very least needed the right sort of tools to do so, he didn’t really carry much on him within the household anyways. Looking at Eva in the darkness Hwyn Shook his head.
“I’m afraid not Miss Eva, Even if I could I don’t have the tools I’d need to do it….. Sorry”
Looking at the dim light Eva cast Hwyn frowned, she really did have a tool for any occasion, it really was quite impressive that she could just become something else at a whim. Leaning against the wall Hwyn closed his eyes to think and to let the dull throb that accompanied using the vision fade. He should know how to pick a lock, frankly it was almost amusing to think that he could tell you five different ways to cut a person purse or to steal from a stand but that he’d never tried his hand at a lock. Shaking his head Hwyn squelched the thought, he wasn’t a criminal anymore. Though… he wasn’t much of anything anymore his identity was muddied more now than ever. He wasn’t sure if anyone even used his name anymore, other than himself… did Eva ever say his name? Moping in the dark Hwyn sighed, it was useless, he’d exposed his talent only to find a door he couldn’t open, how typical of him, he always failed in the last leg.
“Miss Eva, you wouldn’t know any other ways out of the cellar would you?”
Were there other ways, realistically having too much access to your storage only served to intice people who would want to sneak in and out of a place, and while the Nitrozean’s weren’t perhaps always the most moral of people they weren’t the type to promote skulking. No he couldn’t see an easy out in this situation. Sinking low Hwyn wrapped his arms around his knees and stared blankly into the darkness.
“If not, I’m afraid we’ll have to wait.”
Wondering aloud Hwyn pondered how he’d gotten to be a slave in a nitrozean household. He’d crossed a fair bit of the world to end up here. Might as well pass the time with some stories.
“Yeah, I did live on the streets, it’s funny to think back on those times, I mean… where I was from you were either a thief a mercenary or filthy rich….. Frankly none of those three suited me, the filthy rich part was nice but it came at a pretty steep price, and the constant hunger of being a thief… well sometimes you’d take anything over going the night hungry…. There was also A time when I’d thought about being a Soldier, a knight even, it sounded cool, riding a stead into battle, being loved by everyone. But… heh, turns out I couldn’t reconcile my past with such a goal…. So I went to another place… where I wanted to be a performer…. Hehe, I managed to flub that up too, but…. I did get my eyes there.., though I wouldn’t call them a blessing…. Anyways… I hate to say it… but you managed to acquire… a useless slave. I’m no good for anything you know, that’s probly why we are locked down here. So… sorry about that.”

Wallowing in self pity… now there’s a talent Hwyn thought to himself, it was nice that he could say whatever he wanted though, Eva rarely paid his words head so he’d grown comfortable talking to her…. Funnily enough though he was still unable to ask her for something when he actually wanted it. His growing curiosity about magic. Though then again magic was still something he’d been told to avoid and fear growing up. Though Eva’s casual use of it had slowly whittled down his fear of it. At one point he might’ve been able to shake off his melancholy, stand up and beat the door down, but he was more broken then than now… like a plant deprived of water too long, he was withered and content to be complacent… right? Letting his foul mood consume him Hwyn plotted on how to get out… leaning back only to jump up when something pricked him hard.
Feeling blindly against the wall Hwyn found what had poked him, a nail that was loose in the wall it’s head not fully hammered into the wall, had it been used to hang something perhaps or was it an oversight? Pulling the Nail from the wall Hwyn envisioned the lock and smiled, this nail would do, but… he still needed a chisel to turn the lock… maybe… Eva could be the chisel.
Standing up Hwyn was glad it was dark, he was red with shame. He’d just moaned about his life to one person he really shouldn’t be doing so to.
“I…. I think… If you can turn the lock… I can…. I can… f-force the mechanism… this is an older lock… so… maybe.”
Bracing the nail against the wall he bent the tip of it up before lodging it onto the lock feeling for a part… it should give him some resistance but still be moveable… It felt like an eternity… but he did find it...

“Miss eva… if… you wouldn’t mind… make that… claw shape… and turn the lock… I’ve jammed the mechanism…”

Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy

[Evarista]

In the low light of her luminescent hand, Evarista could only see the outlines of Hwyn's features, but it proved to be better than a bright light would be, since it allowed her to notice the minute change in his facial expression. Even before he opened his mouth, she already knew that he couldn't do it. She felt a small pang of disappointment, less so for the prospect of being trapped, and more for having overestimated the blonde boy. She's been impressed by his dexterity before, but in the end, he was only amazing when compared to herself, and not the true veteran burglar she sometimes imagined him to be. When asked about other exits, she simply shook her head in denial. This was the only one she knew, and despite having many childhood experiences of exploring this place, she's never found another one. Even if there was another one, going to look for it without even a lantern to light the way would be incredibly stupid. Hwyn sank down to a crouch, obviously as clueless as herself about how to get out of this one, besides waiting. Someone would surely come by the end of the day... but how many bells would that be? Five? Seven? It was already a bit past lunchtime, and the satiation brought by Hwyn's hearty breakfast has already worn off. Playing with her hair idly, Evarista found her gaze drift down to the ground in resignation, just like her blonde companion. This was looking to be a bad day. Seemingly in an attempt to entertain her, the boy began talking about the long journey that eventually brought him to Ravok. Hovering her glowing hand over his crouching form to see his face, she listened with neither admiration nor judgement in her eyes. Normally, when people felt the need to tell her their life stories, the only reaction they got was a jaw-cracking yawn. But this time, she found herself listening. Even though he was rather brief in his descriptions, he's obviously already experienced more of the world than she likely ever would. Pressing on through all that only to ultimately end up in her basement was an amusing fate, she thought, curling up one corner of her lip. One of the harshest aspects of being a slave, at least here at the estate, was the somewhat regular catch-22 of being ordered to do something but being unable to do it, since a lack of results generally lead to punishment regardless of the reason. Sitting on the ground and apologizing while looking like a wet puppy would hardly evoke any compassion in a Nitrozian family member. Evarista was no exception to this, but she also didn't feel the need to sanction him, or force him to find a way, as some of her siblings would have done in her place. She just pursed her lips and remained silent, allowing her gaze to go out of focus since she expecting to stay exactly like this for many bells to come. Hwyn's sudden jerk away from the wall brought her back to reality. As if out of nowhere, something thin and sharp appeared in his hand, and he started fiddling with the lock. Holding her bio-lantern close, she saw that he had found a rusty nail, and was full at work with getting the door open. A small sense of excitement pierced the melancholy she's already resigned herself to, and the hope in his voice reflected on her, as well. It didn't take long before he announced his success with his perpetually shaking voice. Evarista found it difficult to believe her ears, and simply did as he said. Despite her sneaky habits, the girl had never tried to pick any locks, instead finding her way into locked places through top-floor windows and other low-security entrances. She had no idea how a lock even worked, besides "you put in key to open it". It took her already dizzy mind a few moments to process what exactly he was asking her to do, but eventually she turned her index finger into a flat talon and carefully inserted it into the lock, alongside Hwyn's nail. Feeling around carefully until she got a grip in there, she turned her wrist as if she were holding a normal key. The lock made a grating noise, spilling a thin trickle of rust, and followed her motion. She tentatively pressed the doorknob with her other hand, and a strip of light seared her eyes as the door opened without resistance. They made it. While they slowly ascended the stairwell, letting their eyes get used to daylight again, Evarista felt a huge sense of achievement. She still didn't say anything, but a tiny spark of contentment was evident in her cloudy eyes. Without pausing, she ascended all the way to the top floor and headed straight to her room, expecting the boy to follow. Confronting Bryony about the locked door was to be left for later. Her attention had already drifted elsewhere - she had to confirm something. Entering the safety of her room again was very pleasant. The nightmarish events of this morning seemed like a very distant memory, a snuffed-out candle on her desk and a prickling sensation on her singed palm the only evidence that it happened at all. Pulling her prized big book from the bookcase, she flopped down on her bed, resting the book on her knees and starting to flip through the pages idly. Eventually, she came to a stop on a picture page. After some hesitation, she finally set down her finger, pointing at something. "Hmm. This. Heheh." The picture was an elaborate and stylized portrayal of a large ship, probably a galleon, being attacked by an abyssal monster of some kind. The monster was mostly submerged and thus only partially visible, but the picture clearly showed eight gigantic tentacles entangling the ship from all sides and bending it down towards the waves, with the tiny figures on the ship's deck clearly struck by panic. Evarista's auristic forays told her that the creature in the box was something very close to this, although downscaled. Nothing even remotely resembling such a thing lived in Lake Ravok, that much was certain, and that must have been the whole point of Milina deciding to make it her party's secret delicacy. But the odd gleam in Evarista's eyes hinted that it had the potential to become so much more than that.

[Karyk]

 

Hwyn

Skills
Planning: 1
Larceny: 2
Organization: 1
Musical Instrument (Violin): 1
Cosmetology: 1
Socialization: 3
Cleaning: 1
Subterfuge: 1
Observation: 1
Leadership: 2
Pathfinding: 1
Lores
Insecure Thought: I don't know what fruits Eva likes
Larceny: Using a falling broom as momentary distraction
Desire: Discover how Byrony ascended stairs with a tray so gracefully
Nitrozian Estate: Much quieter when the family is hungover
Subterfuge: Devaluing a fact to draw attention away from it
Ravok is different since I've returned from Syka. Or is it me?
Larceny: Picking a lock with a nail and a talon
Miscellaneous

 

Notes and Comments

CS Checkmarked: ✓
CS Reviewed by Me: ✓
Season Request was Submitted for Grade: Spring 517
Season Thread was Started (IC & OOC): Spring 517 & Spring 517
Is that Season's expenses paid?: ✓
Eligible for grade? Yes

Saw that some of your table codes were broken in your CS.

 

Evarista Nitrozian

Skills
Observation: 2
Leadership: 3
Investigation: 3
Auristics: 3
Morphing: 1
Bodybuilding: 1
Lores
Dream: Flashes of Hwyn and the taste of blood
Nothing lightens the spirits like wine and Hwyn
Hwyn: Aura of his eyes is not meant to be understood
Theory: Hwyn's eyes entice, then steal power
Studying Hwyn's eyes with the lens causes loss of power and spawns hallucinations
Overgiving Treatment: An aura constant and pain can erase mild hallucinations
Strange Thought: I trust Hwyn
Hwyn: Just his voice is enough to bring comfort
Using a string to navigate a labyrinth
Hwyn: 'Can smell people with sight'
Morphing Texture: Squishy water creature texture
Hwyn: Could've become a Knight
Hwyn: Wanted to be a performer
Miscellaneous

 

Notes and Comments

CS Checkmarked: ✓
CS Reviewed by Me: ✓
Season Request was Submitted for Grade: Spring 517
Season Thread was Started (IC & OOC): Spring 517 & Spring 517
Is that Season's expenses paid?: X* Due to the rule of 1 season allowed to be behind on current for expenses, this PC is eligible.
Eligible for grade? Yes

I would like to see a bit more detail when using auristics. There was nothing wrong with what you did, but maybe showing the summoning of the djed into the eyes and the mental control of the magic and not just what the magic allows Eva to see.

I would also like to see more time when learning new morphs. Morphing is intentionally a slower forming magic. It requires a lot of study. It takes time, even at expert level, to change so perfectly. To rush morphing is to risk permanent damage.

Watching Eva eat the jam is just so stomach churning. Well done on thoroughly portraying the overgiving effects of the cursed lens. It's quite interesting to see when Hwyn's stutter shows itself. Most interesting indeed. A very interesting read all around. Well done the both of you. Please mark the post in Queue as graded.