Closed [Alheas Park] Nightly Shenanigans

[Haneht]

♛ H A N E H T ♛ ∆ E Y P H A R I A N ∆ W/C: 466 8th, Summer 518AV After Dusk

The thick fog that had rolled in during Spring, despite the unusual heat and dryness that season, had lingered, and thickened over the course of time, covering Lhavit like a misty veil. On the 7th, Alheas Park was nearly fully shrouded, a great shame to the park’s otherworldly beauty and even greater disappointment to tourists and locals alike. Fortunately, the bio-luminescent flora and fauna of the park still retained their dim glow even in the fog, and Haneht, unaware of the looming dangers of Zith and Wild Djed acting up, was so very keen on a fun evening of exploration, and set out to wander the park in all its foggy glory. If lucky, he hoped he’d come across some Prismfly, and maybe even bring some home. Surely Saiyin would love to release them together, watch them glow like little stars in their gardens as they flitted back to their beloved Fadeong trees.

Fog had been an uncommon occurrence back in Ekytol, where the weather was always sweltering and warm by day and contrastingly cold but still characteristically humid at night. In his short residency at Lhavit, Haneht was no less excited about the variation of climate in the mountainous city. Pleasantly cooling in the summer, absolutely freezing come winter. Admittedly, he never did take too well to the icy cold of winter, but the luxuries of living in Lhavit far triumphed the bads. A little cold every now and there never hurt anyone, and Haneht was a healthy, hardy young man! And what did every self-respecting, healthy young man do on a fine night of poor visibility such as this?

Indulge in a lovely stroll through a park full of Wild Djed, naturally. Whyever would they not?

So there he was, gliding through the fog with only a cloak and his blades trusty Iron Fan tucked into the waist of his trousers. Leth’s silver beams broke through between gaps in the fog, aiding the faint glow of Alheas Park’s beautiful flora in guiding the Eypharian through the dense veil.

Haneht paused mid-stroll, scrutnizing the area with narrowed eyes. Not a single creature in sight, and a woeful sigh escaped him. Feet trudged on, stumbling over the occasional stray twig and rock.

It was oddly quiet tonight, the boy would note, footsteps light and graceful as he strolled, accompanied by only his shadow. It had been a while since dusk and he’d set foot in the park, and was getting vaguely disappointed with the lack of Prismfly. Not a single one in sight! Where had they all gone? A secret party in the woods?

No matter, he assured himself. The night was young still, with Syna not due to rise until many bells later, and Alheas Park had plenty more to offer than silly, glowing flies.

[Savis Maren]

Savis was struck by the persistence of the overwhelming fog that blanketed Lhavit in its presence. The Animator wasn't glad for it, either. Ever since the fog set in fully, there was a distinct taste of djed in the air. It followed Savis everywhere she went, taunting her in the particular sense that she had no use for. It even went so far as to poison her throat. She found that by the day her voice grew weaker. At first, she spoke in stutters and croaks. Her jaw relaxed at inopportune moments, her words staggered and shifted. She'd taken to speaking as little and as directly as possible, avoiding it when she could altogether. Sil sat in her home unused after his initial creation. Was resentment forming within the Animator? Certainly, the crumbling of her voice wasn't owed to the construct itself, but the blame was apportioned to it in full.

The Nuit found it difficult to forgive her creation, who she thought a friend in the bells she'd seen it walk. Its servitude was short-lived and she doubted she'd call upon it again. It was a fitting punishment for the vile betrayal the construct clearly had a part in. There was a momentary sadness as she thought on the fact that her own mind and soul were used as a template for the useless, villainous thing. The Nuit visibly huffed at the thought, though she was certain none would see the gesture. Hopefully, they (if they existed at all) wouldn't hear the sound of it, her gravely tone replaced with a staggered hiccup that might have earned a blush from a living body.

The Animator trudged through the fog and she was made aware again that her loss of voice was accompanied with a strength that eluded her undead state. Her gait resembled closely that of a human's, albeit a very angry one. Shoulders rolled forward, her chin raised somewhat as her feet carried her quickly (at least, for her) through the city. She even felt herself at the precipice of a run, her arms pumping weakly at her sides. It wasn't until she'd jogged for several meters that she stopped and thought of her folly.

My voice is fading but with its fade into obscurity... I almost feel alive. There is no breath in my lungs, but my pace is quicker. My body reacts faster... What the actual fuck is going on?

In truth, the Animator didn't know whether to be fascinated or appalled and didn't bother for a moment to forgive Sil for the confusion that welled within her soul. She was given to distraction and found it incredibly odd when a surge flared upon her senses. The fog grew thicker and upon her undead flesh, she felt a tingle. Well aware that her sense of touch was weak and fleeting in her undead state, her mind immediately went to the presence of djed. Savis Maren did not bother to breach into the reserve of her own djed to attempt to further observe the phenomenon. Rather, Savis cast her pale eyes in each direction, hardly able to see in front of her. She let her senses turn to sound, instead. Nearby, she heard weak but discernible footsteps. Her own were much louder. Savis turned her head in the direction of the sound and arched her eyebrows. The head of a young man appeared above the wisps of fog, his body obscured from sight. It wasn't until she stepped towards the man that she realized... A boy, by his gait, she mused. It wasn't until a few steps later that the fog unveiled the man-child in full.

The sight of Haneht in full was certainly enough to pique the Animator's interest. Not two, but six arms sprouted from enormous shoulders. Cosmetics were worn upon his features and truly, the Nuit was stricken by how lovely the creature was. She was reminded, albeit to a lesser extent, of the striking beauty of Talora. Within her soul she felt a surge of envy, her eyes cast down as the thought of her beauty in a life past What might have been... she thought to herself before she made eye contact with the Eypharian. The Nuit did not reach out to the Eypharian immediately, instead content to watch him for a few moments longer. Or rather... so she thought. Her step continued forward, her undead self still unused to a mortal's pace, her trajectory right in line with Haneht's.

[Haneht]

♛ H A N E H T ♛ ∆ E Y P H A R I A N ∆ W/C: 570 8th, Summer 518AV After Dusk

Something akin to a dry, choked hiccup sounded faintly from somewhere around him, and the male turned his head so quickly he nearly gave himself a whiplash. What was that? An animal? He squinted, unable to see much in the darkness of the park beyond the dimmed glow of bioluminescent flora. Some small creature, he supposed, or perhaps he’d misheard.

He trudged on for a little while longer, unaware of a disgruntled Nuit whose trajectory he was already bound in line for, until mind caught up with the extra set of footsteps that were more weighted than his own, rustling of grass and leaves and whatever it was that the soils of Alheas Park contained increasingly audible as someone, or something, approached him. Gaze swept over the surrounding area in a meticulous search for the source, and he finally caught a glimpse of a ghostly, willowy figure, ethereal in the faint glow of Leth’s luminance, emerging from the midst of the fog. A woman, he eventually surmised, lithe and petite in build, with ebony locks woven into a wispy braid, the alabaster pallor of a corpse and the characteristic lifeless eyes one would expect from a reanimated being. Ghastly, haunting beauty that drew Haneht in as much as it frightened him.

A phantom? Human? Symenestra? Unfortunately for Haneht, the existence of nuits was mostly foreign and not yet known to him, and thus he remained mostly ignorant to the possibility that she was anything but breathing. It was the first time the Dancer had ever come across such a person, enshrouded in fog and a foreboding aura, displeasure scrawled on her features. He took care not to move too quickly, lest he came off as a threat to the ghostly woman just a few strides away.

Regarding the other with much interest in his gaze, he was unusually unafraid of the ghostly female striding towards him, mildly taken aback when her piercing gaze met his own. Where most would’ve perhaps jumped or shrieked at her appearance in the fog, he merely stilled, halted in his tracks as his mind processed and took in the emergence of another intelligent life form apart from himself in the fog. Despite being significantly taller than her, and fairly close in terms of youthful appearances, the brunet could not help but feel decades younger than the stranger, with wisened eyes — that in Haneht’s humble opinion, did not belong on such a beautiful young face — and shrouded in mystery that, to the thrill-seeking Eypharian, was much too alluring to ignore.

She couldn’t be a spirit, he thought, though her visage seemed very appropriate for one. Though the boy had never really been fortunate enough to see one, he was fairly sure the other was alive, movement much too humanoid to be anything but.

Yet, there was still something about her he could not put any of his thirty fingers on. Stepping forward, he marched on forward to meet her, curiosity having gotten the better of him and overruled the little logic he worked on in the first place. And, as always, the first words were his.

“Such a pleasant evening for a walk, isn’t it?” He said, unfazed by the strange fog of the Summer that enveloped Lhavit and blissfully unawares of the looming Zith threat, or of the little girl who would vanish the day after admidst the very trees of Alheas Park.

[Savis Maren]

Savis Maren supposed that the sight of a walking corpse in the fog might be, to some, unsettling. But, she was so accustomed to the norm of being reviled that she mentally prepared herself for the ire when it came. However, it seemed to elude the Nuit for a time longer. Instead, Nuit and Eypharian stared at one another in silence. Savis caught sight of the young man's somewhat androgynous expression. His body consisted of the fine curvature that implied musculature. Whoever this was took care of themselves. It was a habit for the Nuit to examine a body as if it were a shirt to be worn. She no longer need to concern herself with the task of finding corpses, but nonetheless, old habits died very hard. It seemed that the Eypharian was examining her in turn.

The undead's body was remarkably well-preserved for the season. The Nuit found summer to be her mortal nemesis. Heat festered and wounded the Nuit over time. It invaded sutures that might exist on the body and though the Nuit took care to avoid injury it was certainly a concern in her abdomen, where preservation salts and embalming fluid replaced organs and blood. The Nuit reveled in the cool season that seemed in place to stay and was glad for her venture outside. Particularly because the company she found was, rather than appalled at the sight of her, making easy conversation with the Nuit. The question brought exasperated laughter from her lips as her corroded musculature relaxed. She had no need to move and was instead glad to answer the Eypharian.

"Oh, it is. Leth blesses us with his arrival," she offered. The god-lovers seemed a popular duo in Lhavit, and though Savis saw no point in worship, she was eager to assimilate into the culture of the city. She offered a smile at the young man before extending a hand in greeting, "I must admit... It's rare that I find someone strikes a conversation with me," she admitted. The Nuit's voice was harsh to the ears. Her tone seemed amicable enough, but her words were hoarse as if her throat were extremely irritated. She seemed incredibly aware of the fact and stopped speaking abruptly. Savis' pallid expression cast a stare void of emotion at the Eypharian. The Nuit was at an impasse. In truth, civilised conversation delighted the undead woman. One of her many reasons for entering the city included such possibilities. Life left normalcy for the Nuit at the age of 16. Her existence was reclusive by nature, but not willingly so. The undead condition drew shields that warped the woman's personality. Once she was free of her old masters she found acceptance rare and at times impossible. The struggle to survive was a terrible one and she found in Lhavit both sanctuary and perhaps, even, a chance at acceptance. Or, at the very least, salvation. She was fine with either one.

But, upon being addressed so... normally, the desire grew anew and Savis found a smile cast upon her expression. She looked around the two and very quickly realized she had no idea where she was. The thick fog blanketed Alheas Park, making ascertaining her location impossible. She chuckled quietly before shutting her fingers over her lips to hide the screeching sound the gesture resulted in. When she composed herself, she'd ask,

"Where are we?"

[Haneht]

♛ H A N E H T ♛ ∆ E Y P H A R I A N ∆ W/C: 591 8th, Summer 518AV Nightfall

"Is that so? Pity. I think you're plenty interesting. I'm Haneht, by the way." The boy offered her, tone warm and a kind smile worn upon his face, feeling mildly sorry for her once he learned the lack of interaction she experienced. Sure, she looked a little strange with wide, baggy eyes and pale skin, but then what made him, with his six arms, any different? He winced at the scratchy sound her voice made, as if feeling the pain and discomfort in his own throat. Poor dear. "That sounds awful. I hope you feel better soon, ma'am. I get so mad when I get those - can't talk for days!" The boy paused, a brief respite in silence that he easily broke again with his eager jabbering that continued even as the other seemed to realise something that he hadn't. Or, he had, but could care less of anyways, now that there was intriguing company present, here to wander and blindly stumble around the fog with him if she chose to accompany him. When she smiled, a beautiful thing that did wonders to soften her otherwise cold, deceivingly stiff face and returned the rightful youth to her image, he did too, in reflection of her own joy, whatever it was. A laugh escaped him at the funny noise her vocal chords seemed to have produced in place of a smooth, feminine chuckle, not intending to mock her but because he found it genuinely amusing. He had never had such a bad throat, however - what on earth had she done, or contracted, to sound like that? What sort of voice would she speak with, if she was well?

"Hm?" he blinked, train of random, disorganised thoughts halting as his own amber gaze followed hers in mimicry of her earlier surveillance. Alheas Park, in Lhavit, of course. The Kalea Region, if she wanted a more general location. Why would she ask, though? They were...

They were... Somewhere, in Alheas Park. With thickets of trees, and grass, and damp soil. A pebble, two pebbles. Some twigs, and plenty of fog to add to the mysterious thrill of the night. Crickets chirped, joined by the occasional rustling of leaves, movement created by the occasional animal and gust of cold wind. Symphony of the night, as Haneht would name it, although it's a little quieter than he would've imagined. Must be the weather.

"We're on an adventure, ma'am." Answered the young man with utmost honesty, hopelessly optimistic (more likely ignorant) as ever. "Also, very possibly, lost." He would add as an afterthought, boyishly childish laugh echoing in the silence of the night. Oddly carefree and nonchalant for someone lost in the middle of a park, teeming with wildlife with beasts large and small roaming. Panicking could be left to someone else - Haneht was so rarely ever truly afraid, a lack of caution and sense of danger that has so far miraculously not killed him in his four years away from home.

He looked in the direction he'd approached the woman from, tracing back his footsteps to a path he couldn't quite remember with his eyes. "I might've been going in circles for a whole bell, for all I know. Should we try your direction? I don't think the Prismfly I was looking for will be coming out anytime soon - we may as well work on getting to the entrance." A hand was stretched out in invitation for Savis to take, fingers swimming in loose, baggy sleeves, and he awaited the Nuit's decision.

[Savis Maren]

As much as the world mage wished that Haneht's well-wishes would be received, Savis Maren knew it likely wouldn't be the case. The Nuit's body was prone to decay, but issues like sickness and disease did not come to contact with her. The crumbling of her voice was owed to arcane reasons, whatever they might be. The servant Sil's creation was clearly responsible for the decay of her speech but this moment wasn't the time to grow angry at the construct again. Savis instead let the smile brighten her otherwise deathly visage further. The Eypharian introduced himself and it was clear to the undead woman that Haneht sought after little. He was a lovely, sociable creature like none that the undead woman had ever met. She stepped forward, further uniting them as a front against the fog. A cold hand rose to brush the Eypharian's cheek, an affectionate gesture that was so incredibly rare for the Nuit to exhibit. Within this range, however, it might become clear to Haneht what she was. Her pale eyes and deathly visage was accompanied further by steep scents that wafted from her form. There was sweet perfume, cut from the flowers of the mountain and sold to her. But deeper still there was the pungent scent of formaldehyde.

The Nuit did not care for the smell, personally, given the decline of her non-essential senses with the passage of time. However, to others the aroma might bring cause for alarm. Savis Maren's smile did not fade as she slowly sought to turn Haneht's head. The woman's arm curled gently, her elbow upon the young man's wide shoulders and hooking about his neck. He brought him closer as he breathed into his ear. As she spoke, she whispered, the lack of strain forming her words in a much clearer light. Perhaps a ghost of the Nuit's gravely tones were audible as she whispered,

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Haneht. My name is Savis Maren, and others seldom approach me out of fear. You, however, are right to be unafraid."

With her words spilled into Haneht's ear, she pulled away from him, the smile intact as she mused upon his next words. An adventure? Savis Maren had come to Lhavit to avoid such things. The call to the wild and the unknown were not signals that she heeded eagerly. Rather, she was content to steepen her understanding of the world behind the relative safety of Lhavit's walls. When the young man made his suggestion, the Nuit made her decision. It was magic that, perhaps, brought ruin to her, but she wasn't content to remain lost in the park. Creatures might be attracted to her shell and in an attempt to preserve her existence she'd breach into the reservoir of her personal djed. Her right arm fell limp as she siphoned her djed from it. Slowly, that djed pulled at the astral body contained within the limb. Little by little, the ethereal limb was forced out. Once the astral body was within Savis' control, she reached out and used the hand to caress Haneht's cheek. The Nuit did not spin around or change direction when she walked, and as she sought to recall her path, she turned a full one-hundred and eighty degrees.

"Stay with the touch, Haneht. We can figure this out together," she assured him, intrigue cast upon her as she sought to figure out her direction.

"Follow my footsteps," she advised as she took a step forward. The astral arm began to expand as she placed two meters of distance between herself and Haneht. It elongated, but the touch upon Haneht's grew smaller and weaker.

"I'm sure you'll have no trouble following me. My kind has heavier footfalls than my weight might consider. A shambling pace that scrapes the soles of shoes against the earth," she informed him. The hand at Haneht's face lowered until she sought to take his wrist, leading the young man like a parent might lead their child.

[Haneht]

♛ H A N E H T ♛ ∆ E Y P H A R I A N ∆ W/C: 550 Timestamp

A late evening stroll in a foggy park was likely not the smartest or most logical of Haneht’s choices, but then again, logic had never really been applicable on one such as himself. Wherever his heart pointed, body would follow with the wind.

Sometimes, he himself barely understood his whims, but self-doubt had never been prevalent in him. ’Trust your instincts, Nehtsh, for yours are sharp as a blade. Blades must be maintained, or they dull,’ and who was he to ignore the sagely advice his wisened sisters bestowed upon him? He’s made plenty of new friends by being in the wrong place at the right time, and tonight was another to add to his ever growing list.

As the ethereal woman leaned in, an astringent sterile scent invaded his senses, barely masked by the floral perfume his memory seemed to immediately associate with the flowers that grew around the mountains. Pale hands were ice-cold against his skin, leeching precious warmth from the flesh of his cheek. Touched by death, ironically, but he had yet to find it that his newfound companion was undead. It was a little od, but he supposed every individual was different. There was also, noticeably, a lack of breathing and any movement that might indicate otherise. He sensed a story there. Savis Maren, such a pleasant name too. Powerful, for some reason. Or maybe, it was the bearer of said name who empowered it. Hauntingly beautiful, and so very mystical, a depth of knowledge in unnerving, piercing eyes. The youth was briefly spellbound when she whispered in her ear, like gifting him the privilege of knowing a special little secret. Savis Maren, an apparition come to whisk him away to a cloudy dream. A shiver ran down the length of his spine, a humane reaction that had always been distinguished as excitement in the Eypharian’s mind. Danger, fear, thrill. All perceived by the boy as a single entity, a rush of something that he’s never really wrapped his mind around.

Somehow, she managed to silence him, drifting mind working like clockwork as he attempted to discern exactly what she was. Before he could voice his question, the air brushed at his cheek, a gentle phantom caress that wasn’t quite cold nor warm. The air? No, that wasn’t right. This was Savis’ doing, surely. Was it? Boy melted into the touch immediately, hand hovering above where he might feel it. It’s a gesture not many have attempted with him in his time away from home, and one that he has always known in abundance from his sisters. One, in particular. The eldest tended to run her fingers through his hair, the second across his back. And—

“Wow,” it escaped in little more than a breath, eyes widened in surprise. “This... Is your magick.” a rather obvious statement, but it was more of a verbal realisation, really. “Your kind shambles about? What might you be, actually?” Feet stumbled and fell into a slow walk behind Savis at a tug on his wrist, wonder alight in large brown eyes. As Eypharian fell into pace behind Nuit, a scrutinising squint would swim up and down the distance between them. “What do you know?” the beast in his belly stirred, baited by knowledge of the unknown, “How did you learn?”

[Madeira Dusk]

Grades Awarded!

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Haneht

Skills

• Observation: 3xp
• Planning: 1xp
• Socialization: 3xp
• Logic: 1xp
• Investigation: 1xp
• Land Navigation: 1xp

Lores

• Logic: deductive reasoning
• Savis: strange, sickly woman
• Savis: strange magic

Awards & Retribution


Notes
I love your clueless dork. He's my baby now. If you hurt him I'll never forgive you.

Savis

Skills

• Observation: 3xp
• Running: 1xp
• Socialization: 3xp
• Acting: 1xp
• Projection: 1xp
• Leadership: 1xp

Lores

• Lore of the effects of the wild dijed storm
• Observation: examining a body
• Acting: observing and emulating culture
• Socialization: exchanging pleasantries
• Haneht: eypharian boy

Awards & Retribution


Notes
I cannot imagine a more disparate couple than Haneht and Savis. But somehow it works! I even like how she had a motherly streak towards the end. I wonder how this relationship will develop...