NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: OPEN


OOC thread here: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=541015

The river Scaum trickled along. A man dashed out of the woods, narrowly escaping a deodand. Adjusting his hat, he snorted in satisfaction. He had just delivered the last message for the Pabuj Ball. It was being held beneath the sea, and all arch-magicians were invited. He was eager to see how the event unfolded for his master, and wondered if any witches would take the liberty of appearing incognito.

Pulling forth a talisman, he chanted a spell, and disappeared as a deodand bounded toward him.

The icy sound of footsteps resonated through the white-washed Great Hall of Cerinthion as Malachia passed through. Behind her trails a small humanoid creature with long white hair and large ears, taking three steps to her master's one.

"They're at it again, Jiha! Those misogynistic pretenders! I am just as powerful and much more capable as any of those baboons!" Her voice was cold, if not icy. It rose and fell with every syllable, producing an almost musical effect.

"I am sorry madam. I don't understand" Jiha, her servant, said in her high, nasal voice.

"I'm sure you do not.... Those pretentious arch-magicians are having a ball, only the first step of the Conclave, another Conclave to which I have not been invited to due to our inimical relationship. I must find an avenue. I want, nay need, to penetrate their 'impervious authority'. Maybe even abrogate that archaic code by which the seem to live their life. Agh! I will find a way!"

They enter a large room with books floor to ceiling on all walls. The smell of vanilla permeates the room, but the faint smell of old books is also slightly detectable.

"Madam, How do you plan to 'find a way'" asked Jiha, not really caring, but it was her job.

"Like this."

She summons a book from one of the many shelves. It flies to a table and opens to a page.

"Are you sure, madam. It could be dangerous."

"Dangerous! Hah! I'm dangerous. This is child's play."

Quiylamk the Preceptor sat sipping his wine. He was looking over the invitation. "Interesting," he said. He curled his mustaches, and put on his bicorne, plotting how to best triumph. He summoned his servant with a shout, tastily combined with a cackle. The servant Crerif stumbled into the room, looking politely austere. "Crerif, where have you been? Concerning yourself with solitary pleasures no doubt. I have been yearning for my tea all morning!."
Crerif shook his head. "No my sir, I been organizing your quaff beetle collection. I most note that it would be considerably easier to maintain if the members were dead."
Quiylamk looked askance: "Nonsense. You are merely incompetent. Go fetch that tea now; you may disregard the collection. If I must keep serving myself tipple to whet my dry palette, my state should be sorry by noon."
Crerif bowed, arranged his breeches to a vertically superior position, then pranced off. Quiylamk groaned in unusually soprano voice. He thought for a moment he'd been ensqualmed*. He lept-up, but then quickly regained his composure. "No darting of the tongue...no my condition is acceptable." With relief Quiylamk sat back down until his tea arrived.

Finishing his tea, Quiylamk set about meandering the garden with diligence. Holding a note pad he marked any plant that was ill fed, or watered. "Tsk-tsk, Crerif must water this Gyj better." He returned inside and summoned Crerif. "I regret to inform that due to your unbecoming aversion to labour, you will not be allowed to invite guests over. Ah, not a word. I will soon be attending a important ceremony, and I was thinking of rewarding your efforts with use of my manse whilst I was away. No Longer! Now, fetch my coat...."















*Ensqualmed: for those who don't know, ensqualmation is the result is special spell, usually employed by irked witches. Its victim is turned into a woman.

The toadlike servitor limped up to Ghurkas. "Message for you, Sir-the Pabuj Ball will be held under the sea."
Ghurkas snorted. "Doubtless with some poor crab ensorcelled with an outrageous accent to serenade us. I was going to make a sandwich, then lie in bed and complain that night."
"Well, Sir, the Pabuj Ball-"
Ghurkas cut him off."-is interfering with my plans, once again. Still, it would be rude not to attend. Besides, we haven't had a Conclave in some time, so the politicking will be fierce. Prepare my environment suit, make certain it is clean and in working order-the one with the iris aperture in the front of the helmet, but make it black-very slimming. It is high time I irritated my brethren in grand style."

Tobias was standing over a large table with clear figures above it. Each figure represented were military installments were and he was contemplating who it would be fun to see battling. Considering the relations between the now miniscule Korea and Russia, it might be fun to provoke something there, but before he could decide how, a black cat entered the room with a small white envelope in her mouth.
"Lilly! Who might this be from?" He took the letter and the cat meowed while jumping onto the table. As Tobias read, his grin spread even wider across his face. "Lilly, I hope you're ready for a road trip because there's going to be a meeting!" He picked the cat up and was about to leave the room when he remembered the Korea/Russia incident. "I suppose it can wait, it's not like either side's nukes are going anywhere soon."

There was much gossip spreading about at the Pabuj Ball. All about the magical dome lights of various colours shone, and without the transparent complex one could see coral of fantasitc formations and magnificent sea creatures.
Quiylamk the Preceptor appeared discretely in a furnished bedroom, that was not transparent. "Gracam you idiot! I specifically told you not materialize me in the sea," said Quiylamk dripping wet.
Gracam was Quiylamk's prime sandestin. Tonight he was dressed exactly like Quiylamk, though with a more grotesque body, and his head looked like that of a large fish's. "Master, the bathhouse water is hardly the sea. I think you should thank me. When I saw your cherry-colored face, I assumed correctly that you wished to be moved to a different location. This is far better then what most sandestins would do. I believe it warrants--"
"Enough," said Quiylamk. "When the week is through, we'll review your indenture. Until now--remove these soiled raiments, and provide me with exactly replicas, except make them dry."
As Quiylamk changed into his new outfit from the old runny one he looked about. "Whose room is this Gracam?"
"A certain fashionable lady's."
"Ah. Just so."
"I suggest we leave. She may be disturbed by being greeted in her own chambers by a leer from a outlandishly-dressed--yet apparently dirty--old man."
Quiylamk shook his head as if he were pitying a beggar from afar. "Gracam my dear fellow, you have no sense of style or flair. This lady would be overjoyed to see me. I am the fellow who persistently occupies here dreams." Gracam looked suspicious. "No, moon-calf I don't mean by spells. I will be the thrill she has long craved. Ah, apparently the maid comes..."

*****

"You could have informed me of her age!"
"Master, you never inquired. Besides she is still exceedingly young for you."
Quiylamk opened gold box. "In!" Gracam disappeared inside, and Quiylamk caroused around the ball.

After a grueling dance, Quiylamk set off towards the refreshments stand. A tingle ran up his neck. He had a feeling a witch was here. Evidently absurd! But still, not so absurd that Quiylamk permitted himself to laugh.
He deckings were of black and white, except for his purple bicorne. His long robes smothered his dunf footwear and the floor near them. He stumbled. Had some impudent wag trod on his robes? He scrutinized the guests. No, apparently not. Perhaps a jealous comrade of his was casting a spell. Though so far as he could tell, he was the only magician present...
Fingering his rapier, Quiylamk approached the steps, hoping a that in climbing them he would find a superior vantage of perception.

The ship was small, it's design based on a clove seed, with an iridescent mottled skin that shimmered as it dived to the Pabuj Ball. It extended a tube to the dome, and roused Ghurkas that it had done so.
He adjusted his robes and the cumbersome shoulder rebreather that would protect him should the magic of the dome fail. He could have entered by Gate or simply appeared, but it pleased him to offend his fellow arch-magicians by questioning their ability. Naturally, he would say nothing, but his apparel would speak his insult loudly, as well as provide him the aura of mystery he preferred when dealing with his brethren. He allowed the ship to slowly convey him to the Ball, comporting himself in a stately mien and mentally reciting the cryptic phrases which would confound and annoy his fellows...

Tobias popped into view at the edge of the water above the chosen location. "It's a good a spot as any I guess." Lilly meowed, she was stretched across his shoulders, half asleep.
He kneeled down and tapped the glass like surface of the water, which suddenly wasn't so smooth. Violent waves radiated from the spot where he touched and a four foot wide section split apart leaving a slide of ice down to the gate. Tobias promptly jumped onto his new creation and down he went. About halfway down, the fun started when he again tapped the wall of water. With a roaring and groaning, the water began to fill the void and the slide behind Tobias melted away, leaving no trace that he'd ever been there.
At the bottom of the slide, he burst through the gate, Lilly still on his shoulders sleeping, and didn't bother to close it. The great wall of water crashed into it and froze on contact. Within moments, the ice began to retract, closing the doors.

Quiylamk stood talking with Jamillia, a lady who ruled a county in the North: "... and then the archevaults planned to abscond with my IOUN stones!...Of course all this could be better explained in your quarters, with some wine to ease the tension that my exploits often bring to a beauteous lady like yourself."
The lady appeared not to hear. "Who are those rugged men who just entered the ball?"
"Quiylamk was alarmed. "Churlish lumpkins, I assure you. My advice is fervently avoid tehm. Notice that even now the foplings strut about like cocks, hoping their entrance will stun the easily impressed."
The lady elegantly walked-off. Quiylamk raised his voice a bit, and sent a few more words of warning before finally giving-up. He approached the dining table. He swallowed some verjuice, and peeled his blithe countenance away to reveal a dour visage.

Malachia strolled around the large hall gazing at the various goings on. She had disguised herself as a young maiden ripe for the picking. She wore an emerald green gown and long, flowing blond hair. If she had come as herself, someone one have noticed her, she was a well-known witch, and not for good reasons.

These barbaric fools , she thought to herself as she looked about at the people at the ball. Why do I insist on imposing?

Ghurkas stalked the room silently, for he had no real reason to speak--yet. Why do you hate them so? his familiar dropped the knowledge into his brain, knowing the arch-magician's predilection for secrecy and mystery.
I do not hate them-hate is reserved for equals. It is most proper to despise that which is beneath you. he thought in response.
The room was fairly tasteful, if one went in for pastels, and the company amusing enough. Ghurkas reveled in the distaste of his fellows as he stalked about in his identity concealing armored suit. It was early yet, and the others were busy venting their libidos rather than their cunning.
He noted the lovely young creature in the emerald gown. She'd doubtless find at least one of these genitalia with legs at her side tonight. Ghurkas almost pitied her, when he read the power, and his pity was replaced with amusement. This Ball was perhaps not the waste of time he thought...

Tobias looked around. "Is this all we have so far? Oh well, might as well wait and see what becomes of this."

Ghurkas was disdainfully observing the room when he saw the small black cat at his feet. He tossed it some choice tidbit from the buffet, and cooed:"Little one, are you certain you should be here? Lots of fish, I suppose, but all this water."
Ghurkas despised humans, but he admired the fierce independence and nonchalance of these small creatures, and found them pleasant company.

Lilly quickly downed the morsel and began to intertwine herself in Ghurkas' legs, scent marking by rubbing and purring.

Ghurkas refused to move his legs for fear of stepping on the small creature, but dropped more meats, trying to lure her out from under him. He looked down and chuckled, "She hunts."

Lilly pounced on the meat dropped for her and started eating before Tobias walked up. "I suppose you deserve a treat for the occasion." He tapped the floor, letting a small, thin plate rise up holding the food. Lilly climbed onto his shoulders so as to continue her meal.

"A charming beast-pity she has accepted you." Ghurkas observed. "She seems good company-I should enjoy spoiling her."

Tobias smiled, almost politely. "Charming yes, good company definitely, but I do wonder why it's a pity she accepted me. Care to clarify? I've raised her since she was a kitten and she's an invaluable tool."

"If she were unattached, I should try to woo her myself. Winning over a cat is the ultimate achievement."

"Ah, that would explain it. I like to consider myself a breeder of them, but Lilly here is my pride and joy of them all. If I'm not careful, I may soon see more cats than home." Joshua chuckled softly at the though.

"Doesn't that require you to move into a cardboard box behind a delicatessen?" Ghurkas was shocked at his lack of tact-it must be the cat softening him. "Forgive me-I am not out much, and tend to be naive in these matters. What is your profession, if it is not prying?"

Tobias was allowed a full blown laugh at this point. "Normally, yes, it would. But my manse is ever growing crystal, I will never run out of rooms. As for my profession, I'm a doctor, though I've been known to start a few wars in my spare time. What about yourself?"

"I am an explorer on the Far Horizons of Experience-thief, rogue, and Cosmic Couch Potato, for the most part." Ghurkas admitted. Damn that cat!"It pays the bills and drives away boredom, but hard to converse over. The varied realities are mostly the same."

"Cosmic Couch Potato I can agree with some days. I don't suppose you care to explain the varied realities a bit? I'm more of an elemental person or a cat person, such as yourself I see, than anything else, so once you get outside my nice little bubble of a world, I'm lost."

"There is an entelechy where beings of pure thought take days to interact-I check on it every month or so, as it's slow going-seventeen days just to say hello by my calculations. Others where grandchildren finish the conversations I started moments ago-Reality is much more than we imagine, and much more than we can imagine-that woman there-gorgeous in the way of a spider-elegant and predatory-look at her." He nodded toward a stunning blond in an emerald gown. "Her power is more than ours-she can pit us against each other, force us to self-destruction, with but a kiss and a few whispered promises. Who is mightier?"

"I guess I never looked at it that way. As for who is mightier, I'd have to say little Lilly here. Judging by the way you talk about her and act around her, I'd guess you have a serious soft spot for cats or at the very least, animals in general. It's true, that woman can easily drive us apart, but there is always much more than you'd think."

"More-and less. Truth is a three-edged sword."

"Tis true. But each has their own weakness, so it's hard to say exactly what would happen." He tapped the plate after noticing Lilly had finished. It promptly turned to dust which settled on and fused again with the floor.

"Poor thing." he tossed another few meats to the cat. "Do you know the current cause celebre among our fellows? Other than satisfying their primal lusts, I'm afraid there hasn't been a Conclave proper in some time, so I've little idea what they're up to."

"If this wasn't a special occasion, I wouldn't allow you to feed my cat that much." Tobias said as Lilly jumped down. "I don't really know what's going on either but at the rate we've had meetings like this, I'll be it's not good. Don't suppose you have any theories do you?"

"The sun is dying, and we waste our efforts in these-displays of prominence and self-important claptrap. All I will say is this: when the avalanche has begun, it is too late for the pebbles to vote."

"I'm inclined to agree with you there. And if the sun is dying, we're in for a big problem. No pun intended."

"I am currently seeking a world where Time flows properly that I may ponder the Solar dilemma at leisure, but all I've found so far is additions for my collection, trinkets, and oddities." Ghurkas sighed, his rebreather echoing it oddly. "My experiments in Time were equally disappointing. I can draw things from the past, but travel is sadly one-way-in the direction we are all heading anyway. I believe I shall have to cooperate with others to find a solution."
He spat the word out as if it were a curse.

Tobias pondered this statement as lilly gnawed her way through the treats on the floor. "If you can draw things from the past, why not draw from a far off start in the present? Or is the a bit beyond what you have done?"

"A matter of mass and mix-I do not wish to conduct such experiments on our sun until I have seen the effect on another-will the star-stuff combine harmlessly, renewing our sun or will the mix be volatile, unstable? Of course, a means of determining compatability and effects must be mastered before embarking on such an experiment-I should not jump willy-nilly into such an endeavor."

Tobias frowned. "You have a point there. On top of that, increasing the mass of our sun would be a bad idea in retrospect. In theory it should work. The sun by now is mostly helium and we would be drawing hydrogen into it. It would renew our sun, but without taking a large chunk of the helium out of the sun in the process would be catastrophic." It was at this point that Lilly meowed, golden eyes looking up at the two magicians standing there.

Ghurkas turned his helmet down towards her. "That, too, is a concern." he addressed her in all seriousness. "Should the sun wink out, what would you lay in all day?"

"We're still back to square one here. We don't have a solution to the problem. And Lil's is still hungry. You'd be surprised at what she'll put away if I let her and she never gains a pound." Tobias tapped the floor again. "Conjuring isn't my specialty, but I've managed to at least be able to create a bowl of cream for the cats every now and then."

OOC: The REAL Lilly is giving me problems, she won't stay off my keyboard! So if things look a little odd, don't blame me, blame the cat.

OOC:She's only trying to type out the proper mix to pour into the sun so she can bask all day-cats are like that.
IC:"It will require much thought, yes-too bad we are all bound up in our games of one-upsmanship." Ghurkhas tossed some fish to the cat, and watched her eat impassively. "I wonder if our host is present?"

OOC: Aren't you funny. She just likes to bug me. A lot.

IC: "Yes, a shame it is. But you seem to be the master here of teleportation and transportation, you could try summoning him. I'm afraid of what would happen if I tried. Someone might die, and that someone might be me."

(OOC:I had this huge black Persian who would chew my hair if no one was around and acted like a watchdog-actually drove my landlord out because I wasn't there, as well as county inspectors-had no respect for the government's "right to be there" and was allowed into everyone's apartment in that complex, because he was a fantastic mouser, even if he chased dogs into corners and killed skunks-which was an action extolled by everyone except the person whose window he left them under-I know the ways of cats. Poor thing just wants to play, or get petted-why do you think they sprawl across the book you're reading, and no other? I just want to see if there's more to this thread than you and I, since I've no idea where to take it and will otherwise use it as the OOC thread for "The Beginning" if no one else kicks in.)

OOC: I love persians!! Actually, I love most cats. My cats are never that commanding though. Lilly just needs to be in my bedroom any time I am, lay where she wants, even on my hands as I type! But what I hate is that she meows for attention outside my room, but won't always come in when I open the door. If I start closing the door when she's halfway in though, it'll hit her and she'll take a flying leap onto (sometimes face first into) my bed.

(OOC:the dear thing is in love with you and wants to be a part of all you are. I raised my Domino from a kitten, and other than his hourly patrol of the house, he and I were very much inseparable. But unless someone shows up, I'm sticking to my stricture. BTW, she doesn't want in,she she just wants to know she's allowed in-cats abhor strictures.)

OOC: Sure, we can call it love. I can work with that. I've raised Lilly from a kitten too. She could fit in the palm of my hand when I got her, but now, despite her tiny size, it takes both arms and then some to lift her up. Also, that explains so much (the knowing she's allowed in part).

Oh, and if you go ALL the way back to post ELEVEN you will see someone OTHER than us posting! Oh, wait, that was about a week ago.

Oh dear, now she's spotted the Asian Lady Beetle on my window shade.

Eh-this is a RP thread, but I'm giving it time-just not much

What are we RPing? Two random people in a dead thread?

Apparently

Three words for you: LOL!

It's been almost a week. Shall I declare it dead?

OOC No No No.Not yet.Didn't know this had opened.Sorry about that.

ICC.After receiving his invitation Len arrived at the hall walked in and accidently bumped into Malachia.