Closed [Clyde Sullins] Going Once...

[Nola]

Nodding in agreement, Nola returned the green dress, running her fingers over the fabric of the purple one appreciatively as Clyde began to speak again. "Oh!" Nola yelped, straightening so suddenly one would think she had sat on something sharp, and gaping at Clyde. "I forgot!" She exclaimed, a dark flush of embarrassment tinting her cheeks. Turning quickly on the balls of her feet she hurried back towards the rear of the store, glancing around until she found the section in which the underthings were kept. Hurrying forward Nola studied them carefully, doing her best to judge the size by looking at them and holding them up against her body. Finally she chose two pairs, a plain linen set for her more casual outfit and a nicer silk set for the dress, before returning to Clyde, ears burning and chewing her lower lip.

"I'm sorry to be such a trouble master." She sighed, irritated by her own thoughtlessness, adding the two to the pile. Rubbing at the back of her neck she glanced up at Clydes face, attempting to gauge whether or not she had annoyed the man.

[Clyde Sullins]

"Oh! I forgot!" The emotion running off of Nola was once more different, peaking but subtle in its own way. Where the other ones had been one thing or another, this recalled Clyde more of a stinging spray too the face, with a hue of red to it as ones cheeks might color. This hue was matched by her face, as she visibly showed her embarrassment at her mistake and forgetfulness. Clyde tracked her as she scurried off, quick to correct her mistake. When she returned there were additional signifiers, a heating of the ears, and a chewing of the bottom lip, all signs she was under stress of some sort. With the physical signs paired with the aura reading and the registered emotions as they peaked, Clyde was better able to understand what he was sensing, particularly for if he was to sense the same emotion again. He did not doubt that understanding it in use, he would likely be able to understand and recognize it rather easily. If the same emotions arose anyways. "I'm sorry to be such a trouble master." Clyde simply shook his head once, and let out a sigh, before heading off towards the shopkeeper, the aforementioned kelvic, waving along for Nola to follow with a placid expression. “Mistakes are a learning experience, so long as they are not fatal. You would do well to learn from yours. When you begin to make assumptions, that is when you will most often find yourself wrong.” After that the kelvic went through the garments piece by piece, and gave Clyde the bill, to a grand total of about eighty two and a half gold mizas. Just to round it off Clyde added another two and a half as a tip, making it an even eighty five mizas, and paid the kelvic for his masters wares. A few extra mizas could help grease the metaphorical wheels, and there was no telling when having the owner of such an establishment in his favor would be of use. Best to tip now when he was relatively flush with money, than later within the uncertainty of the future. Accepting the tip with a nod, he withdrew a linen bag, and quickly tucked the clothing items away in it, folding them as he went. For the dress he drew a separate dress bag, and carefully placed it inside, and then tied it off at the top so that it would not slip open. “Alright Nola, lets go, you grab the dress. I suppose next is showing you your new home.” With that Clyde took up the bag with much of the clothes, and headed back out to the Ravasolaman, directing him to the Sullin's residence. Shortly they would arrive, pulling along the canal to stop before Clyde Sullin's home. As was common in Ravok the building was of wood, not overly large of a building, but not a one room cottage either. Off to the side was the front door, with a window to the side of it that was currently closed. Oddly enough though it was the only window in the entire building, and the only means of getting in or out besides the front door. Opening the door Clyde headed inside to the entrance way, a common area, empty except for several benches along the walls, a few paintings, three doors leading into other rooms, and the torch brackets on the walls which gave much of the light. “Welcome to my home, Nola. Or I suppose now your home also.”

[Nola]

Nodding silently Nola accepted the bag with the dress and turned stiffly to follow Clyde back onto the street and towards the canal. Though she felt just as anxious getting into the boat as the first time, she was far more concerned with keeping her new dress clean and clear of the water, to the point that her worry was pushed to the back of her mind. As focused as she was to boat trip slipped by with barely any notice and Nola was soon standing and hopping awkwardly out of the boat, dress held safely up and against her chest and bags over her shoulder.

Safely away from the water Nola relaxed once more and gazed up at what was to be her new home, taking in the simple facade and following Clyde through the front door. Entering the room beyond Nola took a moment to look around, eyes lingering on the paintings along the walls. She glanced toward Clyde, dipping her head in acceptance of his welcome. "Thank you, Master."

As the words left her Nola suddenly remembered that she had been given permission to use the mans given name when in private. Tilting her head curiously she decided to test her bounds with a question. "Clyde..." She began, setting down her bags as she turned to face him. "May I ask a question?" Assuming she would be allowed she would continue, "What are the Ebonstryfe?"

[Clyde Sullins]

"Thank you, Master." As Clyde looked about, and began to head for the door that led into his lab, he was stopped by a question from Nola. "Clyde... May I ask a question?" Clyde let out a sigh and nodded, supposing he would have to carry on with his tour afterwords. "What are the Ebonstryfe?" For once Clyde was almost stunned, so surprised was he by the question, his face looking at the kelvic with a openly questioning stare. It took Clyde a moment to recall that she was likely new to Ravok, and so did not know all of its details and such that were commonly known by others. “You... You don't know what the Ebonstryfe are?” Clyde paused for a moment, looking down at the Ebonstryfe symbol across his chest on the robes he wore, and reaching for the words to explain to a non native of Ravok what it was he did. After a few more moments of pondering, Clyde launched into a somewhat grandiose and lengthy speech, explaining Nola's question, along with a few unasked ones. “I wouldn't ask that question in public, such a thing would make you look foolish, since everyone who is in Ravok for any length of time learns of the Ebonstryfe. But I suppose I understand why in your particular introduction to the city, why you might not know of us.” “The Ebonstryfe are... Well I suppose we are the military so to speak of Ravok. Its military, its defenders, the protectors of Ravok and Rhysol, the God and patron of our fair city. We all work for the protection of Ravok, and of Rhysol's ideals, in the case of the latter both protecting and spreading his image and domain along with protecting it.” “We are all followers of Rhysol, and living in Ravok you will likewise be expected to worship him, if nothing else but for out of gratitude of what he gives to each of us, and to this city, his protection, and the pristine waters of Ravok that his influence creates. What form said worship takes is mostly up to you.” “Also, as a member of the Ebonstryfe I am considered above common citizens as thing go. You being a slave of a member of the Stryfe thus also gain more stature than other slaves owned by normal citizens. You are still a slave, but you are my slave, and do not let anyone else forget that. As my property you gain my protection, and anyone should know that in harming you, they thus draw my ire. Feel free to remind them, should someone forget.” “In turn though, I am responsible for you, and anything you do poorly, or against Ravok, reflects upon me. So bear that in mind with your actions. By bond of ownership, we are thus tied.” Clyde paused, giving Nola a moment for the information to sink in, before proceeding with his tour. “Now, this room is the entry hall and common area of the house. At the back of the room is a pair of doors, each leading into a bedroom. They are currently being used by my cousin, Annalisa, who you may see about or in passing.” Pointing to the sole door on the right wall, as it appeared from their entering, was the only door with a lock. “This door leads into my lab, where I do some of my magic work. The door is to be kept locked at all times, only unlocking it for passage.” Taking out a key, Clyde headed over to the door and unlocked it, motioning for Nola to pass inside. Assuming she did Clyde would head inside the magic lab himself, shutting and locking the door after them. OOC: Just for reference, the paintings are described in the location post for the Sullin's residence, along with a description of the building and the content and layout of the various rooms. So I won't be going into full detail here, since much is said there. You can assume you see anything that is listed in said location post.

[Nola]

Nola listened carefully as Clyde answered her question, nodding now and again to show her understanding. It had surprised her that Clyde had been so shocked at her question, after all, who would bother to explain the working of a city to a slave. The most she had heard before this point were simply scare stories told by other slaves. Clyde's words only served to make Nola feel even more uneasy than she had been before. Though Nola didn't follow any gods in particular, being expected to worship one that she knew so little about, simply because she lived in his city, set off alarm bells. It seemed the more she learnt about Ravok, the more out of place she felt.

As Clyde pointed out the door to his magic lab, Nola pushed the worrying thoughts of gods to the side, more questions springing to mind as she wondered what kind of magic Clyde might be capable. She nodded seriously, making a mental note to herself in order to remember to always keep the door locked. Slipping past him into the lab Nola looked around curiously, tapping her foot against the cool stone floor. She took in the stone pedestal in the center, but her eyes drifted almost immediately to the bookshelf, though it was of little use to her as she could not read. For a moment Nola wondered how many of her own questions she could answer if she were only able to read, but she brushed the thought away quickly, knowing it was a skill of little use for a slave like herself.

[Clyde Sullins]

Now inside of his lab, Clyde looked about himself, making sure all was in order. Satisfied that it was, Clyde turned back to Nola. “Right. So this is my lab, were I do some of my work. A few notes. If I have anything going on in here, make sure to steer clear. In particular if I have any glyphs drawn about,symbols and images and such laid out upon a surface, do not touch or damage them. At best you might hinder my work, at worst you might end up blowing yourself up along with whatever I'm working on. Actually at the very worst you might end up taking out the entire street, but that's not to likely... I don't work in that level of potency too often...” Pausing for a moment, Clyde shrugged, and pressed on with his point. “Also, if there are any items laid upon the pedestal in the middle of the room, do NOT pick them up, ever. So long as you don't do those two things, damage my glyphs, or pick up something on the pedestal, you are fine to pass through or be in here, within reason.” Turning to the doors at the back of the room, Clyde pointed, indicating each door in turn. “Anyways, the two doors back there are bedrooms, just as the two doors at the back of the entry room were. The one on the left is my room, the one on the right will be yours. You can stow your things in there if you wish.” Done with the tour, Clyde turned back to Nola. “Now, do you have any questions for me? About the house, or your duties, or anything else you feel you need to know? Best to get such things out of the way now.” Having given Nola a general introduction, and a tour of the house, next on his list was to see her change to her kelvic form. While he had been told of it in general, and knew she was a kelvic, he wanted to see it specifically, and on his own terms. Clyde would likely request for her to show her other form once any questions she had were answered.

[Nola]

Nola blanched at Clydes warning, barely restraining a glance of disbelief. Why in the Gods names would someone do something so dangerous inside their own home!? She wondered to herself, taking a step back from the pedestal just to be safe. "I understand. Though I think I'll keep to just passing through when I have too." She murmured, fairly put off the room.

As Clyde continued Nola eyed the door to what was to be her bedroom, picking up her bags as he spoke. Stepping forward, she kept a safe distance from the other items in the lab as she moved to open the door and step inside. Nola glanced around quickly, taking in the bed and draws, the mirror on the wall. She was surprised by the furnishings, and especially the quality of the bed, having expected a pallet with little more than a thread bare blanket. She set her bags down on the bed, smiling as the mattress dipped under their weight, and turned, returning to the lab and facing Clyde.

Nola smiled slightly as he asked after any questions of her own. Gods, if he even knew how many questions I have! She thought to herself, though she limited herself to only a few. "What of my duties then?" She started with, tilting her head as she realized he had failed to show her any area for cooking. "Should I have spare time what am I to do?" Was her next. She tilted her head, considering her last question, finally settling on one motivated by pure curiosity. "What is the fine dress for?"

[Clyde Sullins]

Nola's response to his words made it clear that he had gotten his point across, that his magic was not to be trifled or messed about with. Perhaps he had overstated things, but in his mind it made far more sense to overstate such things, than it did to risk understating even a small bit. Usually his work was not so violent nor potent, but at times it might be, and any mistake could be quite costly. A Magecrafted item could easily be ruined should it be messed about with, and that was if things only went marginally badly. In the worst case it could indeed blow up with a similar force and destruction as he had described. Tallshade herself had died in such an incident, and Clyde did not intend to repeat such a occurrence. As for Reimancy... He usually practiced that outside of town, so it likely would not come up, since the spells of it he could work were not ones it would be wise to release inside of a room, nor while standing anywhere nearby. His lesser workings were not so deadly, but then they were far less risky and more under his control, and so did not even garner mentioning. Clyde almost smiled for a moment as Nola made a surreptitious step back and away from the pedestal in the room, which was currently empty. "I understand. Though I think I'll keep to just passing through when I have too." As Nola stowed her things in her room, Clyde watched her move. From her avoidance of contact with anything, it was clear she was being overly cautious, afraid to touch anything in the lab at all. Perhaps then he had gone a bit too far with explaining the risks... Once she returned Clyde opened things up to questions, and gave her a chance to ask any that were pressing on her. "What of my duties then?" "Should I have spare time what am I to do?" "What is the fine dress for?" Clyde paused for a moment, holding Cha in his hand, and absentmindedly stroking his hand along her a bit as he thought. “For your duties, I am not immediately sure. If I have need of you, I will tell you, for whatever specific purpose. On the average day to day though, excepting special cases where I have a particular need for you, I suppose you shall be gotten some form of job. I am sure there are a few facilities that would have use of a skilled masseuse. Perhaps the healing hand... I'll need to look into that.” “Assuming you are not working, nor fulfilling a duty for me, and have spare time, you may do more or less as you wish, within reason and within the city. Bearing in mind that your actions will still reflect upon me. If you wish to leave the city for some reason you will need to talk to me about that, and if I approve I will write you a note to admit you passage to shore.” “And as for the dress... Why it is for wearing of course.” Clyde grinned a bit teasingly at Nola, at his small joke. “The dress is for when finery is required, such as if you accompany me at an event or party or some such thing that requires nice apparel. So long as you take care of it, and treat it properly, you could wear it at other times on your own, should the need for it arise. Its hard to say what exact uses there will be for the finery, but I prefer to be prepared if such a need does arise.” Clyde paused for a moment, letting his words and responses sink in. “Now, did you have any other questions, or is that it? If you have no more, I would like to see your kelvic form, for reference if nothing else.”

[Nola]

Nola dipped her head in a nod as Clyde brought up a job for her, not at all displeased, though she wondered why he had bothered to purchase her when he had such little use for her. The only semblance of a job Nola had ever had was working in Esmet's bathhouse, and the thought of working in a healing center excited her. The freedom to do as she wished added to the excitement and she glanced up at Clyde with a small smile.

"Yes, of course. How silly of me." She replied dryly, grinning in reply to Clyde's joke. She couldn't think of a situation where she would need such a fine dress on her own, or why a master would even bother to spend the money on it, but Nola simply shrugged it off.

"No, no other questions at the moment. Actually I'm surprised you waited this long, I expected you to have me shift before you even bought me!'' Nola replied, pulling her shirt off, and quickly following it with her pants. She folded them quickly and set them down on the floor before tugging off her underthings and adding them to the pile. Completely comfortable in her nudity, Nola straightened and rolled her shoulders, before turning her minds focus inward, gripping her animal form and pulling it over in a quick, familiar motion. With a brief swirl of lights the young woman was replaced with a small white and brown cat. She greeted Clyde with a meow and a swish of her tail.

[Clyde Sullins]

Though her words and grin were playful, such a happy mood did not fully reflect in her aura. While happiness and laughter were a strong tone, her state at that moment seemed much more... Moderate. She could of course simply not found what he said overly funny, or perhaps it could mean several other things. Clyde was still new enough at reading emotions with Auristics that such a subtlety was difficult to tell. Perhaps once he knew her better, and knew her aura better after repeat readings, he would be better able to tell such things. "Yes, of course. How silly of me." "No, no other questions at the moment. Actually I'm surprised you waited this long, I expected you to have me shift before you even bought me!'' Clyde watched as Nola prepared herself, still fastening on to her aura. If he had so wished, he could have pressed on and through her clothing, a simple enough thing to press aside clothing and such. He hadn't, but knowing he could have and hadn't was enough. Now that he thought on it as Nola disrobed before him, Clyde wondered why he never had done such a thing... Perhaps he would have to try it some other time, with a female not so quick to disrobe. As she stood naked before him, Nola's reading stayed the same, a clear indicator of her oddity and non-humanness. For her disrobing and being in the nude was commonplace, not something to be ashamed of or to be uncomfortable over. Clyde could only imagine that if she had been human, he would have felt strong emotions from her in such a moment. Looking her over, Nola was pleasant enough in appearance. In response to her nudity Clyde couldn't help a reddening of his cheeks, and a small stiffening of his posture. As she shifted there was a flash of light in his mundane vision, followed by the light clearing and her being in her cat form. In his aura sight however it was slightly different. He could see her form one moment, human, and then there was a strengthening of djed. All in one moment there was a shifting, as if someone snatched Nola from before him, and replaced it with a cat. This was the first time Clyde had watched a kelvic change form with Auristics, and had previously assumed they shifted and changed into their animal form or back to human form. Instead it seemed it was an all at once thing, as if their bodies were being replaced by another form. Clyde spent a moment watching Nola in her cat form, listening to her meow and her swish of a tail, all very catlike motions and actions. Satisfied for now, Clyde nodded. Though she was now a cat, and not a human, the redness had not yet faded from his face, and he still stood somewhat stiffly. “Fine, fine, that is enough for now, why don't you return to your human form.” Heading for his own room, Clyde motioned for Nola to follow, grabbing the stack of clothing Nola had neatly folded and set aside, and heading into his own room with them. Clyde simply took it for granted that she would follow his order, as he was confident in his superiority and control over his new slave. Though whether this was founded or not remained to be seen. “Why don't you join me in my room, and perhaps you can tell me more of you, and perhaps show a few of your skills while we speak. What is your history as a slave? How did you come to be in Ravok? And what uses were you used for with previous owners?” Clyde paused for a moment as he passed inside of his room, and turned back to Nola, checking to see if she had shifted back to human form yet, his face growing a bit deeper red as he spoke on the next topic. “I know you are a woman, at least physically. I wonder though if you have ever been with a man or not. It's not exactly something generally covered in an auction.”