Closed Shadows and Sluggishness (Phobius)

Sayana and Phobius investigate why the city is feeling ill

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Considered one of the most mysterious cities in Mizahar, Alvadas is called The City of Illusions. It is the home of Ionu and the notorious Inverted. This city sits on one of the main crossroads through The Region of Kalea.

Shadows and Sluggishness (Phobius)

Postby Sayana on September 11th, 2015, 1:06 am

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Fall 5, 515 AV

Alvadas is sick. It had been nagging at her the entire day. What did Fabel mean by that? Even as she practiced her spins and memorized new sections of the choreography she was learning it bugged her. How could a city be sick? Perhaps it merely seemed less confusing than it had been on other days. Sayana wrapped up her practicing for the day with a handstand. She launched herself to land firmly on her four hands, highs and mids, and clenched her stomach muscles to try to keep herself straight and steady. Some of the other actors and acrobats thought she was cheating by using multiple hands but she still needed to keep them perfectly even against the ground meaning they ached even more as she strained in a slightly bent position with some of her arms. One, two, three, four, five… She started to wobble and she brought her legs back down.

Well that’s enough of that. She dusted off her hands and then placed her two lows upon her stomach. Perhaps if she tried building up her abs she might forget the past and what it had entailed. The Eypharian clenched her stomach a couple more times and followed it up with a few belly rolls. Yes, she mustn’t forget her dancing of the south even with all these crazy acrobatic routines. With a couple of twists of her hips and a flick of her wrist she reverted back to the same sensual dance moves she had grown up learning.

She gave a smile and a wave to some of the other actors and headed out for the evening. As she stepped out onto the streets she felt the familiar pull of her key towards the Cubacious Inn. Though lately, she was hardly needing its guidance. The various streets and buildings were becoming more familiar and even though they occasionally seemed out of place, she was getting the hang of this city.

Alvadas is sick. Sayana frowned at the thought and stopped in her tracks. It seemed like a normal healthy city. She glanced around at the normal looking brickwork and cobblestones. There were bright windows with various wares, sturdy looking homes where families might live, and winding streets connecting them all. Long shadows were cast by Syna’s slow decent but suddenly a sharp movement caught her eye. She turned quickly and drew one of her two throwing daggers expecting danger, but there was nothing there. Her eyes darted back and forth but eventually she conceded that it was nothing and returned the blade to her hip next to her longer and more ornate dagger from Ahnatep and her fairly new Lakan.

As Sayana turned a corner she caught another glimpse of movement. She spotted a shadow darting down an alley but soon it was out of sight. Now keenly aware of her surroundings, she followed after it. She certainly wasn’t dressed to hide in the shadows, with her bright red outfit and all, but at least she could follow after whoever it was as quietly as she could. Sayana stepped lightly upon the stonework but moved quickly enough so she might catch up with this person. As she neared the corner, she carefully peered around. Nothing. Except… There was another quiver of movement and she ran faster this time, hoping to catch the culprit. She attempted to stay within the shadows of the buildings, but the pounding of her boots upon the cobblestones would have easily given her away. Panting heavily she spotted another hint of movement and sprinted after it.

The alley turned into a dead end but that’s when she saw the distinctly humanoid shadow upon one wall. And not the same wall as the rest of the shadows. As it moved, Sayana was puzzled because she couldn’t find the source. It made some vague gesture and then faded from view entirely. Quite perplexed, Sayana started back the way she came but soon found that the way back wasn’t as clear as she thought it was. Also, as she stepped into the light something seemed off.

Her shadow was gone.

OOCHope it wasn't too rambly. I was trying to feel out some plot ideas but I'm flexible with what we do with this thread.
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Shadows and Sluggishness (Phobius)

Postby Phobius on September 20th, 2015, 10:16 pm

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"If you slump any further in that chair, dear, you'll turn into a puddle."

Phobius glanced over at the woman when she spoke. There was a pleasant, somewhat-amused smile on her face, but for once he found that he couldn't return it, his own lips curved in a small frown.

"But I'm bored, Miss Georgia," the boy whined, having nearly slid off of the chair that he was sitting in, his shoulders scrunched up to his ears while his arms hung lifelessy at his sides. It had only been a few chimes since he'd brought himself to the Inn's lobby, looking as though he'd just been dragged out from under his bedsheets by an angry mother, his crimson head of hair violently disheveled. Not knowing what else to do, Phobius had sat himself in a comfy-looking chair, only to grow restless as the ticks went by, his body gradually sliding off of the cushions and onto the floor.

"Well, there's plenty for you to do, isn't there? How about taking a walk? You like walks."

"I don't wanna go outside," Phobius said, turning away from her so that he could stare at his toes, the tips of his boots having turned to dust a good while ago. "Walks are no fun, anymore...and it feels weird, out there. Everything's...slow. I don't like it."

The elderly woman was then silent for a moment, as if she was considering the young Inarta's words. "You're right," she finally said. "The city's felt a bit strange to me, lately, as well. Even the people act as though they're a little under the weather."

"Because they're sick."

Miss Georgia blinked at him. "Sick?"

"Alvadas is sick, so it made them sick. And if I go out, I'll get sick."

On the ground, now, Phobius drew his legs up to his chest and held them there, resting his chin on his knees, amber eyes still focused on his toes.

"I don't wanna get sick."

The muttered words more or less ended their conversation, and Miss Georgia, who didn't seem to know what else to say, made no attempts to disrupt the silence that settled in the air around them. Still, she looked concerned, and let her eyes rest on the boy for a few ticks before shifting her attention to a few gathered papers on her desk.

Phobius stayed where he was, staring blankly at his toes and the floor beyond them until a flash of movement made him lift his head. Off to his left stood a man...or a woman. Honestly, it was impossible to tell; they were tall and shadowy, and as far as he could tell there were no clothes on their bodies or hair on their heads. Where had they come from? Were they even human...?

The boy sat and stared at the shadowy shape for a moment, then spoke, figuring that there was no harm in it. "Umm...hello?" he said. "Miss? M-mister?"

They didn't respond. Phobius couldn't tell whether it was because they hadn't heard them or because they simply couldn't talk, but he glanced over at Miss Georgia, wondering if she would do something. She had obviously noticed the thing, by now, but was squinting at it, looking about as confused and uncertain as he was starting to feel.

Suddenly, the shadowy figure turned away from him—though he couldn't be sure that it had been facing him, to begin with—and trudged out the door, reminding him vaguely of a person with a bellyache.

Staring at the spot where it'd last been standing, Phobius found himself nibbling on his bottom lip, at odds with himself. It had gone outside, and he was curious as to where it was going, not to mention bored out of his mind...but following it meant that he'd be exposing himself to Alvadas' sickness, and if he stayed out for too long there was no telling what would happen to him. Not that it would be hard to find the Inn, again; the buildings had been moving less and less since the beginning of the season, having given up on confusing people like they normally did, so it was a lot more difficult for him to get himself lost.

It didn't take long for the boy to make up his mind, and when he did he got to his feet and hurried out the door, leaving Miss Georgia to watch him go, the smile returning to her face.

The shadowy figure had gotten a headstart, but Phobius was able to catch up, sprinting past dazed-looking Alvads in an attempt to keep from falling too far behind and losing sight of it. The distance between them couldn't have been much larger than three feet, and when it rounded a corner the boy sped up a little, rounding it a few ticks later. Distracted as he was, however, he didn't notice the woman standing in front of him until he bumped right into her.

"S-sorry!" he squeaked, holding his hands up as he retreated a little, as if to give her space. "I was following a thing, and I didn't...see you..."

And then he trailed off, his eyes widening in childish awe. She was a few inches shorter than he was, which was interesting, considering how the people he met tended to be a lot taller, but what had him truly amazed were the extra sets of arms that she had. Phobius had never seen a person with more than two, let alone six; he hadn't even known that it was possible.

Once he realized that he had been staring, Phobius frowned and forced his gaze to the floor, an embarrassed, rosy flush seeping into his cheeks. "I...sorry, f-for bumping into you..."

OOCGah, sorry this took so long. T^T


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Note: Unless otherwise is stated, Phobius is almost always wearing a blue-beaded bracelet that alters illusions around him based on his mood. That can include player-made illusions. c:
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Shadows and Sluggishness (Phobius)

Postby Sayana on September 27th, 2015, 5:31 pm

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For several ticks she stood perplexed. For something so simple, it was amazing how out of order it seemed to suddenly not have a shadow. The Eypharian waved her arms about hoping to see something upon the ground or wall but even after a couple of glances towards Syna to make sure she was still there, nothing resembling a shadow appeared. Tentatively, she tried drawing one of her daggers to hold up to the light and even more oddly, it did manage to cast a shadow. But only of the dagger, as if strangely detached. And yet her clothes…

Even as she was trying to make sense of the strange phenomenon, a shadowy figure rushed past her. Or rather through her. She felt a wave of nausea course through her and she doubled over with the urge to vomit. Reflexively, she reached for a dagger but instead of her usual cobra-hilted heirloom, she instead drew her Lakan. As if trying to summon strength from her beloved Aren, she made a slash towards the shadowing figure. Yet the creature was already out of reach and the Lakan swung uselessly through the air. Sayana watched as the shadow figure vanished into a wall. Just like that, it was gone.

The Eypharian straightened up a little, still looking at that place on the wall where it had disappeared, and then sheathed her Lakan. However, just as she was turning around to see where it might have come from, she got slammed into by a man with bright red hair. She took a couple of steps to steady herself, and noticed him back up as he began to apologize.

Following a ‘thing’? Was that the same thing that she had just encountered? “I just fended off a shadow. Was that what you were following?” She asked quickly, the encounter still fresh in her mind. However, his bright flush distracted her for a moment and she couldn’t help but chuckle. “Keep that up and your face will match your hair,” she teased.

Suddenly, she felt her gut churn and she hugged her low and mid arms to her stomach. She felt the energy drain from her and her legs trembled slightly under her weight. Sayana tried to force a neutral expression on her face and casually walked towards a wall to lean up against it. Maybe it was just a passing feeling of faintness and she could hide the fact that anything was wrong.
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Shadows and Sluggishness (Phobius)

Postby Phobius on October 14th, 2015, 1:39 am

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Shadow? Phobius inwardly echoed, a curious expression upon his face as he blinked at her. He hadn't really thought of the black figure that'd trudged out of the Inn as a shadow, but it sounded as though the six-armed woman had been trailing after another one, so he nodded. And then she laughed, prompting the boy to force his attention back to the ground, her comment about his hair only making his cheeks grow redder. At least she didn't seem upset that he had been staring at her.

When the woman moved, Phobius looked up just in time to see her leaning against a wall with her arms clutching her stomach. She didn't look like she felt too good...maybe she had a belly ache...?

Or maybe, he found himself thinking, all of a sudden, Alvadas made her sick. Maybe she's been outside for too long, or...or maybe that shadow did it, somehow.

Phobius frowned, worry and the slightest bit of fear beginning to well up deep inside of him. This was the exact reason that he hadn't wanted to leave the Inn, in the first place, but a combination of curiosity and overwhelming boredom had spurred him on, bringing him here. What was he supposed to do, now...?

"Are you okay, Miss? Should I get somebody...?" the boy asked, going over to her and resting an uncertain hand on her shoulder. "Does your belly hurt real bad? I don't get belly aches, but I bet I could get something to make you feel better. I mean, I could ask for something, or...or buy something..."


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Note: Unless otherwise is stated, Phobius is almost always wearing a blue-beaded bracelet that alters illusions around him based on his mood. That can include player-made illusions. c:
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Shadows and Sluggishness (Phobius)

Postby Sayana on October 24th, 2015, 3:51 pm

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For a moment Sayana’s face went completely blank as if she hadn’t heard him and then it softened into a gentle smile. She rigidly stood up from where she had been leaning against the wall. Her high hands moved to grasp each other rather formally across her torso and her other arms hung simply from her side.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I am perfectly fine.” She spoke except her words were oddly monotone and without inflection. Sayana took a few steps towards Phobius and jerked her right high hand out rather awkwardly. “My name is Sayana. It is good to meet you.” Again her voice was monotonous and she left her hand out waiting for Phobius to shake it.


No, no no! This can’t be happening. The nausea had been bad, but feeling her whole body being moved and controlled by some ‘being’ had her completely terrified. She couldn’t even move a baby finger without feeling resistance from whatever was causing this. Even stranger was the way it moved her mouth to speak words. She needed help, and badly, but when she ‘spoke’ those dreaded words her heart dropped. What if the man believed the words? What if he thought nothing was wrong? She needed to think of a way to communicate to him.

Internally she winced at the horribly awkward and formal introduction. Who actually does something so terribly boring as that? Focus, focus… As she ‘held’ out her hand awkwardly for a hand shake she was trying to feel out all her muscles to see if she had control over any of them. Not her arms or hands, nor her legs. Not even her face or neck. But wait. She managed to look just a little to the right. Aha! She could move her eyes! Carefully she exerted that small bit of control and looked left then right, up and down.

But as she started to move her eyes more frantically, trying to catch the man’s attention, they began to sting with pain. Maybe the ‘being’ had noticed her small bit of control and was punishing her for it, or maybe she simply wasn’t used to exerting the muscles of her eyes so much. She still tried to move her eyes through the pain, but slowly a tear formed and then another. Please, please notice that something is wrong.


OOC :
I’m right now going with the idea that the city’s sickness is being plagued with ‘boringness’. So the best way to combat it would be through creativity and thinking outside the box.
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Shadows and Sluggishness (Phobius)

Postby Phobius on November 25th, 2015, 7:27 am

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The woman said nothing at first. Then she smiled and lifted herself off of the wall, saying that she was fine.

Phobius blinked at her, visibly confused. What did she mean, she was fine...? It'd only been a few ticks ago when she had suddenly doubled over in pain. Could it have gone away that quickly? Better yet, why did she sound so funny?

“My name is Sayana. It is good to meet you,” she said in that same funny tone, sticking one of her hands out for him. Still confused, the boy stared down at it for a moment, looking as though she had offered him some object that he didn't know what to do with. Then he lifted one of his own hands and awkwardly shook it, since it seemed like that was what she'd been expecting him to do.

"I'm Phobius. Nice to meet you, too...?" he replied, looking up from their hands to meet Sayana's eyes, only to find that he couldn't. For some reason she was moving them around a lot, and when she finally seemed to stop he could see tears well up within them. Oddly enough, she didn't act or even look like she was in any sort of pain...

Maybe she had made herself sad, somehow?

Feeling somewhat helpless, Phobius tried to think of something that he could do. He had already offered to go and find someone who could help, but she'd said that she was alright, so there probably wasn't much of a point in offering, again. And it seemed like her belly-ache was gone, but...he couldn't be sure. Guh, why were things so strange, all of a sudden?

"Hey, don't cry...do your eyes hurt?" the boy asked after a moment, still holding her hand. "Maybe...maybe if you walk around a bit, the hurt'll go away. Oh, I know...! We can go look for the Shadow-Thing!"

And then, without really waiting for her to respond, Phobius started to walk, tugging the six-armed woman along with him.

"The one I saw was at the Inn, but I dunno where it is, now. I bet we could find yours, though."


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Note: Unless otherwise is stated, Phobius is almost always wearing a blue-beaded bracelet that alters illusions around him based on his mood. That can include player-made illusions. c:
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Shadows and Sluggishness (Phobius)

Postby Sayana on December 9th, 2015, 11:14 pm

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Had she been herself, her relief would have been visible. He noticed! Even if he wasn’t sure what it meant, he had noticed her eyes and that there had been tears in them. She blinked fiercely to clear the wetness welling in her eyes and suddenly realized she had gained a fraction more control. She could blink.

Regardless, it felt strange feeling his hand in hers because no matter how hard she tried, she could not move it even an inch. “Shadow-thing? Sounds like nonsense to me.” Her lips moved on their own accord despite fiercely wanting to speak otherwise. “Just some made up tale of yours?” There was mocking in her voice and she could feel that the being that resided in her had no intension of moving. Its poise was settled and calm, not to mention its weight was shifted to its back leg and not forwards in the slightest. Unless…

With intense focus and concentration she tried to shift the weight of the body forwards. Her body. Little bit by little bit, she managed to engage her internal muscles and then willed her leg to take a step forwards. Whether it was her own efforts or Phobius’s tug of her hand, she began to step forwards and join the redhead on his walk. Her gait was stiff and awkward. She felt clumsy due to the being’s lack of grace. Yet surely she’d be able to figure something out. But even as they walked, with only silence coming from her, there was this chill that started to creep within her. At first it was barely a tickle but it soon became more noticeable and seemed to be formulating around her chest. Right at her heart.

Panic set in, even more than before. She needed to get out, and get out now! How had she managed to gain the slightest bit of control before? Do something unique, unexpected, something the being didn’t think was necessary in terms of constraining her. She started with her hips, perhaps her most commonly used muscles in her dance yet not something one might usually use in everyday life. She jerked them up and down as she walked, forcing control over her body. There was a tightening around her heart and her efforts increased, moving on to rolling her stomach and twisting her chest. Her movements were small and seemingly random as she struggled to assert control over her more important body parts like her limbs.

Her hand dropped away from Phobius’s as she began to quiver and jerk almost as though she was having a seizure. Yet she was winning. The sound of children playing make believe games was like music to her ears and at last she was able to assert enough control to create a rude gesture of defiance with her hands.

Yet there was still one last trick left to this mysterious sickness pervading the city. Her hands and arms suddenly went a sickly greyish black and the next tick the world rapidly went dark as though she was surrounded by a thick smoke. Yet to an outsider she would have looked as though she had become a thick dark smoke, a shadow. She had the strangest urge to jump, to leap forwards, to…

She found herself stumbling to the ground. But a moment prior, the smoky shadow of herself had lunged towards Phobius but had been instead intercepted by a young girl. Yet just has swiftly, the shadow had vanished from sight.

The first thing she realized was that she once again had full control over her body, yet her eyes shifted warily to the child who had been playing nearby. Still, with a sigh of relief she spoke, “That’s not something I ever want to experience ever again.” The taint of black had dissolved away and she sat on the ground, leaning with her arms propping herself up.

OOCDue to time constraints and wanting to wrap up Fall threads, I pushed the plot along quite a bit. I hope that’s alright.
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Shadows and Sluggishness (Phobius)

Postby Fable on January 9th, 2016, 8:56 pm

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S A Y A N A

a d r o i t . a c c r e t i o n s
    ❁ acrobatics 1
    ❁ running 1
    ❁ investigation 1
    ❁ research 1
    ❁ weapon: lakan 1
    ❁ acting 2
    ❁ subterfuge 1
    ❁ tactics 2
    ❁ endurance 1

e s p i e d . e r u d i t i o n
    none

r e c o m p e n s e . a n d . r e t r i b u t i o n
    none

d e t e r m i n a t i v e . d i c t a
none


P H O B I U S

a d r o i t . a c c r e t i o n s
    ❁ socialization 2
    ❁ logic 1
    ❁ running 1
    ❁ investigation 1
    ❁ negotiation 1

e s p i e d . e r u d i t i o n
    none

r e c o m p e n s e . a n d . r e t r i b u t i o n
    none

d e t e r m i n a t i v e . d i c t a
none
]
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