PM to join [Winter Blaze Costume] Death by Fire or Death by Ice?

WAIT. You're saying if I go to this stupid costume party I get free booze?

(This is a thread from Mizahar's fantasy role playing forums. Why don't you register today? This message is not shown when you are logged in. Come roleplay with us, it's fun!)

Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]

[Winter Blaze Costume] Death by Fire or Death by Ice?

Postby Kaie on December 19th, 2015, 2:36 am

Image
9th Day of Winter, 515 AV
12th Bell


Contrary to what it often looked like, the Myrian wasn't always sitting in a tavern to drink herself dead. This... just wasn't one of those special times. Kaie clutched her mug in her right hand. Her chin rested on her left hand's fist with her elbow propped up on the bar counter. Amber eyes looked well over the bar keep's head to wander along the various labels wrapped snugly about glass bottles and burned onto thick wooden kegs. Her ship's captain last season was a right liar when it came to his nefarious tales of adventure on the high seas. Deckhands were constantly muttering under their breaths whenever his storyteller's voice boomed above deck, grubby pointer finger twirling at the wiry ends of a graying black mustache. She'd spent so much time aboard his vessel, The Winking Maiden, that she'd managed to piece together the truths to his strings of lies.

There was the great silver whale, sent by Laviku himself to bring his ship to ruin, which he slayed single-handedly with an excellent throw of a harpoon. That one a boy named Devin cleared up for her while he scrubbed the deck early one morning. It had been a dead whale, turned up on its side and all, that the ship bumped into. The captain was too initially spooked by the shake of the ship to see it was only a floating carcass, before he leaned over the ship's side and threw a broken broomstick. Apparently the oil they salvaged from the beast was enough to last them several trips, or so Devin swore with a laugh. Then there was the band of Svefra pirates that attacked their ship. That one was allegedly true...except for the part when the entire enemy crew threw down their swords after The Winking Maiden's captain offed their leader in a duel. They were really a small set of survivors brought aboard sometime after their vessel was struck by another ship. During the trip to the closest port, one of the men got mouthy. The captain broke his jaw when he swung a metal bucket at him. The sailor didn't speak the rest of the trip and neither did the other survivors brought aboard with him.

She didn't mind the deception too much. They were tall tales to entertain a dull tavern and amuse guests with the coin to rent out a cabin. Besides, he told the truth when it mattered. For starters he was right about the Blue Bull. It was an easy find with his directions from the docks and just as notorious as he promised. Bodies had packed together like sardines in a can night after night. It might've only been the afternoon, but already was a thin crowd beginning to form throughout the tavern. Kaie let out a sigh.

"Well. I'm glad you brought the mug back." She looked up to see the Akalak bar keep staring down at her with an arched brow. His arms were folded over his thick chest. Shyke, was the first appropriate thought to come to mind. The Myrian flashed him the most charming grin she could muster. At least he had the decency to address her in Common rather than that wretched Tukant.
"I had to make sure I had an excuse to come back is all," she brushed the accusation off coolly with sarcastic hair flip. A twinkle of amusement dared to appear for but a tick in her conversation partner's eyes. "Yeah, well, the next time I see you walking out those doors with another excuse I'll be dragging you back here by your hair, savage."
"If you wanted a reason to lace your big blue hands through my pretty brown hair, all you had to do was buy me a good drink."
"Did you want some ale, or did you plan on staring into an oddly accurate representation of your future a bit longer?" Kaie pursed her lips. Her eyes dipped back down to view the empty interior of the mug before they flashed up to narrow at the bar keep.
"Yeah. While I'm at it I'll sit back and watch my coins sit in my pocket instead of yours." He snickered at that and jutted his chin toward the other patrons beginning to scatter themselves in stools before the counter. Then he shrugged and wandered away to serve new tavern visitors, leaving the Myrian and her empty mug behind.

Petching bastard.

"Too broke or too stubborn?" She sat up in her stool. Her left index and thumb rubbed at her eyes. What now? Kaie lifted the mug a few centimeters off the counter before bringing it down again with an exasperated thunk. Her head turned to her right to spy a deep purple Akalak eyeing her wisely as he drank from his wine. "He's always known just how to play his clients right. So which is it?" Why was she bothering to indulge him? Didn't matter, she supposed. Before she knew it her mouth was open and she was willingly humoring him anyways.
"Pocket screams broke. My mother would roll her eyes and swear stubborn." The aging Akalak stroked his white beard and nodded with a knowing smile. "He's the one winning."
"How's that?"
"Take a look. He's making money and you're still sober."

The purple man was right. In her hand was still the stupid mug she'd drunkenly walked out with the night before, while just a few chairs down a customer was dropping a few silvers into his. The purple man chuckled quietly and peered down into his drink. It was only when she really eyed him that she noticed how close he tucked his arms and legs in to himself. It was as if he were trying to take up the least amount of space possible. "Just pointing out the obvious. Do with that what you will, girl." Kaie furrowed her brow, gaze lingering on him for a few ticks after he'd exited the conversation. She shook her head.


"Bar keep!" She called him over just as he was about to hustle by to the next customer. The sound of her accent had him grinning, practically sauntering back in her direction like he hadn't anything else in the world to do. "Change your mind?"
"You could say that. I can't drink fine wine out of this shyke. Puts this city to true shame." The Myrian gave him an almost condescending glance and nudged the mug his way. In a tick she procured her empty wineskin from her person, unscrewed the top, and offered it in the bar keep's direction. She swore she could see the purple Akalak fighting a grin in her peripheral vision. "Fill this one up instead will you?" The bar keep adjusted his jaw and roughly took the wineskin and mug in his hands. He disappeared a few noteworthy chimes before returning with her skin rightly bloated. She had the mizas already set upon the table by the time he stood before her. Bronze hands reached out and took the skin from him. She flashed him her teeth. "Oh...and don't worry about any more excuses. Seems I've got my own from now on."
She turned on her heel and headed for the door. Before she made it into the streets she thought she heard the bar keep's booming voice over the sound of the awaiting crowds. "Hey, Myrian! Tread lightly."

OOC:Word Count: 2,675/50,000

Image
Image



Image
User avatar
Kaie
Player
 
Posts: 1558
Words: 1635197
Joined roleplay: May 9th, 2013, 3:13 am
Location: Sunberth
Race: Myrian
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Journal
Plotnotes
Medals: 7
Featured Character (1) Overlored (1)
Donor (1) One Thousand Posts! (1)
One Million Words! (1) Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (1)
2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

[Winter Blaze Costume] Death by Fire or Death by Ice?

Postby Kaie on December 20th, 2015, 6:00 am

Image
The door shut behind her with a certain ring of finality. Eyes squinted up at Syna and her wine of spite somehow found its way already trickling down her throat.

So what are we going to do today, Kaie?
Why, find other ways to make life accidentally more difficult for me of course!

Her cloak billowed about her ankles as she navigated against the general direction of the crowd, all the while with no particular destination in mind. For a short time she was merely like another piece of debris drifting down the Bluevein. A new crowd swell herded her off the beaten path and into the Knirin Gardens. Even now the foliage seemed a bit more dull compared to the beauty that had struck her in the fall season. The frosted tips of well-placed plants still make the place striking all the same.

Kaie paced about the area with the rest past the dueling children with their sword-sticks, dodging out the path of dedicated Akalak runners, and doing her best to keep her eyes from rolling when a particularly public couple did something sickeningly romantic. She sat upon the first bench she came across and celebrated the find with a swig of wine. The Myrian leaned forward to put her elbows on her knees, the wine skin hanging carelessly from her right hand in the space between her legs. No one needed to be a mind reader to guess the thoughts of those that passed her by. What a sight she must've been. Luckily there was nothing a little more wine couldn't fix. Not even a mildly wounded ego. At least the alcohol would do well to keep her warm.

"Mind if I sit?" The Myrian looked up to spy the gentle face of a short, slender woman with long, pale blonde hair. Her delicate hands reached down to frame a soft but prominent bulge.
"Knock yourself out," Kaie responded with a passive gesture toward the opposite end of the bench. The young woman offered her a smile and carefully seated herself with a sigh that brushed through the air in mist. They sat in silence for a time. It was almost uncomfortable, really. Not uncomfortable like the jungle-born felt obligated to speak, but that the silence coming from the blonde woman was something she could only describe as wise. Her own careful nature had her stealing glances whenever the stranger so much as moved. When the woman's pale hand reached up to adjust a thick white fur scarf around her neck, the savage swore she spotted a scaly texture along the back of it.

"You want to say something. I can always tell when someone is holding back." Was that a mysterious knowing in her odd violet eyes? She furrowed her brow at the other woman.
"I'd forgotten is all."
"Forgotten what, might I ask?"

"I've only seen women like you a few times. I forget you're different until I see the scales. No offense."
"None taken. We Konti do prefer our Island, probably much like your people prefer the jungle...which leads me to ask why you're on the wrong side of the sea?" Kaie shrugged and took another sip of wine.
"I'll get there. I know where I belong...but it looks like you forgot. Breeding for the Akalak? Sorry if that's an unkind term. I'm not often politically correct. Don't always know how." The stranger rubbed her middle with a private smile. "It does tend to be like that, doesn't it? Not for me though. Novaek is mine as I am his. This will be our second child together."
"Tani?"

Both Myrian and Konti turned their heads to spy the cobalt man slowing to a jog before their bench. His long black hair was braided behind him to trail down between his shoulder blades. Sweat collected at his hairline and trickled down his face. "You decide on what you'd like to wear yet?" He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, chest heaving. Kaie arched a brow but asked no questions. It appeared the Konti woman hadn't been much of a liar either, however, before she immediately turned her head to answer anyhow. "The Winter Blaze. You have heard of it, right? Everyone in the city will be there!" Novaek chuckled and tugged at his shirt, airing the hot flesh resting beneath. "It's a masquerade, Myrian. A big costume party themed fire and ice some notorious party planner named Straif Davin is putting on. Dancing, food, and awards. It's going to be huge. Definitely something to see," the Akalak elaborated kindly, happily taking the coat his mate offered him now that he had finished torturing himself in the cold weather.

Was it only polite to pretend to care about barbarian festivities?


"Sounds to die for. You going to go as like a cat or something?" Novaek's brow knit together but then Tani's expression was far more amused. Did she recognize the sarcastic, unintentionally insulting comments were merely a godsgiven gift to an unworthy savage? "You have to fit the theme: fire and ice. Novaek, you're not still deciding are you?" He gave her a sheepish grin and ducked his head, shrugging on the coat when he'd properly cooled. He shook his head. Then Tani tapped a finger to her lips. "Decide this way then. Would you rather die by fire or by ice?"
"Gods, that's a little extreme way to decide on a costume for a party."
"What would you pick?" Novaek asked Kaie without missing a beat, expression genuine. So they're serious then? She took a generous drink from her wine skin and sat up.


"Death by fire or death by ice?" The Myrian pondered out loud while she let her eyes rove the landscape as if the answer laid somewhere in the frosted brush. Either way the end result was the same. Dira would take you and that would be that. But what about the experience? That must be the part that counts, those final moments before. Is it the fear that matters? The pain? The glory? Ice was softer. Cold stole lives gradually, numbed better than a strong drink, and sang you softly to a bitter, shivering sleep. A quiet finale...but what of fire? Of the raging inferno, flames licking the sky, ravaging whatever they touched? When Kaie looked into the flickering silhouettes of red, orange, and yellow in her mind's eye, she saw her soul. She saw the anger, the self-destruction she caused like fire greedily sucking all the oxygen out of the room until it put itself out. Though she still saw the cool exterior like hardened, cooled rock concealing the lava that ran like blood through the earth's veins beneath. Only then did she see the crux of the question's answer. How could one choose between both spectrums of their own soul?

Kaie bit her lip and looked up at the couple eagerly awaiting her response. The look had the Konti smiling up at Novaek in an instant. He returned her grin and resigned with a nod. "Ice it is." He gave her a peck on the lips and wrapped his arm around her waist. "We should go before the last of the costumes already made are sold. It's last minute as it is. We'll see you there tomorrow evening perhaps?" Kaie shook her head with a polite smile and took another long drink of wine.
"Busy that day." The Konti put her hand on her hip and clucked at the Myrian. Kaie ignored the sound, giving the wine skin a shake to test how much she still had left based on sound alone. The Konti gestured dramatically toward the wine skin. "Novaek forgot to mention there's an open bar. All night long." The Myrian stopped mid-shake. Dammit.
"You're saying if I show up to this thing in a costume I get free drinks all night?" It had to be too good to be true. What's the catch? She arched a suspicious brow. "Straif Davin just asks that every guest also brings food to share," Novaek confirmed before the pair began to move toward the exit with arms wrapped around each other's backs. Kaie rocked back against the back of the bench and crossed her arms. "Fire it is!" She called stubbornly out to the pair before they hooked a corner out of sight. It wasn't like she needed the Konti to be in her presence to know she sure got a kick out of convincing a savage to a fancy party.

OOC:Word Count: 4,105/50,000
Image
Image



Image
User avatar
Kaie
Player
 
Posts: 1558
Words: 1635197
Joined roleplay: May 9th, 2013, 3:13 am
Location: Sunberth
Race: Myrian
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Journal
Plotnotes
Medals: 7
Featured Character (1) Overlored (1)
Donor (1) One Thousand Posts! (1)
One Million Words! (1) Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (1)
2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

[Winter Blaze Costume] Death by Fire or Death by Ice?

Postby Kaie on February 4th, 2016, 9:56 pm

Image
After a few chimes of internal debate, the Myrian resigned to indeed get a life. She screwed the cap of her wine skin on tight and rose from the bench. Then she was off again, exiting the beauty of the gardens to merge again with Riverfall's streets. At first her wandering was rather aimless. While she had some semblance of an idea where she ought to be headed, her inability to read had complicated her newest quest. Thus, as much as she loathed to do it, the Myrian eventually paused to catch the attention of a passing young human woman with a tap to the shoulder.
"I'm not from here as you probably guessed. Uh, where do you go to buy, like, dresses? Formal dresses?" she tried pathetically, her accent brutalizing the Common conversation despite its passive nature. Nonetheless, the human woman moved her golden blonde hair over one shoulder and smiled politely. "For the Winter Blaze? I would go to Red Diamond Fashions. You'll thank me later," she suggested with a show of bright white teeth. Whatever she saw in the Myrian's face made her giggle. "I'm sorry. How rude of me. It's that way." Kaie's amber eyes followed the pointing finger further down the path. "It's the small cottage with ivy growing along the front. You'll be able to see clothes in the windows."
"Right! Thank you." Kaie smiled back at the woman before the two quickly parted ways. Following the woman's directions, the young Myrian wandered along the street with her head on a swivel. Eventually, she found a quaint little cottage that fit the description. It was only when she spied the clean-cut men's outfits displayed in the first window she glanced through, that she chose to enter.

The place was instantly warmer than the outside, Kaie had decided no sooner than the door had shut quietly behind her. The store's interior was well organized and uncrowded. To her right sat an uncluttered desk manned by a bald blue Akalak. He smiled at her and offered a professional "hello", to which she responded with a nod of friendly acknowledgement. Letting her gaze wander out into the wider room, she could clearly spy the division of gendered clothing. To the right laid the suits, jackets, and overall masculine barbarian garb. To her left sprawled the dresses, skirts, and blouses that must've been all the rage in Riverfall. The mere sight of the collection made her eyes go alight as if she had been gazing upon just the perfect blade for a very specific job. Bladed boots crossed the candelabra-lit room softly until the jungle-born found herself among the various styles of elegant dresses, each seeming to boast a rare color or style that caught even the Falyndar native's eyes. "Looking for something specific?" a surprisingly soft voice echoed in Kaie's direction, followed by a series of quiet yet calculating steps of dress shoes. The Myrian spun to face the bald Akalak who had left his responsibilities of the desk. He was perhaps the most well-styled male the young woman had met yet, rivaling even that of Matthew in all his class and professionalism. Coal black pants were paired with coal black shoes. Beneath a coal black dress coat, with a silver handkerchief neatly folded in the breast pocket, he sported a silver dress shirt. The crooked smile to match his smoothed over features was what really made a statement in his image.

"Something like...a dress for the Winter Blaze, perhaps?"

"This party is really setting itself up for high expectations. It's like no one in this city can go five chimes without mentioning it," Kaie responded with a laugh in good nature. Part of her conscious mind raised the question whether or not the man would quietly condemn her for showing up to such a fine establishment slightly tipsy, but the notion was quickly shoved away. The blue Akalak shrugged and chuckled. "The host has made many promises about his event. Anyone who is anyone is like to be there." Kaie turned her attention to the sea of dresses surrounding her. Luckily, the skilled salesman didn't need to hear her voice her confusion over choices to know it was there. "Fire or ice?" The Myrian turned on her heels again to face him, both index fingers raising at the one question she knew she could surely answer for herself. "Fire."
"We have a starting point then. Perfect." The salesman clapped his hands together and wandered through the section of dresses with a face of determination. "Anything in mind?"

"Fire. Red. Orange. I don't know, something that fits me I guess." The Akalak paused for a moment in thought. Then, without warning, his eyes lit up and he moved quickly through the selection of dresses before him. Now and then his gaze would search the Myrian before falling back into the merchandise. "What about...This one?" He procured a long silk dress whose color was somewhere between orange and red. It was strapless and tight at the top before it gave way to a flowing finish. Kaie pursed her lips at the thing, her previous experience at a formal event creating a dark cloud over her head. Dressing up at Matthew's request to defeat a weakness he identified within her was one thing. Wearing something that elegant she was likely to nose dive over? Not nearly so motivating.

The salesman turned the dress about with much excitement, holding it up and out as if he was envisioning her in it right then and there. "Just try it on! Trust me. While you're busy falling in love with it, I'll find some finishing touches to add." He gestured toward the apparent fitting rooms, and without haste, the Myrian took the dress from him and went to changing. Removing her cloak and the traditional Myrian clothes she wore beneath was the easy part. Shrugging the dress up her torso and pretending she wasn't utterly freaked out by the barbarian look on her body was a different story entirely. The bronze young woman turned in it before the mirror. It's...maybe...not that bad. It's actually kind of fierce, she allowed herself to commend the design once she discovered that while walking forward, the fabric at the bottom moved outward like spreading wildfire. Slowly, the savage let the changing room door swing open. A random patron passing by happened to turn as she awkwardly exited, their jaw coming nearly unhinged and hands clapping excitedly. "Oh, now isn't that just perfect! Please tell me you're wearing that to the Winter Blaze tomorrow!" The teenage human girl rushed over on stubby legs. Her pale fingers went to work examining the nature of the dress fabric, leaving the Myrian staring down at her with a strange expression. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the blue Akalak man to identify the situation and save her from the strangeness of it. "What do you think?" The teenager, seemingly to realize herself, backed away to make room for the salesman to approach. He walked about the dressed Myrian. Kaie's eyes traveled upward as the heat began to spread across her cheeks. A savage in a fancy dress. Must be like watching a dog walk around on its hind legs. Without warning the salesman threw a black fur scarf over her shoulders. Then he circled back to stand in front of her, presenting to her a black mask. The Myrian lifted the thing, turned it in her hands to inspect it, before finally resigning to place it over her eyes. Both teenager and salesman grinned broadly. "It's perfect. If you like it, you can follow me to the desk."
Twenty one gold Mizas later, the Myrian had walked out with all she needed to wear to the grand event. Now for the food situation...


OOC:Word Count:39,633/50,000
Image
Image



Image
User avatar
Kaie
Player
 
Posts: 1558
Words: 1635197
Joined roleplay: May 9th, 2013, 3:13 am
Location: Sunberth
Race: Myrian
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Journal
Plotnotes
Medals: 7
Featured Character (1) Overlored (1)
Donor (1) One Thousand Posts! (1)
One Million Words! (1) Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (1)
2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests