Completed Confrontation

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde looked back at the poisoner, a confused look on his face. "What? When did I?... What?" It took Clyde a moment to gather his thoughts, and mull back through what he had said prior. As he reflected upon it, his words talking about previous fights could come off as a threat, which he had not intended it as. He had merely been trying to explain his power a bit more, and accidentally getting lost in reminiscing on his past experiences. "First of all, that was not a threat, that was simply me pointing out a fact in response to your alluding to how you could have injured or killed or incapacitated me upon my entry. In response to that, I pointed out the fact that if I wished to, I could have done as I clearly have chosen not to. Clearly by my being here, it proves that I have no plan to do so." Clyde took a step forward, looking the poisoner in the eyes, clacking his staff once on the ground as he began to speak once more. However, as the man spoke, he did notice one fact, of him saying he had done the act of insulting his "friend" and "partner," who he assumed was Wrenmae. However, that did not make sense, because Wrenmae had not been mentioned until after Clyde had learned the item was Malediction. How could he insult a man he did not know of? "I wonder at your remembrance, for that is not at all how it happened. It is true I was startled upon hearing the item was not of my own craft, that of Magecrafting. The entire time until I saw the item, I had been told it was within the domain of my own magic, a magic I know to be safe, precise, and predictable. But my comment was simply due to being surprised upon seeing it that it was not my own craft, but one I only loosely knew of, and knew of that it was the opposite of my own, unpredictable and often dangerous. All facts that Wrenmae later said were true." "However, even though I was so caught off guard, I was still willing to go on with the mission, and to do my best, and had accepted the fact of what the item was. Which considering how most in my field view Malediction, was quite a big step to take, and not an easy one. It is not easy to push aside such beliefs and taught knowledge on a magic. But before I could go on, you then insulted me to a horrendous degree! You called me a magical dabbler, like some petty street mage! You questioned my magical integrity, and you called me a traitor to this city! How was I supposed to take those insults?" "I would also point out the fact that these things you are so angry about, what I said on Malediction, were all confirmed by Wrenmae himself. None were false. However it was fine when he said it. It was only my own action of saying them that angered you. What relation do you have to this man, what unhealthy obsession with him do you have, that you would act as such when you perceived I insulted him, someone who was not even you, but allowed you to overlook the fact that he himself accepted all I said as true." "In fact, even with what I said, I would hazard to say myself and Wrenmae have since become better acquainted in magic, and while perhaps we are not friends are well enough off together and get along. Yet you see myself having acted against him, a man who is now my ally. Why is that?" Clyde paused for a moment to let his words sink in, before driving onward, to cover the rest of what the poisoner had said. "Furthermore, you make assumptions upon me based on other less virtuous people you have encountered and dealt with, and seem to have an unfounded hatred for me not derived in any fact or even any direct threat to you. When did I question the people I was working with? I never once said anything against either of you, though yes I was a bit annoyed at Marcus for not even knowing that the magic I was to work with was completely different to the one I was told of. However I never once deprecated yourself or your skill or work, unlike what YOU did to me in response to my surprise, which clearly insulted me in regards to MY skill and ability and integrity." "However how would this mission failing have helped me? Only by it being a success would my name be seen in a better light. Which meant I was given incentive to do my best regardless of how I felt, which I did. But you assumed I would be less than honest, and assumed I would work against my own self interest, one fact which I find silly." Clyde paused for a moment, looked at Amolina, and then turned back to the poisoner, clacking his staff again. "Yes, you did say you overstated your concern. And what a pile of filth that was. As Amolina will tell you, I don't like sweat lies, and that clearly was one. I find it hard to belief you honestly changed your opinion and tone so quickly. So yes, I did not take that half apology, in which you did not really apologize or say you were wrong, as if it was true. And even if you had meant it, it was not in actuality a true apology, simply you saying you should have worded your insult more carefully. I don't require groveling or scraping in apologies, however I do expect them to be actual apologies, and I do expect you to actually mean them. Otherwise, why even bother with them?" "You also make assumptions in the current time frame. I never said you could not affect me at all, however due to our differing areas of study, the way in which each of us can do so will be different, and the time in which they are most of use differs. Magic is by its nature most often a direct method, while poisoning is by its nature one more layered in subterfuge and stealth. And like my own world magics, it is a thing that takes time and preparation, and cannot so easily just be made manifest and tossed around like my own personal magics." Clyde turned and walked away from both of the others for a few moments, taking a few steps away, taking in a slow breath, and then turning back to face them both. "I also clearly do know that you are a potential threat in your arena, otherwise I would not be here. However, I wanted to resolve this without anyone dying, most especially myself, and so I chose the direct method. The scrolls are for the purpose of keeping us all in line, for I assume we will all act in our own self interest. And because of them, I expect neither of you to try to kill me, since we all know that it would end with both your deaths. It would also mean you are more likely to make sure the other one does not attempt to do harm to me, knowing what the scrolls would do. Finally, I know myself that I do not wish to end this with bloodshed, Rhysol knows I have seen far to much of it already..." "I am confident in my own abilities in my own limited ways, but I am also aware of my own shortcomings and areas were I lack skill or knowledge. However yes I do take offense when someone questions my abilities in those areas I know I so excel, just as you would if someone did likewise to you." "However how can you expect this meeting to ever be on equal footing, when by its nature it is not. I don't even know your name, though I now know two different ones for you, both I believe are false. You however have known my name since we first met. I think that speaks volumes about each of us, and our natures."

[Amolina]

The poison maker and the mage were two utterly different personalities, that much was clear. Sullins was a scholar, a thinker, perhaps he could be called a philosopher even. Just like he had done the whole day, he analyzed everything in a calm, logical, distanced, unemotional and very logical way. All the details were reviewed in a systematical and objective way. “What are the true facts and how do we ought to think in order to understand this right” seemed to be Sullin’s focus. He seemed to assume that once this had been sorted out everybody would automatically act in the logical way according to the analysis … She had not realized it before, but now she observed the contrast between the two men: Sullins was mostly reasoning in a neat, patient and reasonable way, and only sometimes losing his temper. Parnell was perhaps able to think and reason equally well, she didn’t know and couldn’t judge, but in comparison with Clyde Sullins, the posion maker came off as …emotional. He seemed to be the kind of person that can be carried away and simply explode uncontrollably, driven by belief, fear, anger, hate, violence, passion, whatever. She wasn’t so sure he would automatically act in a logical way. Perhaps… perhaps not. Acting had thought her to make that kind of observations of others. As a performer she had worked with it deliberately, together with other performers. And Amolina? She was tired. The others were speaking volumes and she could really not listen to every word they had to say. Parnell’s words about the splash-on poisons were lost on her, and so was Clydes reponse to it. All she knew was that she needed to hold on to the scroll, or else. It nearly felt like her knees were going to buckle. She didn’t want to show it – it would make her look weak – well, they thought her weak already, but she didn’t want to add to it. Instead she decided to discretely support herself on the nearest shelf. She held the scroll in her right hand, hugging it to her chest, while she reached out with her somewhat unsteady left hand, fumbling for the shelf. She was just tired. But it might look like she didn’t care about all the warnings and was only interested in …doing them in, even if it would mean her own death too. Rhysol knew she might have reason, as it was only for them it would be over if they made a truce – when it came to her, both of them had seemed to think she deserved to die for next to nothing and if she came out from the shop alive, it didn’t mean she would live.

[Inoadar]

Inoadar laughed, a single scoff. "It seems that the points I strive to clarify, that you fail to grasp, are filled in by your exaggerations of the parts you DO get. You say your statement of the simple fact of what you could do to me at any time, without warning, is not to be taken as a threat? I don't know how you were raised, but when a man steps up to my face, after heaping scorn on the discipline my friends practice, and tells me the many ways he could kill me, and how foolish I am to make an enemy...ENEMY...of him. That IS a threat, and I don't give two nuggets of shyke WHAT you call it."

"Now you have called me a LIAR as well." his voice changed slightly as it came though gritted teeth. "The only reason you think my past apology was so insincere is because you read a far greater level of insult into what I had previous said than was real. I did not call YOU a dabbler as far as the skills you truly possess, and I even said so then. I said that bit about 'dabbling' only in reference to Malediction, a discipline you referred to as "bone-cutting" and "not proper enchanting, like YOU do." Are those not insulting remarks? Again, I'd like to know where you were raised to think not. At the time, I thought you intended to actually MAKE an attempt at Malediction, despite having admitted your disdain for it. THAT is what I meant by dabbling. It was also my reason for thinking you did not truly care about success."

Clyde's words about his "unhealthy obsession" hit home though. He had pondered his uncharacteristic outburst since that day. He did not deny his tendency to rash behavior when presented with animosity toward himself, but to have gone to his extreme over someone else' honor was not like him at all. Also, he had to admit that Clyde was conducting himself with reciprocal courtesy as far as each of them allowing the other to have their say. He allowed himself to calm down as he continued.

"I confess I find myself unable to understand what you expect of me now. If you are simply going to dismiss ALL that I say unless it is complete acknowledgement that ALL is entirely my fault, then there is nothing to be accomplished here. I gave you an honest apology for those offenses I did truly commit, but you have discarded them as lies. So what purpose is there in continuing."

He began counting off on his fingers, "I will say, in all honesty, that in my opinion, you insulted my friend, to every bit a "horrendous degree" as you claim I did to you. Not directly, no, but by indicating that his practice is beneath you, and not "proper". Is that not near the level of disrespect as this "dabbler" that upsets you so much? Whether or not you have NOW come to be fast friends with Wrenmae, after that fact, is beside the point."

He tapped a second finger, "I still maintain, that while I WAS already angry with you for that, I did NOT disparage your discipline OR level of competency, and find you foolishly oversensitive to continue harping on it, as well as hypocritical to stress MY overreactions when you have easily equaled or surpassed me in that capacity. This covers a variety of your complaints, but I'm frankly sick of wading through each and every point. I will admit a great many misjudgements on my part, but only if you are prepared to do likewise. Because if you will not, then I will no longer feel I misjudged you."

A third finger joined the previous two, "As well, this insistence that I called you a 'traitor'. If you truly believe that, then why have you not already killed me? I just finished explaining this misunderstanding, same as I did then. I do not expect you LIKE my saying that I thought, at the time, that you might be seeking advancement at Marcus' and my expense, but spite and ruthless opportunism is a far cry from treason. In fact, the second of those two is quite commendable, but I don't wish it to be at MY expense." He actually grinned.

His finger now tapped his open palm, "As for my assumptions based on "less virtuous" people...Do you seriously claim to have NO prejudicial attitudes based on past experiences? Don't make me laugh. We ALL form quick opinions when things follow an unpleasant pattern we have suffered through before. And has it ever occurred to you that your superior attitude toward your own talents may strike a nerve with someone like me? Someone plying a dark trade like I do? I am often made to feel like some sort of villain by the very proper and noble people buying my goods. Okay, so I have no cause to blame you for that, I admit, but I present it as an excuse both to MY own feeling of being insulted AND my sense that Wrenmae was valued as less than "proper", like you." this last was said with scornful sarcasm.

"You freely admit your fire magic is swiftly wielded, unlike my time-consuming work to ready an aggressive move with poison. Is this supposed to defend YOUR actions? I see it as justifying MINE. You stated quite clearly the risk I had taken when I did nothing but state my honest concerns, right or wrong, about your attitude last Spring. So I wished to gain an edge in case they came about. You have the backing of Ebonstryfe endorsement, which would pretty much give you a free hand over my life if you chose. And you gave me every reason to think you might very well make that choice. I, however, am tasked to remain anonymous and unaffiliated. This is by the instruction of OUR superiors, but it leaves me vulnerable to the whims of an angry affiliated mage. Don't even try to say this is untrue. It is also the reason I do not state when I have given my true name. I am not sure even Marcus knows my true name."

He suddenly felt weary of the whole situation and pulled a stool toward him. "I feel certain there other points I would contest, but this has become exceedingly tiresome. I have had my work to find Amolina's antidote interrupted and possibly lost. I can give you no more apology than I already have. You do not seem interested in hearing it again, so I will just say this: I am sorry I misjudged you, but am not the sort to quail from speaking my mind, right or wrong. If you have a problem with that, then make your move."

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde shook his head. He was still fairly certain the mans "apology" on that day had been false, but perhaps the one today and now was not. It certainly seemed more convincing. So though he did not believe the prior one, for the inherent nature of it and its required wishy washy nature in the poisoner for it to be true, he did believe this new one. Perhaps though time was also a factor. So he would not press that point. "You don't need to practice a magic, to understand it. I planned from the start to use Auristics to examine the item, even if it had been a work of Magecrafting. Since Auristics is a magical tool in my belt best used for inspection and interpreting. In fact, it is more or less the only valid one to do so. Even Wrenmae, though able to work out the theory of the item, by the fact that he knew of Malediction, did not need to do the craft to understand it. It simply lent him the base knowledge to reason his way through it, and through what I had discovered via Auristics." "But fine, let us forget about past events, and focus instead on those of today. I had no intention of tracking you down, or attacking you, or anything. If you had not come after me and brought me to your awareness, I would not be here. You can not deny that in that regard, this is a situation derived and caused by your own actions." Clyde paused for a moment, absentmindedly tapping his staff once on the ground during this pause in his own words. "So then, bearing in mind just the actions of today, how do I continue? You have clearly attempted something against me, either to take my life, or to blackmail me, or to be able to control me in some manner via some threat derived from a concoction you would have made. So how do we continue from here? What would you advise me to do? What would you do? I cannot simply walk out of here and let bygones be bygones, with such a threat looming over my head."

[Amolina]

Amolina was feeling very dizzy now but she heard Clyde Sullins ask Parnell how to proceed. “So how do we continue from here? What would you advise me to do? What would you do? I cannot simply walk out of here and let bygones be bygones, with such a threat looming over my head." So, instead of using his magic on Parnell he was asking the poison maker to tell him what to do, was he? To Amolina it sounded like Sullins wanted to make an agreement – no poison, no fire. And she didn’t rule it out that Parnell would want the same. Sullins had after all said he had no intention of attacking but had felt forced to defend himself. Parnell could now choose between making an enemy of the mage and take the consequences of that, or make peace and perhaps be rewarded with future cooperation, like Sullins had hinted at. Great. They were negotiating and truce and she bet they would soon be the best of friends – and where did that leave her, she wondered groggily. Both of them had threatened to kill her. She knew she must leave the shop…or this was how she felt, not thinking too clearly. She wasn’t sure she would be able to run. And there was the petching scroll too. Oh shyke how ill she was starting to feel. But she wasn’t going to show it. No way. She grabbed the shelf and she must have been a bit clumsy, because she heard the glass bottles on it jingle softly, the small clear sound of glass meeting glass without breaking. Oh, oh … she must be careful, the bottles were full of poison, no doubt. But she held on to the shelf. It shook slightly again and the jingling sound could be heard again. With some effort she made it stop …

[Inoadar]

Inoadar gave Clyde a blank look. "I'd love to give you some bit about not being able to answer that, since I'm not you. Or say that if I was, this never would have happened because I wouldn't have provoked me the way you did. But that would be counter-productive and argumentative, wouldn't it?"

He propped himself against the stool and folded his arms with a scowl matching the one forming on Clyde's face. "Well, what would you have me say? I felt threatened, as you say YOU did, I took defensive measures just as you say the items you brought with YOU are. If we forget the past and focus only on the events...excuse me, "actions" of the day, then I have done absolutely nothing hostile in any way."

Bottles jingled and he turned to see Amolina stabilizing the shelves of poisons he'd mentioned earlier. He gestured at her. "SHE...is my only hostile action, sending her on a long shot mission to procure something that MIGHT...EVENTUALLY...give me an edge. Once I spend the endless days of research, calculations, formulating, processing, running tests, making adjustments, acquiring new catalysts, enzymes, triggers, reagents, coagents, and maybe tracking down new equipment, that is. All just to see if it MIGHT work, once I acquire a new source of your personal essence."

Clyde looked to be on the verge of calling him on the evasive nature of his answer. He waved it off. "Alright, alright, you can say that since you did not intend any hostility towards me, then even THAT can be considered hostile action. Then any man that even carries a weapon is guilty of hostile intent. And you, with your destructive powers, are NEVER without a weapon really, are you?"

He stepped away from the stool, "I only wanted to be able to defend myself. And since it takes me a season or more to get what I need to even get STARTED, whereas, you can conjure up a set of scrolls to torch the whole building in a single day, It seemed fair that I should be allowed to get started right away. Now, I'll admit, this makes it seem as though I'm treating the fact that you chose magic and I did not as some sort of "cheat". Not at all. Everything has its advantages and weaknesses. My weakness is that it takes so long to craft my weapons. Your weakness is that you don't know what your weaknesses are. And that's why you are here."

Inoadar chuckled, "You don't know what form my attack would take. Well, shyke! I don't even know yet. I know what form it would have taken at the doorway when you arrived. But that opportunity is passed. Besides, I suppose those scrolls are rigged to blow once you die. It makes sense. That's what I'd do. That makes us not so different, Clyde. You came prepared for the possibility that you might die. But you came all the same. You didn't back down."

He gave Clyde a square look. "But I'm just talking myself further into this pit aren't I? Well, there's really nothing more I can say to dissuade you from whatever you intend to do. I had my chance at the door, and instead, let you come in unhindered. You've spoken as though there was never anything I could have done, but you're wrong. I'd have been willing to die with you. But now, instead, I am at your mercy. I have nothing in place to take you out in the event of my death. And what's more, I have now INFORMED you of this fact. I don't know what more can I do to show you that I have no desire to initiate a life and death struggle with you."

He shrugged. "So if you're going to kill me, do so, and know that you have proven that I was right about you and have thus been wrongfully killed. I'll confess, I was going to produce a signature poison. One that would only affect you. I was going to give it to some reliable person who would see to it that you were stricken with it if I died or disappeared, without a word, under suspicious circumstances that could strongly indicate you. And then, I was going to inform you of its existence. Hopefully so you'd know I was not trying to hide it from you, and that it was only defensive in nature."

He leaned back against the stool, weary and strangely sad. "Now we have both been completely up front with each other. I could describe all the details involved in creating a signature poison, all the surveillance to see what all your preferences are. Food, clothes, colognes, hair and cosmetic amenities..." he looked Clyde up and down quickly and smirked in the way a man would kid a friend, "...if you use any, that is."

He went on, "What spices you use, what music you enjoy, what carpeting you have in your home, what wood you burn in your fireplace, what kind of wax your candles are made of, what scents they are imbued with. Much can be determined by looking at your cast offs. I will admit, I have pored over your garbage more than once, hiring slaves tasked with cleaning the streets to bring me yours so I wouldn't be seen." he chuckled again. "I think I may be considered a fairly reliable expert on what magecrafters discard in their day to day craftings."

His grin faded into a look of regret. "If you truly meant me no ill-will, then I am truly sorry this got so out of hand. But you have also made assumptions about me, no doubt feeling as justified as I did. I honestly felt you were planning my demise, and felt I had very little time to come up with the means of preventing it. But I am far from getting it done. there is no threat looming over your head. So again, I am at your mercy."

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde ignored the mildly inflammatory statements the poisoner made, instead pressing on. He was fairly certain some kind of agreement could be made, it would just take some negotiating. Though he did find it particularly hard to ignore the bit about him doing nothing hostile towards Clyde. Attempting to gather ingredients to later poison him, or to blackmail him, certainly did count in his book. When he did respond, it was by somewhat quoting and re-purposing something the poisoner had said earlier, when dealing with "threats" Clyde had made. "Clearly we have different definitions of hostility." "Might is of little importance, capability is the thing of it. It would have given you that capability, that potential, even if not today or for many days. A threat that is possible, and has motive to be enacted, is immediate. That is one reason I must be so careful, as some people do see me as a constant weapon, and so will act upon what they see to be a threat, immediately. " When the poisoner mentioned that he supposed the scrolls were rigged to go off when Clyde died, it elicited a frown, and a small confused look. Clyde had clearly stated that if he was killed, the scrolls would go off. Or had he said harmed? Either way, he had said that was what would set them off. In the way he said what he did, it almost made it sound like he was calling Clyde a liar, or at least doubting Clyde's honesty when he had formerly openly told him of the scrolls mechanisms. As for his explanation of how his blackmail would have been enacted, that of a third party holding it until such a time as something happened to the poisoner... He doubted that was true, at least not completely true. However, as the poisoner told him of a few other things, one thought did come to mind... Even his garbage was being watched and inspected. This caused Clyde to make a vow to himself. Once he got a bit better at Voiding, he was going to start voiding all of his trash, not throwing any out. He did not want to risk such a occurrence of it being inspected. Clyde spent a few moments lost in thought, thinking of how to go about it the most efficiently. He could rig up a garbage receptacle, with a scroll mechanism at the bottom, that would be triggered when the container was full of garbage... Which would open up a void portal, and suck in all the trash, staying open for the few moments that would take. He would need to add in some constraints, to make sure nothing alive was shoved into the container, lest someone try to shove him in it alive... Or even trying to get rid of a body that way... Yes, he would need to add several constraints to that trigger, to ensure it did not go off when he did not wish it to. But first he needed to both deal with this, and get better at Voiding. He was not quite there yet, where he could manage the voiding aspect of that. "Well, of course, the simplest method, would be to simply have you sign a Grand Oath, to not try to harm me unless I were to attempt to kill you or such... But those are not exactly cheap... Though I doubt you know what those even are, not being a mage... Just as I would not know things to do with your profession. Jargon and such." "Also, there is the matter of Amolina. I am perturbed at her for what she did, though I know now it was at your urging, and in some ways due to her own blackmail by you. That needs to be rectified. While she did not do as you wanted in the way you hoped, she did do what you asked for, technically. Though as you said, she brought a bit more of me than you asked for... But technically, she did as you asked. So you need to abide by that agreement. I certainly could not trust you, if after all this, you welched on such a deal. You did finish the antidote didn't you?" This was in part due to Clyde's idea of right in wrong, and in part for his own self interest, as if nothing else Amolina could not be sent after him again for the same blackmail. And she would be more wary of more in the future from the poisoner. "I can understand though that you do not want to give me your true name, even though you know mine... But perhaps you could give me a truer name than the varying ones you have given me so far. I cannot exactly continue to call you the poisoner, can I?" "As for the scrolls... I am not quite sure what to do with those... I would prefer to leave them, to make sure you kept to your word... But I am unsure how you would feel about that... If you would like, you can open one, touching them will not set them off. The trigger is quite straightforward, or at least the logic of it is. Perhaps you can think of a way that would make them more tolerable. " Clyde would offer the scroll in his hand to the poisoner. If he took it, he would go into his pack, and take out the third one, so that he would still have one in hand. He was still trying to decide how to best settle this... Having him sign a Grand Oath seemed best... But then those were rather tricky, and acquiring the needed materials right now and making one after the events of today... OOC: The exact trigger mechanism is mentioned here in our prior thread. Its the bit in the brown box. Also, here this it the Grand Oath, the thing Clyde mentions possibly having Ino sign.

[Inoadar]

Inoadar was fairly amazed. He found that no matter how weary he became, this insufferable mage was able to consistently re-motivate him to argue more. He was beginning to feel married to the guy...

"Oho, you're right..." he said with a laugh, "I do not know what a "Grand Oath" is. But if it's some sort of magic, binding oath, I can promise you I would never sign it. And you don't need a "Grand Oath" to believe THAT. And as far as Amolina goes, you have no idea what history she and I have." His tone, once again, became sneering and sarcastic, "But I have no doubt you'd make excuses for her unprovoked theft of my property as being justified because I MIGHT be an actual threat to her two or three seasons later, in response. Of course we'll just disregard the fact that her actions might have been an immediate threat to ME."

He flashed a mock serious look at him. "You ARE catching that I'm being sarcastic right? I mean I wouldn't want this to all be taken the wrong way...And as for the antidote...Dira's Pits! I already said it was what I was working on when you arrived, but that you interrupted me, and it's probably ruined now. But I'm sure that you can find a train of logic that still makes it MY fault."

He started to pace, turning occasionally to flash a withering look at the mage. "You are displaying the same attitude I got more than enough of in Nyka. You have your opinion, I have mine. But unless I actually PROVE yours wrong, you seem to think I have to treat YOURS as being proven RIGHT. Well, guess what, it doesn't work that way.

"My OPINION is that you should have taken my remarks, back with the bird skull, as well meaning concerns about something you're also supposed to be loyal to, and not get all threatening right in my face. And my OPINION is just as RIGHT as yours, which seems to be that I should have not taken your statement of how easily you could destroy me, and how defenseless I would be against you, as any threat whatsoever. Well, in my OPINION, you were trying to intimidate me, and doing it by threatening me."

He stopped and turned. "So you don't think that counts as "hostility"? And it's only MY attempt to actually begin working on something that MIGHT be ready next Spring that counts? Well you know what? That's just your OPINION." An idea occurred to him and he took slow steps toward the mage as he spoke, a predatory grin stretching across his face.

"Okay, I'll tell you what? Let's go for a walk and find a squad of Ebonstryfe that don't know you, because I didn't know you then either. And you go up to them and tell them what weaklings they are, and how you could crush them any time you wanted, and what fools they are to make an enemy of a powerful mage like you. And be sure to get right up face to face with them when you do it. And let's just see if they reason that it doesn't count as 'hostility."

He stopped, just a foot or two away from Clyde, folding his hands with a satisfied look. "They will be an unbiased OPINION, and I will abide by it. If they say 'Hey he hasn't actually said he WAS going to do anything, he just said he COULD, so we shouldn't be concerned about it, let's just let him go', I will do whatever you want. But if instead, they take your sneering ass down and kick your petching teeth in before dragging you off to the Vitrax, as a threat to the city, well....Well, I guess I wouldn't be able to extract any promise from you, since you'd probably never be seen again."

His eyes wished to bore holes through the man. "So what do you say? Shall we do it THAT way? Or are they a bunch of untrustworthy liars and troublemakers too?"

[Amolina]

... RATTLE ! The sound of the poison bottles made Amolina shape up. She had nearly ...fallen asleep or something. Sullins and Parnell were still engaged in the debate duel with the spoken word as weapon this encounter seemed to have turned into. The scroll had been on it's way to slip out of her grip and fall to the floor beside her. She grabbed it again and as she wasn't trusting herself to hold it safely anymore she didn't hug it to her chest again, but stashed it uncerimoiously into the decolletage of her dress. There, that ought to keep the pethcing scroll safe. Sullins and Parnell seemed to be evenly matched and the duel showed all signs of becoming endless. Endless ! She had heard Sullins mention that she had technically done what Parnell had asked of her and the mage was of the opinion the poison maker ought to keep his part of the agreement. "Yes" she said groggily. "He told me to persuade you to get access to your body, then take the opportunity to bring any kind of materials from you that I would be able to bring him...and you gave me your whole body, sort of, and I brought it ...you...here. That IS ...ANY materials, isn't it?" She shook her head in a try to think more clearly. " You ought to force him to him keep his promise Mr Sullins...you owe me that ... As you said, if I had gone about the job in another way it would have been possible to persuade you to give up a hair or two, if I recall your own words right...if that had happened you would be in your house, totally ignorant of what had happened to you, really...but now you are here and you can just force him to do as you tell him! " ...aaaawwwww, petch, she was feeling so ill ...and so dizzy...petching bottles stop rattling like that ...

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde had been doing his best to stay calm, rational, friendly even... Well, friendly considering it was Clyde, and that he was dealing with a man who had just tried to kill or blackmail him... He had been doing well, having a relatively friendly debate with the man, without either side becoming to emotional or rude. However suddenly that changed, as Clyde finished speaking his thought process out loud. He had simply been trying to think out the possibilities, what could be done, what could not, and he found it was best to start with everything, even if something was bound to be discarded. A Grand Oath for example, in the fact that it would be troublesome, and somewhat costly, would likely be tossed aside. But he was simply mentioning this in passing, it likely would not have turned up again. And he had even ended his talking, with offering to change the wording of his scrolls to be less a direct threat to the man and his workplace. But rather than respond with a counterargument, or an idea of what could be done, he became rude with him once more! He was openly mocking him, joking around at his expense. He was fine with argument, or debate, but he drew the line at mocking and being directly rude against him, which was something Clyde felt the poisoner had not yet done. Until now... Clyde's body froze, becoming rigid, and then turned on the spot to face the poisoner, Clyde smacking his staff loudly once as he stopped his turn. However his body stayed rigid, and it would take but the smallest look at his face or eyes, to see that he was growing into a towering rage, which was only JUST being held back. His first words was spoken with noticeable vehemence, and was the start of a action which Clyde would not notice until after he was done speaking. "Silence." Now I have been nice. I have been calm. I have been respectful of you, and honest, and was trying to come to a open resolution with you, telling you of the various options, whether viable or not, or likely to be used or not, and was willing to tell you more of them should you ask. However you find this justification to be rude to me? To MOCK me? To be DISRESPECTFUL?" Clyde blinked several times, noticing that his vision was blurred. He wondered to himself for a moment, was he so angry that it was literally blurring his vision? That is until a moment later he noticed that there actually was something blocking his vision, and it was glowing... Res. He had not even done it intentionally, but clearing subconsciously he had, or his anger had done so, and that combined with his speech had melded into him exuding res... Out of his eyeballs... Apparently he had been doing it the entire time he had been talking, completely by accident. He had not even been aware he could do that... Or at least, he had never tried it before. But it was a part of his body, so it did make sense that he could. From another perspective, such as that of the poisoner looking at him, it would likely have appeared like glowing silver smoke was pouring out of his eyes, obscuring them somewhat as the glowing res slowly rose upward, and then fresh streams of it continued to obscure his eyes. Slowly the flow of res cut off, and stopped streaming out of his eyes, now that he was consciously aware of it happening. Though a tiny gaseous cloud of it was still floating a few inches above his head. However before Clyde could continue on now that he had stopped his smoking eyes, Amolina made a sound, as she nearly destroyed several bottles, stumbling about weakly. He had been so caught up in arguing with the poisoner, he had forgotten about her completely. "You sit here being rude to me, while this woman dies in your shop, at the hand of your poison. Are you going to just let her die?" Clyde tossed the scroll he was holding at the poisoners head, more out of annoyance than anything else. It would not set it off if it did hit, nor if it missed, and was only a mundane sheet of parchment, at least for all extents and purposes... Unless something triggered one of its conditions.