[Animation Studio] From Sultros with Love [Ophelia]

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The Diamond of Kalea is located on Kalea's extreme west coast and called as such because its completely made of a crystalline substance called Skyglass. Home of the Alvina of the Stars, cultural mecca of knowledge seekers, and rife with Ethaefal, this remote city shimmers with its own unique light.

[Animation Studio] From Sultros with Love [Ophelia]

Postby Maliken on March 17th, 2011, 12:34 am

Timestamp: Day 12 of Spring, AV 511

Maliken had been standing outside of the studio for a while now. She had been pointed to this place after several days of trying to find people who could understand her weakness in Common Tongue enough to understand she was looking for a trainer in Magic of some kind. She, to be honest, didn't even know what. In fact, it wasn't until she was actually led here by some elderly woman that she realized what it was all about. Animation. She knew very little about it, only bits and pieces taken from books or rumors and such, but she knew that if she was going to restore herself, she would have to first find out if this art was, in fact, going to help. And right now, she was at the point of being willing to do anything short of further mutilation to get what she wanted.

With her staff in hand, Maliken knocked on the door. She didn't even consider whether or not it was considered rude here in Lhavit to come unannounced anywhere, and Maliken, unable to decipher a single syllable of Lhavitan, wasn't even able to question people about the norms, the customs, or etiquette expected here. Maliken wasn't the type of person to be particularly gentle towards other people's way of life though. She had a goal, and she wasn't going to bother with much else besides achieving her goal. It was important, genuinely important, that she do this for her own sanity. She could not live like this for the rest of her life.
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[Animation Studio] From Sultros with Love [Ophelia]

Postby Ophelia on March 19th, 2011, 12:19 am

Maeki, just before the sun goes down at dusk, always sat and had a singular cup of tea. Just one. She was always alone when she did it. She put the tea leaves into the water, boiled it up and waited for it to brew. It was a ritual she had, and she had done it every night since she was five. She used to do it with Yagaro, but now she had to carry on the tradition herself. She had poured the steaming pungent tea into the white cup, and sitting at the table with back straight and sniffing the tea, she indulged in the peace of the ritual.

Tonight, however, she was interrupted from her tea. She put the cup down, shocked. She had never been interrupted. Maeki's studio was not in major demand by people, so she did not often have visitors. The ones she had were close friends of hers, Youchi, or her friends. She tended to just work for herself. Her attitude was so lenient that people never seemed to want to be her apprentice, not when they could use her studio without such ties anyway.

"Who is it?" she cried as she put down the tea and dashed out of the kitchen, looking hurriedly around her as she ran down the hallway. No time to tidy it up now, there was a visitor! Maeki was excited. She so rarely got visitors. Bolting down through the house, she wrenched open the door crying "Hello!" in Lhavitian- only to be faced by someone who clearly wasn't Lhavitian. A female Isur stood there, missing an arm - the arm which characterised Isur as what they were. "Hello," she said jovially in Common. She tried her darndest not to stare at the arm, but instead focused on being just as welcoming as possible as she could be. "I'm guessing you don't speak Lhavitian? Welcome to my animation studio, how can I help you?" Maeki was utterly willing to help this girl in any way possible.
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[Animation Studio] From Sultros with Love [Ophelia]

Postby Maliken on March 30th, 2011, 1:07 am

Maliken stared silently at the human, Maeki. She was quick awkward in that moment, standing there with her traveler's staff in hand, her only hand, the blessed hand of Izurdin. The woman greeted Maliken in the semi-familiar language. Common, which ironically wasn't commonly known to the Isur. There was a weak smile offered by the five foot woman as she picked up only a select few words from Maeki's greeting. "Hello." Common, nor Lhavitian, were native to Maliken. It wasn't until now that she realized how foolish it was to seek out her cousin Malanos, to follow him from the city of illusions to this place (though she was infinitely impressed by the structure of Lhavit). Maliken had a hunch, from the beginning, that she should have depended only on herself, her own plans, to find a way to get back what was lost. She could be in Sahova right now. "No speak... good Common."

Maliken pointed to herself as she muttered softly. It was embarrassing to admit one's ineptitude for simple conversation, especially to one as proud as Maliken used to be. Even by Isur standards, she was certainly proud. A family trait most likely. "I am learning." Maliken gestured to the sign to Maeki's little home, the Animation Studio. She couldn't pronounce the word, not yet, but she understood on a very basic level what it was. Magic, something that would be needed to reconstruct her lost self.

"Help please."
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[Animation Studio] From Sultros with Love [Ophelia]

Postby Ophelia on April 10th, 2011, 11:37 am

OOCSo sorry for the delay! Won't happen again!

Maeki waited patiently for the girl to elaborate on the brief greeting. She did not. It seemed the girl did not speak neither Common or Lhavitian. This could potentially be a very awkward conversation. She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly as she waited for the girl to think of the words to try and convey what she needed to say. Maeki found herself nodding along, her mouth moving to imitate the words the girl was saying, as if it were encouragement. She knew it was condescending, but she did not know how else to support the Isur in her conversation.

She strained, smiling still, to hear what she was saying. Her head nodded rapidly, like a dog overenthusiastic for its dinner. The only thing worse than what she was doing now would be to burst into applause at what the girl had managed to say. It was not that she meant to be mocking her, she just did not realise she was. She wanted to help! "You ... speak ... well. Learning is good!" She spoke overly loud, and slowly, to try and make the girl understand. She only stopped when she realised just how cringe-worthy it sounded.

She watched the girl's hand movements intently, trying to connect the dots. The girl needed help... in language? "I can help you learn Common... learn Lhavitian?" She watched the girl's insistent gesture, and then it clicked. She wanted help with animation. She wanted to be taught the art of bringing life to that which had none! Excitement babbled up inside of her, spewing forth from her lips. It was so long since she had a student! "Yes, yes, I can help! Animation. I teach animation. You would like to learn it?" Smiling and nodding, she ushered the girl into her house, pushing her down the messy hallway to where her now-cooling tea still sat. "Uhhh," she murmured, colouring. "Ignore the mess." For her house was very messy. Dirty clothes and spare papers lined the hallway, cobwebs rose along the ceiling and windows, and in the kitchen were stacks of dirty dishes.

Sitting Maliken down, she poured her another cup of tea, settling in for an explanatory talk. This could take a while. She spoke slowly, evenly, to try and ensure the girl knew what she was saying. "I can teach you animation. Is that want you want? If so, can I ask why you want to learn what I have to teach?" She hoped the language was not too much. But she could not think of another way to phrase it. Maeki was a generous teacher, but she wanted to know the girl had a good heart before she gave away the secrets of her magic.
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[Animation Studio] From Sultros with Love [Ophelia]

Postby Maliken on April 13th, 2011, 1:49 am

Maliken lifted her hand, pointing the staff at Maeki's sign once more, 'Animation Studio' it read. Maliken could read Common better than speak it, still it wasn't good enough for her to be proud of. "I want to learn Animation from you. Please?" Maliken's lips pressed into a thin line, a forced smile. She felt so childish, so inferior, so pathetic to be forced to beg for help, but desperate times call for desperate action. Maliken nodded vigorously as Maeki offered to teach with so much enthusiasm. It actually pleased Maliken because she almost seemed childlike, where Maliken was still not considered an adult but felt she was as mature as any. Moments later, Maliken found herself being pushed, guided, and led through the Animator's home so swiftly that Maliken was certain she was going to tumble down a flight of stairs or trip and fall out of a window, but her demise never came. There was, however, something worse that reared its ugly head.

Filth. It was the only word that Maliken could think of that described every square inch of the home she saw. Dust seemed to be stacked a full inch on desks and counters, books were scattered around here and there, some were even stained with the telltale evidence of liquid, water, tea, alcohol, who knew what it was. She found, at one point, that her boot caught a stranded piece of clothing that was so expertly placed in her path so that it would cling to her like an affectionate child. Maliken considered leaving immediately, running from this places with all her might and with all the haste her legs could bring her. Maliken was not a neat freak, not by a long shot, but she was obsessive. There had to be order, there had to be symmetry to construction, and most of all, you had to have a safe and suitable environment for work. This place would not do. No, Maliken would either have to leave this place and hope there was another that could teach her anything, or she would personally have to repair this ruined home, turning it into a perfect piece of art. Hell, even a one-armed Isur could do that.

Maliken caught herself staring at the sink full of disgusting silverware, plates, bowls, and cups. She could swear she actually visually saw the odors and germs floating in the air next to them. It wasn't until Maeki questioned Maliken that she snapped out of her glaring at what might as well have been treated like a mortal enemy of hers (the dishes). "Yes, please teach me. I..." Maliken's voice faded, her throat suddenly dry and swollen with anxiety and fear. She didn't want to tell about herself, not about this, but she needed to. If she didn't give a plausible reason, then it was likely she would be turned down. It wasn't optional at this point, it was so close in her grasp. Maliken stood up from her seat and moved her hand, her only arm, to her neck. She grabbed as the cloak and weaseled it down the left side of her slim body until it was revealed. It was grotesque, horrible, disgusting. Maliken hated to look at the stub hanging off her shoulder, not even the full length of her bicep. She stared at it a moment, once again falling into a trance as she felt her stomach twist and turn with nausea, then as if nothing happened, she returned the neck of her robe, once again concealing her physical loss. She sat down again, but she was silent, her dull brown eyes stared longingly into that sink of dirty dishes. She felt the urge to move, to avoid the now strong attention drawn to herself. Could Maeki even really understand Maliken's desperation? No, this was something you had to experience to fully understand.
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[Animation Studio] From Sultros with Love [Ophelia]

Postby Ophelia on April 15th, 2011, 1:01 am

She waited, her smile still fixed pleasantly on her face, for Maliken to give her a reason for why she wanted to be here. Of course, the girl nearly missed her question entirely. The filth of the house preoccupied her. It nearly always did, for people who came into their house. It was never so bad before Yagaro had died - he had been rather obsessive about the whole thing. But Maeki was lazy, it was her house, and she could have it look how she wanted. No matter how much her friend Youchi complained.

She cleared her throat after her question, just to emphasise the point that the conversation was with her, not the dirty dishes that seemed to have offended Maliken greatly. She was about to open her mouth, rephrase the question, when the girl began to stutter her way through a response, tapering out at the end. Maeki sighed, scratching her neck. How was she to explain this in a way that was understandable? But she was halted in her thought processes by the girl slowly standing up.

She was confused - was she leaving? - but her heart thumped as the girl slowly moved her shirt arm, lifting it off of her stump and revealing it to Maeki. She tried not to stare, she really did, but the tangled mess of skin and bone and sinew fused together into a scarred stump made it near impossible not to. It was sickening, the sight, and she could not tear her eyes away until the Isur calmly replaced the robe and sat again, silent, dull, staring.

A long pause resided, where Maeki's mind scrambled and Maliken sat, silent. The shock had worn off, and Maeki understood precisely why animation was a coveted magic form - she would feel the same way. But she had to treat her as any other potential student, so the questioning continued, albeit her voice shaky now. She chose to ignore the arm. She didn't know how to respond to it. "Yes, well, that's a rather good reason," she mumbled. "And I suppose I could take you on." Though before the girl got more excited, she laid down the rules. "I may be kind, I may be open about teaching, but what will you do for me? Is there anything you can do for me that would benefit me?"

If the girl's answer was satisfactory, she would take her on as her apprentice, touring her the small house and taking her to the Koten Temple to register as a magician in the city of Lhavit.
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