[Shooting Star Inn] I never even knew your name (Julian)

by **Elhaym** on April 25th, 2011, 7:43 am

65th Day of Spring, 511 AV

It wasn't a location she frequented, the Shooting Star Inn, but tonight she'd found herself a nook and spent the last bit of the evening in relative luxury. Elhaym Furuma sat in the far corner of the Inn's dining area, leaning casually in her chair and without the robes of an Acolyte to draw attention to her. Like many other single women who were inside, she wore her hair long and a shimmering white dress inlaid with prismatic designs that seemed to shift into hues of pink and red. Unlike the others, she did not radiate the need for companionship. Rather Elhaym sat with her legs crossed, her chair tilted back slightly as she watched the Cellist.

Elhaym waved away a server who approached her, the latest of many to offer her a glass of wine. A grouping of silver bracelets chimed softly as they danced across her wrist, and the server turned on his heels and went about his way. The sleeveless outfit did not conceal the hardened physique she had acquired over the years, nor did she wish it to. It was just as much a part of her as her hair, her eyes, and her crooked smile.

She had never had much of an ear for music, but Kota had played for her several times. Though his instrument of choice was a violin, the cellist's sound was close enough to bring a light smile to her face. Not only that, but she knew this man. A hazy memory at best though never to be forgotten. Unlike many of the other women who's latent gazes were fixed upon his soft features, her intentions were not promiscuous. She knew that beneath the elegance of his exterior lay something not entirely soft. He had saved her, after all. Had this Cellist not taken to the fight, Elhaym would likely still be confined to a bed. The Shinya who had escorted her to the Dawn Tower to be cared for had later informed her that two men lay dead in the vicinity of their attack. One had been stabbed and bludgeoned, the other simply found dead face down on the ground. His face had also been bludgeoned, but the Shinya had deduced that it was nothing short of the Acolyte's body that had been responsible for this. A discarded eating knife had also been found, bent and broken and apparently a tool of murder.

The cellist, Julian, had been charged with nothing of course. Being mugged is no crime, nor is defending one's self. Defending an agent of the Shinya Order even less so, in fact. He had received no trouble for his part in it all, though he received no reward either. That was Elhaym's purpose here this late night. The patrons would soon waddle up the stairs to their warm beds, or out into the growing light of morning to their homes. She would wait there, until he was free from the bonds of his work.

She would have come earlier, but she was not so free with her time as she would have liked. She spent most of her day training in the art of war; at times simply wearing normal clothes and lounging in a public place made her feel at ease. She waited there, eyes floating to the ceiling and eyes closed softly as the music waded into her untrained ears. She'd never before heard a cello, but it sounded well enough to her.

As the last song ended, she opened her eyes to find the room cleared for the most part. Several women seemed to cling to their last drinks, perhaps wanting a moment with the cellist. Elhaym Furuma would have none of that. She flagged down a passing server who seemed off put by her sudden interest in his help, and asked him to inform Julian that she'd like to see him. Unconsciously she patted a cloth bound object in her lap, wrapped in crimson silk and tied with a thin string that seemed to glimmer in the low light. Her request was met with a barrage of obedient nods, Elhaym's face contorting as she realized the commanding tone she had taken. What was done was done, and he scurried off to inform Julian of her presence.

by **Julian** on April 25th, 2011, 9:30 am

There was no soul in the music tonight. Though Julian's steely blue eyes watched the careful placement of his fingers as his hand precisely slid over the back of the cello's fingerboard, his mind was not on the song. Drawing the bow across the instrument's four reverberating strings, he played out an older Syliran folk song, When the Hard Rain Comes. It was a very simple song about preparing one's family and home against a coming storm. "William, where is your sister, where is your mother, the storm is near and they have to come home". It was one of those old darker children's nursery tales that implied death and suffering but in an unnervingly cheerful melody. Played in A minor, however, it gave the song an appropriately haunting appeal - something the cello was quite good at.

He was tired and his hands were aching, but more importantly he was distracted. A song as simple as this one easy enough to play while he thought of more pressing things, and foreign enough that it might hold the oblivious Lhavitians in entertainment awhile. Spring was already more than half over, and Summer was drawing closer. The turbulent Winter - which he'd spent a good part of simply traveling from Zeltiva to Syliras, and then Syliras to Lhavit (not to mention the latter half of Fall was spent getting to Zeltiva in the first place) - was already becoming a faded, distant chapter in Julian's past. The final chapter of his old life. Lhavit... he'd grown to like it very much. The colorful costumes, the modest, respectful people. The grand, colorful architecture. Seeing a god, or an Alvina anyway, with his own eyes had certainly been one of his more memorable experiences. However, while Julian was richer in wisdom for coming to the city, he didn't feel like he belonged here. Not really. Before Summer arrived, he knew he'd have to leave again.

The imprint left by Lhavit in Julian's life however would not soon disappear. He had learned a little about his grandmother's heritage, and acquired a new wardrobe designed by Lhavitian tailors. With a preference for velvet and silk (what could he say? He had rich taste.), the darkly hued, yet colorful clothing he'd chosen fit him surprisingly well. Slender as any healthy Lhavitian, but slightly taller, the crisp clothing fit his thin frame but held sharp seams, presenting the native Syliran perhaps more formally than he'd intended. He had no complaints. His long hair and thin ponytail did enough to dispel any businessman appeal he might emanate.

As Julian drew his bow across the cello's strings to play the final note, the end of the song seemed to close his thoughts. There was little to ponder on, anyway. Gathering his few belongings would be easy. All he had to do was find charter travel with some experienced company and find out where they were going. He'd heard good things of Denval, but also Wind Reach. It really depended on whichever was cheaper.

The musician smiled and bowed his head in modest gratitude as the waning audience politely clapped their approval. A long-haired woman with deep emerald eyes on the far right caught Julian's gaze suddenly, and a hot-blooded message was instantly shared between the two of them. Just as Julian was considering the possibility, which had easily erased his curious thoughts regarding the future, one of the servers of the Inn crossed his eye line. He leaned over and whispered a hushed message in his ear, then lifted his arm to indicate direction. Following his gesture, Julian turned his head to spot a lone woman in a white dress seated across the room. She had been there for some time, he knew, but he hadn't paid her much attention. She'd been watching him, but when he played his music, many people did.

Julian nodded his thanks to the server and stood. Leaning his cello against the wall, he deigned to abandon it for a moment in favor of his wineglass, which had been sitting on the floor next to his chair. Holding the deep red drink in his hand, he flashed an apologetic smile to the green-eyed woman. He was intrigued by the other woman's discretion in sending someone over specifically to retrieve him. It would be impolite to refuse.

Approaching the table with the wineglass in hand, he studied the woman who'd chosen to sit here by herself. As he drew closer, he realized that the elegant dress didn't seem to quite fit her countenance. The first indication was the musculature of her well-toned armed - a rather unfeminine trait. It reminded him immediately of the Shinya Acolyte who'd involved herself in his soiree with a handful of muggers in a dark, early morning alley some weeks ago. But this didn't look like her... or did she? These Lhavitians all looked so aggravatingly alike. It might be rude of Julian presume that there was only one well-muscled woman in the entire city.

As per recently learned Lhavitian custom, he greeted her with a brief, casual bow. Wineglass in hand, he gave her a polite, tame smile. "Evening. I'm told you asked for me?" Briefly, his eyes flickered down to the cloth-wrapped item in her lap. "Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but you look very familiar. Have we met before?"

by **Elhaym** on April 25th, 2011, 11:30 am

Elhaym's eyes scanned Julian's face as he spoke to her, tilting her head forward and peering into his eyes. He didn't seem to know who she was exactly, but that wasn't as grievous an insult as some would think. In Syliras her aesthetic had stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb, but here in Lhavit she was another face in the crowd. Not to mention it had been dark, and the conditions not best for remembering faces. If she recalled, hers had been bloodied.

"Under worse circumstances..." she muttered, unfolding her legs and rising to her feet. She wore heels, something she still felt a bit uncomfortable with, but as Rei said it did help accentuate certain things. The cloth bound object fell into her left hand, and she bowed slightly. Not a moment after she bowed, she extended her hand. It was if she was torn between a Lhavitian and a Syliran greeting. "You were mugged, and I intervened. I'm not sure what happened much that morning, to be honest. I'm only now rid of the headaches." she said sheepishly, rubbing the top of her head where a gash had been only weeks ago.

"My name is Elhaym Furuma. I'd have come to find you sooner if I hadn't been hurt and fell behind in my studies. These days, If I want time for myself it's taken from time I should have spent asleep."

Elhaym took her seat again, sliding the scarlet object back into her lap. To Julian's credit she didn't seem offended that he hadn't recognized her. In fact, it had taken her a good bell of observing him before she had concluded that he must have been the one that had helped her to safety. She took her time settling, giving away how unaccustomed she was to wearing a dress. Soon she was back, slightly propped back in her chair with her legs folded before her, one arm slung over the high back of her seat. Julian had time himself to take a seat if he preferred, or to mull over her statements. Even wearing a dress and formal shoes, training as a warrior were studies to her just as history was to another.

There was a bit of an awkward silence for a moment, and Elhaym made a snap decision - though much to dismay of the passing server. She quickly stammered out an order in Lhavitian to the woman, who paused only long enough to kneel slightly and tilt her head as to hear. With a nod, she scuttled off and left the two alone once again.

"Sorry, this isn't the best of circumstances. You know, it's not as if we have much reason to talk. Still, I wanted to give you this."

With that, Elhaym took the shrouded object in her lap and placed it on the small table between them. It was wrapped loosely, the cloth seeming fine enough to think of saving. She seemed uncertain of the gift, leaning back in her chair uneasily as her fingers left it's soft surface.

"Well, they said you'd lost yours... and seeing as you helped me, and the Shinya, I thought it seemed right."

When Julian unwrapped the cloth, he would find what may be one of the finest knives he'd ever seen, if not heavily stylized. Initially, it was sheathed in a wooden scabbard that bore a thick red lacquer and an even thicker gloss. The edges at the base and tip were housed with darkened bronze, and the top of the scabbard was wrapped in thick ray skin with a threaded cloth loop for attaching it to the inside of a belt or sash. If the sheath was intricate, the blade was over the top. White ray skin dotted the hilt, with a pure gold peony embedded near the top. Bronze capped the hilt, but beyond that the blade stemmed from twin plates of gold and copper. Cool to the touch, the blade's temperature had nothing to do with the room however chilled it may have been. It was forged of cold iron, and the single edged blade held an exotic grain along it's length. Lastly, but certainly not least, etched into the blade near the base was a dynamic scene of an Okomo upon a mountain ledge. The knife most definitely represented the Shinya in many ways, but it was not an official knife by any means. Elhaym had actually had the blade made specifically for Julian, and it hadn't been cheap.

The object in the cloth :

While Julian took in the details, the server returned with a piping hot bottle of what Julian could only assume was some sort of liquor. It was in fact rice liquor. Elhaym had only had it once, with Kota, but it had eased the tension without making her act like the idiots in Syliras had with their ale. At least, she hoped she hadn't acted like that.

"It's not really a fighting knife, but I guess it could be if you wanted it to be. It'll hold it's edge for a while, and besides," She said as she began to pour a bit of the liquor into one of the small cups she had been brought, "It looks like it'll matche those fancy clothes you wear pretty well."

It never dawned on Elhaym until she had already slid the knife across the table that someone might not appreciate a weapon as a gift. In fact, she wasn't even sure if Julian knew that he had killed a man. She'd grown up with swords, knifes, and axes all around her and didn't give the sight of them a second thought. She seemed to only now remember that this wasn't quite the norm, and her face seemed to grow anxious.

Receipt :

by **Julian** on April 26th, 2011, 2:30 am

OOCUgh, this post feels all over the place.
The moment that the woman uttered the words "you were mugged," Julian's mouth fell open and he leaned back in astonishment. So it was her! Julian's memory of that early morning when he'd met her had since become muddled, either from head trauma or a conscious effort to forget the ordeal. He had never gotten a good look at her face through his blurred vision, yet standing here now she did look the same. As he'd noticed weeks before, she didn't follow the conventional definition of beauty, with a painted face and a teasing smile. Hers was a look that was more real, purposed, and honest, which in the long run was really what Julian preferred if his agenda included more than one night. The way that dress fit her though - and he borrowed a moment to examine it more candidly than he had intended - certainly more than caught his immediate attention.

"The Acolyte...!" he breathed with pleasant surprise, a smile appearing as he recalled the word. Julian set down his glass as she offered her hand. He took it with both of his and shook it earnestly, but slow and gentle as to not appear excitable. "So it is you. I didn't think I would see you again. I never got the chance to thank you properly. Or, rather, I did have a chance, but I wasn't sure if you'd be conscious enough to remember. I'm so glad to see you recovered. You had me worried, for a while."

He had remembered her, of course, but had dismissed her appearing as timely, but brief. She was a Shinya, and she'd performed her duty. Soon after recovering from that head wound, she would have melted back into their ranks as another stone-faced city guard, and that would be the last he'd know of her. That's what he'd assumed.

"Julian Meredith," he answered in turn as he picked up his wineglass again. Julian paused, taking a thoughtful sip of his wine as he put together his next thoughts as carefully as he could. "I had thought of asking the Shinya about your well being, but I never knew your name." And he was worried that if he'd described her (medium height, olive-skinned, with black hair - not exactly a unique set of descriptors), he wouldn't have been able to narrow it down enough to identify one Lhavitian woman. "That, and I've always had terrible luck getting along with guardsmen forces and their ilk."

With the time that had passed, Julian really had given up on seeing her again. Her head wound did not look fatal, but he was no expert. For certain she would have had to be bedridden a few days after the beating she took, and if an Acolyte were like any other student, she would have a busy schedule ahead of her. However, meeting her again also reminded him of the thug he'd assaulted. What had happened to those thieves? Were they ever arrested? He doubted it. Did they all survive...? He certainly hoped. To spare himself from the anxiety, he'd banished the question from his mind shortly after he'd recovered. Now here it was again.

Julian stepped aside as Elhaym accosted the passing server. With her distracted, Julian took the opportunity to more closely examine the cloth-wrapped article that she'd been unconsciously fidgeting with. Clearly she had some plan for it, but he didn't want to appear presumptuous. Either she noticed him peering at it, or her intentions reached their summit and she openly offered it to him. Again, Julian set down his wineglass and took it gently with both hands. Guiltily, his eyes lingered on the last of his wine as it settled in his glass. Back to drinking for only a little over a week and already he could barely pry the vice from his own hands.

Carefully unwrapping the cloth, Julian unveiled his gift. Again, he opened his mouth in astonishment, catching his hazy reflection in the glossy surface of a knife's sheath. He turned the item over, examining its quality as an amazed half smile fell on him. He felt a little silly as he slowly closed his hand around the knife's luxurious hilt and pulled the blade partially from its sheath with a satisfying tug. The dual-colored metal shimmered in the Inn's low light, sending a patch of light to dance over his face. This was her gift? This knife? He didn't feel like he deserved anything with this kind of quality. This was the knife a father gave his son, or a warrior gave his apprentice. Julian was just a musician with a proclivity toward sharp objects when he was in a pinch. He was hardly any fighter.

Then he learned it wasn't a fighting knife. Showed what he knew. Still, an object like this was... well there was no other way around it. This was art.

Julian smiled, uttering a short, uncomfortable laugh as Elhaym referred to his dress sense. "Miss Furuma..." He couldn't bring himself to use her first name. Or was that her first name? It was so hard to tell with Lhavitians. Another reason to leave the city. "This is beautiful. No one... no one has ever given me anything like this before. I don't even know what else I can say..." He looked back up at her. "You really didn't have to. My old knife was just something I picked up at a cheap shop." Julian shook his head, realizing he was being rude. "Thank you. Really. I'll treasure this."

Sheathing the knife and wrapping the it up again, Julian finally took a seat at Elhaym's table. He thought he would have so much to say to her if they ever met again, but he was coming up empty. It was hard not to reflect on this moment as the unbelievable outcome of a spontaneous moment. When he left Syliras, he never imagined he would feel like this, nor could he ever conceive of a moment like this happening.

Following her, Julian picked up the bottle of liquor and tentatively filled his own small cup. Curiously, he smelled at the drink. "Rice liquor?" he guessed, more from its clear appearance, warmth, and serving bottle than its aroma. He'd never had it himself but it seemed popular in Lhavit. Since taking up drinking again, he'd generally chosen more familiar, imported wines, perhaps to help himself pretend that he was any brand of classy. He took an experimental sip of the heated liquor. "Interesting. You know, I must be the worst tourist in history. I've been in Lhavit for almost two months now, and I've barely gone out of my way to learn much about it. And here I am, planning to leave within the next week, as ignorant as I ever was."

After another sip, Julian set down his second drink. Second. How absurd. "I wish I'd prepared an adequate gift for you. I'm as much in your debt. Knowing me, I probably would have gotten myself killed if you hadn't shown up. I..." Briefly, he felt a surge of adrenaline as he remembered burying his knife in that man's shoulder. He could almost feel the heated bloodlust in his veins, and the joy he drew from the look on the thug's face. "I don't know what came over me when I... The most I'd ever done before was thrown a punch or two. Or a chair. Even a, uh, cello, once." Julian turned and gave a thoughtful glance to the instrument still standing in a corner. It was unprotected, but he doubted anyone would run off with it. It was too large to steal without a great deal of effort. "But really, I'm not a violent person. I just couldn't leave after you'd risked yourself for my sake. I probably don't even deserve this. You shouldn't mistake me for valiant; I was only repaying a debt." He added a smile that he hoped was tasteful.

Thinking on the events of that encounter, he hesitated before phrasing the question. Julian knew he wouldn't be prepared for the answer he dreaded, no matter how much he steeled himself. There was something in him that told him that it was impossible for him to become a killer. He was a man, like any other, just getting by. Killing was not in his nature, he was only defending himself like anyone would. "Do you... happen to know what became of those thieves? I've been mugged before. Certain parts of Syliras can be wretched with that sort of thing. This is probably the first time I've emerged so victorious."

by **Elhaym** on April 26th, 2011, 7:27 am

Elhaym swirled the contents of her cup before taking a sip, trying to keep her face from showing the effect the burning liquid had within her body. She actually didn't much like alcohol, but Kota had a taste for this stuff at least and she did imagine she'd drink with him more than a few times in the future. May as well get used to it. She nodded at his thanks silently, thinking perhaps that she had overdone it. Well, no matter. She had little to buy now that her meals and the roof over her head was provided for her. For what else did one really need money?

"I don't know how could want to leave Lhavit." She said, tilting her head back and waving her free arm towards the open expanse of the Inn. "It's beautiful. Nothing like Syliras. A cesspool, that place is." she added the last bit in Lhavitian, as if cursing Syliras in Common was bad manners. Her words were harsh, and not exactly true. She did love Syliras; it was her home. If something threatened her home city, she knew she would have no choice but to ride to it's aid. Mizahar was vast, but the city you were born in crafted unbreakable ties.

"A gift for me? Well, you did help to remind me that even a common street thug can bring down a warrior if caught unaware. A good lesson to be taught every so often." She said, sipping her drink. Her chest was warm now, a signal (as Kota had told her) that she should drink little more or end up making a fool of herself. She placed the cup on the table and slid it away. She nodded as he proclaimed himself non-violent, despite apparently having bashed a cello over someones head (which drew out a laugh). The fate of those men however, was not quite as light hearted.

"Two were found where they lay, dead. Both of us responsible for one, so it seemed. Two others were found later, one with a gash on his hand seeking healing. He gave enough information to find the other. Those two are settling into their new lives as rice farmers, so I hear." Elhaym said placidly. If Julian were upset by the news, it didn't seem to bother her much.

"Their crimes were many, once they confessed. Sometimes it's hard to find criminals here, I've learned. We're not the Syliran Knights, with their numbers and ways. Sometimes crime goes unpunished... but when they are found, they get what they deserved. Feel bad if you want, but those bastards had it coming if you ask me."

"Besides, with that," She said, pointing at the sheathed knife, "You have something to wave around that's more threatening than a pocket knife. Most thugs don't like it when someone draws a serious weapon, you know. If they don't run, then at least you have something nasty to defend yourself with in any case. The blade is cold iron, but there's no handguard. Mind you don't slice your fingers off, hmm?"

Elhaym slid from her chair, rising in her elegant if simple dress. Her drink was done, her item gifted. Yet she hung there, sensing something amiss within Julian. Despite their similar aesthetic this night, it was obvious he was not the warrior she was. Elhaym didn't expect it of him neither; not every man or woman had a steel braced stomach when it came to taking life. Sometimes the fact that she did was worrisome.

"You don't always have to strike to kill, Julian. Thugs and vagrants kill in alleyways because they don't know how to handle themselves any other way in a fight. It's a novice mistake, the one that gets them in the most trouble whether they win or lose. Surrounded and alone, I made the same mistake you did. I killed a man. Under better circumstances, I probably could have held them all there until help arrived."

Elhaym snorted, turning her head away. She'd been humbled alright. Sometimes, just being deadly in terms of skill didn't make you more than a novice. "I don't know what else to say... I just wanted to give you your gift and wish you well. I feel kind of responsible though, you know."

Sometimes, people wanted her to teach them how to fight. They saw her movements and her power, and they wanted it. They could imagine how easily Elhaym could kill, and desired it. She didn't enjoy teaching those, and would not. The people who needed her advice and help the most were those who did not want it, and could not admit that they needed it.

"I can help you, you know. It's taking some getting used to, but I've learned a few ways here with the Shinya to stop someone from hurting me without hurting them in return. If you want to learn, I can show you. If not, we'll put this all behind us and I'll be on my way. I didn't mean to upset you."

by **Julian** on April 27th, 2011, 11:20 pm

It felt like someone had struck Julian across the face. Elhaym revealed the thieves' fates as if she were giving the time of day. She went on to say something else, but he was no longer paying attention. As soon as he learned those men were dead, his ears had begun ringing as if an explosion had gone off next to his head. Vacantly, he watched Elhaym's lips moving, but there was no sound. All he could hear was the ringing, and the way that thief had cried out when Julian had put that knife in his shoulder. That look on his face... it was stark terror and agony. Julian faintly remembered wearing a cold glare.

He remembered the way that man's skull felt when Julian had struck him with the butt of his knife - the way it sort of... sank in. Was it that blow that had killed him? Or was his fate already sealed with the first wound, which caused him to bleed out as he lay there unconscious? Then there had been that question in Julian's head as he stood over them, the thug and his other friend: Had he gone too far without realizing it? The spirit of the moment had clouded his mind and Julian never gave a single thought to holding back. There was that worry, but there hadn't been anything else. Not regret. Not sympathy. Not even horror.

Well, he felt horror now. Abject and pure. But not for any of the reasons he should have. How could he begin to think about this objectively? He had taken another man's life, but there was another person on Julian's mind entirely. This had absolutely nothing to do with his father, but the only thing he could see in this now was history repeating itself.

The pleasant warmth of this friendly union had completely left the air.

"You don't always have to strike to kill, Julian. ..." Slowly, Elyham's voice regained its volume as the ringing in his ears subsided.

"I didn't..." Julian set down his cup and ran his fingers through the loose, untied portion of his hair. His fingertips felt cold on his scalp. His jaw shook. "I wasn't... trying to kill him. I just wanted to hurt him. I remember... simply hating him so much in that moment." He closed his eyes.

He slammed his fist onto the table, making the wineglass and the other dishes on the table rattle. "And why shouldn't I?!" Julian looked up at Elhaym, desperation and anger boiling in his eyes. His face felt warm from the wine and he knew he wasn't completely in control of himself. He paused to breathe in and out a few times, trying to ignore the turning of heads from the Inn's last few patrons and the wandering staff. "You said it yourself. Those bastards had it coming. You mean it, don't you?! They're scum. Murderers, larcenists. Without a second thought, they went after you just for wanting to help." His voice wavered and he paused, collecting himself. "They could have run... they knew what you were, what you represented... but they still attacked you. They would have hurt anyone, for any reason. Theirs is the sort of wickedness that undoes what people like you try to accomplish. What would it have mattered if those two had lived?" Picking up his wineglass, Julian tossed his head back and downed the rest of the deep red drink. "The world is better off without them."

The words didn't feel like his own, but who else could be speaking them? This couldn't be who he was, beneath all the smiles and charm and fine clothing. Still, it couldn't be healthy when he had to consciously remind himself that killing was wrong. Let alone that he couldn't piece together exactly why. To him, personally, in his life he swore it would be the easiest thing to do to never take another person's life. What grievance could he have against another person that would justify murder? This was a personal failure first, a heinous act second.

As the moment continued to awkwardly slip by, Julian had enough time to feel his blood cool down to a slow simmer. He still was in no in a state to think about this clearly, but at least he could bring himself to speak calmly. "I'm sorry, I... I wasn't prepared for that. I'm not a... warrior, or anything like that, Elhaym. I'm just a musician." He looked up at her helplessly, as if she could fix this somehow. She didn't seem as bothered by it, except that she had erred in her studies. As if she'd failed some kind of test, carrying the same mild disappointment as Julian might if he played a sour note. "I'm not... a killer."

Anyone would be upset by this, certainly, but Julian seemed to be taking it harder than he needed to. He wasn't upset for the same reasons any other person might be. This entire feeling was generated by a long-dreaded, deep-seated fear and an unhealthy obsession with a father he barely knew. The murderer he always feared becoming.

Gathering his bustling emotions and feelings of shock, he exhaled them all in a deep, calming breath. A watery feeling in his head reminded him that the alcohol was inhibiting his sense of judgment, and he was better off dealing with this sober. Realizing he had been squeezing the stem of the wine glass, he set it back on the table, thinking better of it before he ended up snapping it in his hand. The modest cup of rice wine then caught his eyes, and he tipped it thoughtfully toward himself, watching the clear liquid roll around the bottom. He had all day to wait until sober. If he was going to get any sleep tonight, putting off alcohol would be his biggest mistake. Lying around in his bed stewing in this realization was the last thing he wanted.

"I'm causing a scene, aren't I?" Julian smiled weakly, glancing sidelong at the Shining Star's dwindling guests. "I must look terribly ridiculous. Making a fuss out of what some people do almost daily. It's just that I'd always... well, it's personal." He took another breath and looked at Elhaym directly, rubbing his forehead under his hair.

Then Julian rose to his feet. "Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to decline. I'm a long way from Syliras, and I realize that it might be folly to travel on my own without a reliable means to defend myself, but a fighter is not who I am." If he kept developing his Hypnotism, perhaps he'd never have to involve himself in violence again. Favoring guile over blade would be better for everyone. "I've always abhorred resorting to violence. No offense intended to you, what you do is necessary, but I'm a simple man, Elhaym."

Julian picked up the cup of rice liquor and finished it, then set it down and traded it for his new knife. He looked over it grimly, realizing now that it no longer only represented a friend he'd made traveling abroad, but now also branded him as a killer. He sighed again. "Despite my behavior I'm glad I saw you again. It's better that I know the truth of what I've done." Julian turned his gray eyes on her, and his features softened. "I wish I'd met you a long time ago, and in lighter circumstances. A strong woman is a rare and beautiful thing. I can only hope there are more like you on the road ahead."

He bowed lightly again, then turned and began to make his way for the stairs. Before reaching them, he crossed paths with one of the young men charged with cleaning the restaurant area after the patrons. "Bring my cello to my room, please. I fear I don't have the coordination to handle such an instrument right now." The man nodded, but as he was about to head toward the cello, Julian took a gentle, but firm hold of his arm. "And another bottle of wine. Add it to my bill." Letting go, Julian continued past him.

Before he reached the stairs, he stumbled over a chair that sat just a little too far from its table. The chair clattered over, but Julian managed to prevent himself from falling. Cursing himself for ruining his exit, he continued on without looking back at Elhaym, lest he worsen his humiliation.

by **Elhaym** on April 28th, 2011, 1:56 am

His outburst was met with level silence, and it was all Elhaym could do to keep her eyes from widening and her fists from clenching. Everything he said, pouring out his pent up frustrations and emotions, and she simply stood. It was only when he took the knife she had given him and looked at it as thought it bore the plague that she sighed.

"Lighter cirumstances..." she muttered under her breath as he turned to leave. He was drunk, and that irritated her. She had indulged a bit herself that night, a rare enough occurrence but one that couldn't denied. Despite that, she had too many memories of drunk men in Syliras and beyond who thought their drunkeness an excuse for idiocy. A bar brawl she could roll her eyes at and walk on, but coming from Julian... this, she would not let pass. She had said nothing, she had let him say what he felt he needed. Not once had she interrupted him in his onset of babbling, but she would stand silent no longer. Like a statue that had found life, she burst into a quick walk forward. The boy Julian had muttered his request of wine passed within arms reach, and she glared at him as if he were to blame. His head sank deep into his neck, averting her gaze as he rushed by. Only then did she catch the sound of Julian tripping all over himself.

"You think you'll just drown yourself in a bottle tonight, and this will all go away, right?"

She loomed over him, despite their height difference. Her body was taught like the strings of his cello, and her almond eyes seemed to burn. In her own eyes and perhaps his, she had grown to ten feet tall. If he were to try to move up the stairs, she would step in his path. The idea of grabbing him by the collar and hammering him up against the wall flashed in her head, but he had done nothing truly wrong and besides, she didn't know him well enough not to expect her gift to be regifted directly into her belly.

"We do what is necessary, but you're just a simple man? That's what you think?" Elhaym barked, her hands awkwardly balled into fists. She finally crossed her arms under her breasts, and cocked her hip out to the side. If Julian knew anything about women, he knew that this stance meant business.

"The world is better off without them, Julian. Someone had to be the one to end them. Their crimes were many, and horrible. They were what you said, and more. That someone was us; you and me. We did it, and now we have to own it." She said, her voice growing lower to keep others from overhearing, but still retaining as much of a knife's edge as she could muster. Elhaym thumbed towards herself, and shook her finger at him as she spoke her last statement. "You wish it had been someone else who gave them what they deserved? Or worse, you wish I had killed both of them instead of you? You wish that on someone else when you can't even handle it yourself, what... what logic is that!?"

Elhaym unfolded her arms, taking a step to the side. She bent over the table and pressed her arms against it's edge to keep her upright. Her face had gone from flushed irritation to a near trembling sob.

"You bastard, you think I didn't care? You think I didn't cry when I found out there's someone in this city who probably hates me because I killed their son? You think that of me, because it's 'what I'm supposed to do'?"

That was only half of what she wanted to say, but the other half was too personal. Too deep for this conversation, with this man. Her brother's death at another's hands was her motivation to even be in this city, to have joined the Shinya at all. Vengeance. She'd killed just the same as that woman had, not as viciously or without cause like she, but killed just the same.

"Well I did cry. I did." She said, turning to face him once more. Her eyes were quivering orbs that waged a war against the tears that hadn't come. She overpowered them, forcing a breath of hot air into a chest that seemed to have turned upon itself. Yet she pressed on.

"But to be unable to act quickly, and to allow someone else down the line to do what you should have is shameful. You allow them to cry in the arms of their beloved in shame, but refuse to do it yourself? Or worse, you would let someone who enjoys killing, revels in it, be the one? To let that disease spread even further? If that's what you mean by calling yourself a simple man, then you truly are simple." She said, he words finally overpowering her choked back tears. The last bit was laced with venom, and she intended it to sting. She stared at Julian, searching for understanding in his eyes. Did he not see?

"You said you weren't a killer, and I believe you. I've taken four men from this world, but I am no killer either. I do what I must, when I must, and accept the burden that comes with it. I do what I must. That's what the Shinya have taught me Julian, to bear my burdens."

Elhaym sighed, taking hold of the highbacked chair Julian had tripped over and spinning it in place in front of her. She sat on it's edge gently, muttering about the dress as she slid her legs to the side to maintain some semblance of a ladylike appearance. Her eyes found the bundled dagger she had given him, tightly clutched in his hand. Her head shot up, and before he could speak she began again. She was not yet finished.

"I saw the way you held that knife, like it was a snake. I'm not going to let you walk away from here thinking of it that way." She said as she sat, rubbing a hand underneath her eye and clearing her throat. She darted her head from side to side, checking to see if any had impeded on her ranting, but their immediate area seemed to be vacant.

"Some people name their weapons to give them meaning. From this moment on, that knife is called Hagiri. It means 'burden' in Lhavitian. The knife itself is no burden, barely heavy at all. What it can do, how it can kill... that is the burden. You are right to avoid killing, but sometimes you cannot. I pray to Zintila that you never have to again. I beg Syna to light your way, and keep you from harm... and I only hope in the darkness of night, Leth can shroud you in his shadows to keep you safe. But if they cannot, remember Hagiri. Do what you must, and when you sheath Hagiri, remember that the burden is yours and yours to own. Take strength from it, knowing that you did what you must and that you have spared someone weaker than you from having to do it in your place."

She had said her peace. There was nothing left. Elhaym stood up from her chair, thinking back on all of her words and what they had meant. Her mouth was dry, as if they moisture had been plucked from her tongue. Yet she knew she believed every word of it, every syllable. Lhavit was her home, and it's people were hers to protect. She would protect them, and she would protect her Shinya brothers and sisters just the same.

"I'm sorry this happened to you. I think I may have been harsh... but what I said, I hope you consider it. I hope you don't forget it."

by **Julian** on April 28th, 2011, 7:13 am

"You think you'll just drown yourself in a bottle tonight, and this will all go away, right?"

As Julian put a hand on the banister, Elhaym's words froze him where he stood. "No," he said softly, looking down. He'd been asked that before, more than once, in half a dozen different voices. It had been for them, and himself, that he'd given up drinking before. He knew precisely what alcohol could do to him. Lately though, he couldn't bring himself to care. "I know it won't. Just for tonight, I need to..."

Julian's voice escaped him as he turned to face her, taken aback by the sudden power in her presence. She looked like a shadow, silhouetted by the low light from the window behind her as the night began to ebb into morning - much like that early dawn when they'd first met. Her eyes seemed to glimmer, catching light from the remaining lit sconces along the Inn's interior. Julian felt something in him move - she was more upset than he expected. Had he said something to...? Idiot question, of course he had.

Rarely did Julian fear a woman. An angry woman was, more often than not, irritating - with the exception of women like Liara. Or like Elhaym. The look of her held him there, stunned by the sudden emotion and passion she exuded. In any other situation, if he weren't so upset about what had happened, he'd be more than intrigued, even drawn to her. Considering the circumstances now, he was only made uncomfortable. The power she had in that moment kept him quiet and listening.

He felt his anger begin to melt away as Elhaym poured her heart out to him. She really meant every word she said, dispelling the initial impression he'd had of her as a cold, calculated warrior. She barely knew him, so why did she suddenly care so much about how he dealt with this? Because thinking of her as a stoic, violent peacemaker insulted who she was? No, it wasn't just that. Clearly, a nerve had been struck. Elhaym had been dealing with their deaths all this time, but she'd had weeks to digest what she had done. Julian's outburst may well have reopened fresh scars. And by the look of her, perhaps some old ones.

It wasn't long before he couldn't even remember his own personal frustration. Julian's chest felt tight as he watched Elhaym battle herself on the edge of tears, his mouth slightly agape as he involuntarily empathized. It became apparent that, like him, she had been dealing with some quiet, internal struggle that she could barely understand. Julian's breathing became somewhat irregular, feeling suddenly, truly emotional for the first time since the death of his wife last winter. It was strangely... liberating.

Julian swallowed her insult, knowing that he rightly deserved it. Everything she said was true, and sobering. As she collected herself, she gave Julian's knife a name, and reflected on her faith in her gods. Though Julian held a more ambiguous stance toward gods, her words and blessings had meaning to him. He lifted his sheathed knife in his hand, beholding it with a newfound respect.

"Hagiri..." He tried out the name, running his thumb over the taut ray skin on the hilt as if the knife were a living thing. And at this moment, it may as well have been. With everything Elhaym said, the knife's sentimental value dug deeper than it initially had, and rooted itself firmly in his own heart. He never expected that.

"I won't forget it." Julian squeezed the sheath in his hand briefly, then slowly looked back up at Elhaym. She had moved him, dismantled his outer facade and reached something in him that hadn't been touched for so long, he couldn't even remember the last time he'd felt this way. Julian didn't lie - he wouldn't forget what she said. He knew wouldn't forget her either. "I'm sorry. I... I'm an idiot. I won't blame the wine, I drank it knowing that I shouldn't. I actually gave up drinking a long while ago when I realized it had been destroying my life and the people who cared about me. I was sober for over two years, but..." Julian smiled uncomfortably as he stopped himself, sparing a brief look across the room at the bottle of rice wine on the table where they had been.

"I... didn't realize what it meant to you." He could have said more and probably should have, but he couldn't find the words to equal all the things Elhaym had said. She spoke of experience, and control. Her world was entirely different from Julian's. He'd only barely tasted what she knew of all this.

"Maybe this needed to happen," Julian said lowly, his eyes trailing downward again. He wondered how it was Elhaym had known to say the perfect things he'd needed to hear. If it had been any other person in the alley that night, this evening may not have gone so smoothly. Julian had taken a life, and traveling on his own it may have been an inevitability if he were to continue this reckless lifestyle. This first act of killing and crossing that threshold had happened here in Lhavit, but thanks to this woman, not only did he not have to deal with it alone, but she also understood, really understood what he was going through. "All this time, I feel like fate has been toying with me, giving me all these unpleasant surprises that make me question why I exist at all, if not to amuse some unseen audience. But... what you said just now... maybe I've been wrong."

Suddenly, Julian was ripped out of the moment as the young Lhavitian Inn worker passed by, carrying his cello by its belly with both arms wrapped around it, apparently having finished his other duties. Julian watched him for a lingering moment, amused by the way he handled the instrument (which was nearly larger than he was) grunting in pain and strained effort as he began to stumble up the stairs. Ordinarily Julian might offer to help, but instead he just wore a mute half-smile, arcing an eyebrow. There was still enough alcohol coursing in him to dispel any worry he might have for the cello if the boy managed to break it.

"Thank you," Julian said to Elhaym as he turned back to her when the server disappeared, leaving them alone again. "For saving me, for Hagiri, for... your wisdom, and showing me the good in what I've done. I... I'm truly in your debt. I'd almost be glad of the beating those thugs gave me if it weren't for the bruised ribs. I had two black eyes for days afterward, I looked awful." He forced a soft laugh, taking Hagiri by its sheath in both hands and wringing it gently. "I should... really get some rest. I still have a lot to think about, unless I can manage to get some sleep tonight. Or... this morning. I'm sure there's more suiting terminology in Lhavitian, I'm still getting used to the customs here. If..." Julian looked up. "If your offer is still open, then perhaps... there are a few things I could stand to learn about fighting. I'm afraid I don't have much to offer in return, except tea, perhaps." Truth was, he still wasn't comfortable about the idea. The art of combat was reserved for more active-minded individuals who wanted to face challenges head on. Julian was a student of subversion more than anything. He always favored the alternative route, whether it was the right thing to do or not. But if Elhaym left tonight, he feared he might not see her again. If possible, he might have liked to spend a little more time with her before leaving Lhavit behind him.

by **Elhaym** on May 3rd, 2011, 3:26 am

Elhaym's chest rose and sank with every breath, thankful for the reprieve from her thoughts as she listened to Julian speak. She had never voiced something so strongly in her life, nor anywhere as effectively. It struck her that Lhavit truly had changed her; a year ago she would have simply grunted and walked away from Julian with a few trailing insults and a begrudging stride. There were many who did not believe in the Shinya she was sure, but she did. They had given her a new lease on life, even if it was to be tempered into a weapon that suited their needs.

"I meant what I said. It's not just about fighting, or hurting someone. Most of the time it's just about control, and maintaining it. I... I have a lot to learn, myself. I can show you what I know, what little there is to teach anyway.

Julian seemed to have been moved by her words, and the fact that he had mentioned her wisdom gnawed at her. It was the last fragments of Pain that his words scathed, a young girl who had been thrust into a world of violence and anger because of loss. A woman who had grown to know hurt and to hurt others, and never give a damn. It was the scattered pieces of herself that had been pushed to the far sides of her conscious by the Shinya of Lhavit. This simple conversation, and his reaction were a verbal execution to what she had been before. She truly had grown out of her old ways, and at last she had proved to herself that she was becoming something more.

"Thank you for listening to me... uhh, I guess I should probably get going too. Kota will probably lecture me for staying so long when I have my studies in a few bells."

Elhaym shifted uncomfortably, and turned her head towards the entrance. Her face felt a bit flushed, presumably due to her alcohol tolerance which rivaled that of a ten year old. She was not drunk so much as Julian, but one small glass of rice liquor was enough to give her the fuzzies, or apparently empower her voice.

"If you decide you need my help before you leave Lhavit, come to the Shinyama Pavilion. You can ask for me there, but it may take a while for them to find me. They don't keep track of Acolytes like they do the Shinya, but I should be there... somewhere."

She gave a short bow, and turned to leave. Her heels clicked on the floor, her hips sashaying back and forth inadvertently. She turned her head to say goodbye to several workers who bowed quickly to her, stopping for just a moment to speak to a woman of some authority in the Inn. Elhaym quickly explained that there had been no problem with Julian, though to Julian their conversation was a mystery. Perhaps some indication was given when Elhaym turned along with the other woman, offering a brief smile before a final bow. She walked through the doors and into the blooming day, knowing full well she would pay for lost hours of sleep when she woke for her studies.

by **Julian** on May 3rd, 2011, 4:28 am

Leaning against the banister, Julian lingered at the foot of the stairs as he watched Elhaym leave. It intrigued him that a woman like her had stepped out of oblivion to put such a profound impact on his life, then presumed to disappear just as quickly as she'd arrived. He wasn't about to let that happen. He would find time to make it to the Pavilion and ask for her. Where it went from there... he'd find out. It didn't matter much because he knew he was leaving Lhavit regardless, but at the very least he'd learn just a little more about her before she left an irrevocable impression on him. No woman could be that interesting. Not without some fatal, condemning flaw. They were all the same.

Julian did not return Elhaym's bow - not out of rudeness but sheer ignorance. Though he could pass as Lhavitian, he hadn't put any effort toward actively learning the city's customs proper, and would never truly fit the part. Caught up in his private inner monologue, he quietly watched her head toward the door.

"Kota...?" Under his breath, he echoed the name to himself that she had mentioned. The fatal flaw he expected, most likely. The name didn't sound masculine, but many names here didn't. Julian's own name was often mistaken for female even after meeting him. Quickly he started to come up with a number of possibilities for who "Kota" could be - a superior officer, a young child, a sister, even a brother or father. But something told him that the most obvious answer was also the most likely. He accepted this reality with a disappointed sigh. "Figures."

"Sir...?" As Elhaym sent another final bow his way, eliciting Julian to lift a befuddled eyebrow, his moment was interrupted by the server from earlier, who had gently tapped his arm. His young face was filled with suppressed anguish. Julian concealed a smirk - the boy had worked himself into a sweat lifting that instrument up the stairs.

"Is everything all right?" Julian asked before the server could address him further.

"Oh... yes. I just wanted to verify with you - you asked for wine, sir. We stock several varieties, and as I recall you have a preference for red. Earlier, you selected..." The server ran off a list of stocked makes and varieties. Most of the wine, as Julian suspected, was imported. He shouldn't think there would be a large number of vineyards in the mountains.

Briefly, he saw Elhaym's face in his mind again, asking him that same poignant question. Would he just drown himself in a bottle tonight? Would that accomplish anything?

Thoughtfully, Julian glanced back at the door, though she had gone by now. The emotion that had been set in his features slowly drained away, like liquid escaping an over-turned bottle, leaving the container empty and hollow again. Narrowing his eyes in vain frustration, the musician turned and headed toward the stairs.

"Bordeaux," he mumbled to the server, before disappearing into the second floor.

- End -