Tricks & Giblets imaginarium: Butcher Shop and Alchemy

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Teide

Re: Tricks & Giblets imaginarium: Butcher Shop and Alchemy

Post by Teide »

Teide looks at her jewelry and smiles. "Indeed there is nothing worse than the unknown." she pours herself some tea and sits casually. She crosses her own legs and reclines in her chair. Her eyes flickered to the beetles and he had been swift to the point so she did the same for him, "Remember your first days in the tavern? I know what you are...but I've not seen any use in revealing it...you see I have a respect for the secrets of others. Can you convince me to part with them? she said candidly. She looks in her tea and traces the rim of her cup. "Novajen is dangerous but they have two major weaknesses. A failure you might say as far as the creator was concerned. "

Teide takes a bite of the cookie and the gooey center revealed the unmistakeable odor of human meat in the mince. She licks her lips and again speaks, "You intend to stop Novajen but what do you know about her/him already?" Teide asked because she didn't want to waste her time with facts he already knew. "I'm not reading your mind. Yes, I am capable of it...but I'm capable of many things. What I do depends on the person. " She gestures to the cookies and bones that were definitely human. She takes another cookie.
Silence

Re: Tricks & Giblets imaginarium: Butcher Shop and Alchemy

Post by Silence »

"Err, yeh got me wrong there. I don't mean teh get rid of it. I just want teh do whatever I need teh to make sure it isn't a threat teh anybody. I kinda got involved whether I liked it or not when I first encountered it, so now, I'm just gonna make sure I don't let it do any harm."

For a moment, Alder considered lying in case the information turned her sour, but he might as well tell her. What he to lose, after all.

"Alright, I'm not going teh get anywhere unless I'm open. Your first question, I have used my... abilities a few times when I felt I really had to, but there are a few people that think that our kind is evil by nature... and they... basically train themselves teh hunt and kill us. So, I prefer not teh draw too much attention teh what I am, just in case word leaks."

"As for what I know... I know Novajen was a parasite, some sort of thing that fed on the minds of others. I know the Akavari family had things" he made a rough flapping motion with his arms "err... wings, that had fire about em... so that got me thinkin about what they did, your thing about sun's wings and all... So I traced their family. Genova and Karcier were the only two big ones. Karcier had a wife, can't remember his name, and two kids... although they were hard teh find... they attended the queen's speech though and there was a record on who was there... the librarian gave me a hand with that one... anyway, Genova also had a husband, but I couldn't find if she had any kids like... probably could if I searched for em, but... ah well.

"Karcier's kids kinda dissappeared after he died, but I can guess where they went. Didn't see where they come into Novajen though... Karcier didn't like Novajen at times, and did like her... it at others... The books weren't dated so I couldn't really say much about it... But he and you definitely had some involvement with it.

"Genova, well... there's the obvious thing of 'Novajen', take the 'jen', put it in front of the 'Nova' and change the letters a bit. It was too obvious of a connection, so I ah... went digging... it turned up a few things that gave me some thoughts, but nothing that was certain so, nothing worth mentioning."

"Novajen itself... well, there was the first victim, Sara or something beginning with an S, who started talking about voices to her friends, voices that made her really mad towards her mother or something. After that... well, I can kinda piece together what happened. People around Imperious saw something fall from the skies. S person goes teh check it out, and comes back... Maybe Novajen was damaged in the fall or something, but she didn't seem any different for a while. I'm calling that stage one. After that, she started changing, hearing voices. Stage two. Novajen tries teh influence the way the subject thinks. Stage three, I think I saw when I first saw Novajen. Total control... But those were only cells of the original... maybe the original could do more like. Those things were dead though, so Novajen doesn't need things teh be alive teh live off em."

He paused and stared at his coin, trying to recall something.

"The ones I first met called emselves cells of the original, they said about a reunion, reforming the original, and wanted Reaver and me teh be part of that reunion. They seemed teh be... happy. They said they wanted everyone teh be part of that happiness... said something about immortality as well... i don't know."

"Oh, and the person wondering around the tavern calling themselves Jenova is what's left of it. Don't know what teh make of it... don't seem teh remember much do they?"

Alder cocked his head to one side, trying to remember if he could think of anything else.

"One more thing. I go teh check on Karcier's grave a little while ago, and it's gone, like the whole rest of the Akavari's. Kapeesh. Only thing I know about that is that the guy who did it has big feet."
Teide

Re: Tricks & Giblets imaginarium: Butcher Shop and Alchemy

Post by Teide »

Teide listened but she could not hide the amusement and the edge of something else in her eyes. Still her actual composure remained casually and mildly interested as she dunked her cookie in her tea. She nibbles it as she considers the information...not much of it new. Then again Teide was good at keeping her peace on certain subjects and especially ones on 'monsters'.

"Many hunters will kill a monster they do not understand. Witches are hunted or shunned, necromancers are feared and the list goes on. We've all got skeletons in our closets." Teide's rather dismissive way of saying his secret was safe with her as long as he extended the same curtsey. She starts to trace circles in the wood listening to him and considering not the information but rather the feeling of his aura, the speed of his heartbeat and the feeling of his soul she could feel pulsing in it's odd beat. She felt it like a spider on a web tantalizing and tempting yet it wasn't the time. What should she tell him and not tell him....Reaver and him were involved and meddling...they would break her precious web at this rate...She did consider...simply having him disappear. It would be simple...but then the witcher would come. Had he lied though she would've killed him without hesitation. She was confident that had the witcher come...it seemed like a fun idea...but Teide had to behave. Afterall that wasn't polite. She sighed and pushed the thoughts away. Looking up at the ceiling she finally broke the silence.

Teide shakes her head and looks back at him, "Novajen is a survivor...a remnant of an old old history. There are others like her out there...but each is unique...and they all hold a taint and in each victim the taint grows from the carcass a new sort of abomination. Each of these creatures feed in different ways, have different purposes. Some are mere pawns from the original or they become originals."

Teide taps the handle of her cup, "How much do you really want to know? Those that once held these secrets are dead...you could very well be next."
Silence

Re: Tricks & Giblets imaginarium: Butcher Shop and Alchemy

Post by Silence »

"Sorry what? I wasn't listening and I don't speak this exotic language that you seem teh be using called magic prophecy."

Alder smiled briefly, to show he was joking, although to be honest, he didn't really understand all that that well. What he did get was that Novajen's race was connected to the Akavaris. What he didn't get...

"How is this linked teh all that? And what the hell do you mean by I am chosen? Actually, if you don't wanna explain, don't bother. From the way you said it, I get the feeling, I'll find out myself sooner or later."

Was she looking at him weirdly? Yes, of course she was. He was digging up things that she would probably be more happy to just let lie.

"Karcier... died in the battle against the rose queen, or some other fight... Genova, was executed by Fenia for crimes around defending some place or other. You are still around. That makes, how many killed by this information? Like it or not, I got involved a while ago. Information is never dangerous to the person that holds it unless they go doing something stupid with it. The only reason it could possibly be dangerous like, is if you go and do something cause I know stuff. I'm involved, get it? Not knowing is worse than knowing... cause its the involvement that is the problem, not the knowing like."

"Gosh, I'm starting teh sound like you with all this concept stuff I'm babbling."

Alder leaned forwards so that all four legs of his chair were once again on the floor and placed his bug on the chair. His tone became a bit lower than its usual light hearted tone, but he still maintained a casual posture as he said, "I ain't an Akavari. I ain't going teh go repeating history if I can help it... Reaver isn't doing nothing either about this, so the best way teh get me out of this business is teh convince me why it's under control or why I can only make it worse."

"And please tell me I didn't just go overstepping the mark or something, cause that would be bad... for me... you probably wouldn't, ah... never mind."
Teide

Re: Tricks & Giblets imaginarium: Butcher Shop and Alchemy

Post by Teide »

Teide giggled and rose both brows leaning in clearly delighted at his little outburst. "I wouldn't what? Kill you?" she laughed and wiped away a tear. "What a ridiculous notion." Her eyes glimmered with amusement then the pupils slitted into cruel cat-like eyes, "Of course I would. Everything has a use and your body clearly does. What's to stop me from delivering you helpless and alive to sweet Novajen." she said with such coldness and mirth it was unnerving. The idea pleased her and it would give her pleasure if...he was not more careful.

"Don't come here for information if you indeed to lecture me on things you know nothing about. In the end what killed them was not a loose or a sword. No one killed them for the information but as you learn it will place you in places, magics, and dangers you would not have otherwise faced. It changes you. Who told you Karcier died on the battlefield? That is just laughable." she restrained her impulse behind her smile and rolled her eyes. All it took was a single motion....no no...not yet. She held all the cards. If he blundered about all he could do was hasten the process...calm calm and betray nothing. "You see...I really don't need to convince you of anything. You can make a mess of things and endanger others. Novajen is no threat to me. I was there when Novajen first appeared. I hold the many memories and secrets, pains, betrayals and tears of others. It is up to me if I want to part with it."

Teide tipped her glass and the shelves they sat under and the fine china itself shattered as if hit all at once by an invisible wave and was reduced to sand as it fell on them so it didn't hurt them, "So far I have somewhat found you interesting to watch. Do continue to be so. You're a decent rector after all." she seems to reconsider the merits of killing him for a brief second. She suddenly becomes aware of all the sand and it rolls of it's own force between the floor boards and there is a hollow echo as it seems to fall for a distance below them. "I'm feeling talkative though and amused. Ask a question." she pulls a hand out of a pocket. It was a goblin hand and it was a grotesque sort of jerky. She nibbled on a finger. Teide had a horrible habit of nibbling. She was always hungry.
Silence

Re: Tricks & Giblets imaginarium: Butcher Shop and Alchemy

Post by Silence »

"Umm... I meant... that you wouldn't be at all phazed if I were teh die or anything but... emm, let's move on from that... Sorry, I didn't mean teh lecture yeh."

Alder took a deep breath. He should probably stop babbling around now and just focus on what he could. He twitched uncomfortably as he realised how badly this was going for him. The more he prodded Teide, the more dangerous she would become, but if he didn't try, he wouldn't learn anything. Yet he should have been used to dealing with dangerous people by now... no, surprisingly, he wasn't, despite the number of dangerous people he had dealt with over the past few months. His coin danced around his hand as he considered this problem. Had she just concealed some sort of motion? No, it was too risky jumping to assumptions like that. She could have just found a bone in that goblin finger she was eating... was he reading too much into this?

"Alright... start with what yeh clearly don't mind me knowing like. How is Novajen and her kind linked teh the golems, the time change, and all that?"

Inwardly, he was swearing something profound, with every word he knew. The problem was that he didn't really know what questions he wanted answered. He was here because everything he had uncovered on Novajen had ended in 'go to Teide, she's probably the only one who knows more'. He didn't even know what the right questions were.
Teide

Re: Tricks & Giblets imaginarium: Butcher Shop and Alchemy

Post by Teide »

Teide was meticulously using her fangs to remove the jerky from the bone. The joints and cartilage were almost a strange rubber substance altered so no matter how she chewed the skeleton underneath remained intact and together. Every small joint within the hand had been fused together with the odd goo carefully yet the meat clung to it easily and smelled of a tasty salt and spices mixture. It was not just a mere finger but the whole hand prepared to perfection but really she was pretty open with her policies on the other other types of meats. She licked some of the salt from her lips as she polished off one finger and moved on to the next. She didn't look up at him now as she focused on her treat but the subtle twitch of her ears foretold she was listening. Her empathy now open tingled with anticipation and fear. She then looked up at him casually but practiced eyes could tell she was examining his every gesture.

"I thought that was common knowledge. Seven Mages of Light and Seven Against. Though strangely in the last few years only Zachrin has really been active. The Fallen Mages are called the Fallen because some claim they came from the sky and fell to Secfenia after they were banished for rebelling. After all the havoc that was caused over the centuries they were sealed away in the Void. The Ancients are immortal though and my bookkeeper has been raving their power is returning. Considering all the rifts they ripped open to other worlds, a little time change and golems springing up is nothing big if that were the truth. The Fallen created and warped many of the native races as well. Even your race, the changelings native to Secfenia were known to be one of Damonica's attempts at motherhood...poor warped creature she was...but that was eons ago and many of the native bloodlines, even native Secfenian humans, were wiped out by the outlanders of many races. Most of Secfenia is imported stock now but Novajen...she's an old one."

Teide cleaned the second finger and decided a ring finger would be tasty. She watched Alder's reaction carefully making many decisions moment by moment.
Silence

Re: Tricks & Giblets imaginarium: Butcher Shop and Alchemy

Post by Silence »

Yes, she was definitely studying him. A none changeling might not have picked it up... she was good at this. However, he was already studying her, and part of being a changeling meant that he noticed people's stances, mannerisms and so on almost subconsciously, especially little changes in them. A few years gambling with gypsies and living on the streets had taught him to interpret what he noticed. Still, even he, a particularly observant person, couldn't have noticed it if he weren't already focussing on her, looking for something, anything to give away what she was doing.

Alder, rather than simply faking a posture for her, simply mimicked another peasant he had seen when being told something that they should have known but didn't under friendly company... he hoped that this counted as friendly, since if he had misjudged that, he would be in real trouble. But Teide wasn't giving away much in her posture, so better to make her believe that he felt that this was a friendly talk. In truth, to him, this conversation was friendly to some degree. Most of the peasants started whispering or even just walked away whenever he came near. Teide had actually invited him in with a smile, and now wasn't yelling at him after he had overstepped the mark, and was still answering his questions. The danger of the situation wasn't lost on him, and he probably would have had a hard time putting himself into a posture like this under these circumstances, but still, he didn't feel like he was being ignored or scorned for a change. The irony was not lost on Youken as he smiled, hunched his shoulders and lowered his head in a slightly embarrassed manner.

"I'm a street urchin like. This sort of stuff, nobody ever told me... sorry if I sound really really ignorant like."

Somebody listening to the young changeling's thoughts would have heard a quite literal click as his brain processed this information and drew some new connections from it.

"Seven are five... and seven and one survive... this has something to do with that doesn't it?"

"Alright... Novajen came from the sky... some people call her the calamity from the skies... Jenova almost said it herself... But she can't have been a mage. If she had been, things would have been much worse like. Did she come from the same place then? What is she? What does she want, just teh feed? What will she probably do now? What is this plan you mentioned?... err... sorry, that's too many questions... umm, I still wanna ask em at some point, but emm... ah, might as well get em done with now, right?"

Apparently, he was unphased by Teide eating somebody's hand.

"And ah... what are you really expecting me teh do? I mean, yeh could just read my mind if yeh wanted... I wouldn't know anything about it, and yeh wouldn't need teh keep studying me... What can I do? All I got is this thing," he placed the dagger that he had up his sleeve on the table between the two, "and now I got nothing.2

As he said this, he didn't mean to say that this bothered him or anything. He was genuinely curious about what Teide's thought process was.
Teide

Re: Tricks & Giblets imaginarium: Butcher Shop and Alchemy

Post by Teide »

Teide finished the last of her goblin finger jerky exposing the raw skeletal digits. It was held together by a sort of flexible rubber. She placed it pad to pad against her own small fingers and moved it along, following the path of her hand. She played with the goblin's hand as he conveyed his questions and responses to which she seemed to only half listen. Her eyes flickered away and focused on the goblin's hand. Instead her empathy opened feeding to her the feeling of his words. She listened to the degree of his voice, the tune in his accent. Teide closed her eyes and processed the pronunciation of his syllables. Indeed even as she seemed to play with her food, the twitch of her ears were ever attentive as she simply disregarded what her eyes might say. She didn't want her senses muddled by the mask he was honing from the moment he said street urchin. Teide herself had survived on the streets. She knew former urchins were the very best at striking a pose, being resourceful and feeling their situations in a cool level-headed manner their cushy homed counter-parts lacked. Those urchins that did not have an extra bit of common sense to hone these traits would never survive adulthood. It was part of the very reason Alder was more dangerous to Teide than Reaver had ever been. She had survived despite her diminutive size, her very obvious non human traits and multiple attempts. As she touched each finger of the goblin she was counting five paths to keep him off that sacred rabbit trail. The changeling was the same age as her and she could see something in him..She answered without looking at him. Her voice amused with a softness.

"Ahhh...so finally the changeling has a candle marked on the letters of my little riddle.....Yes the seven Fallen; Doumar the Mage of Wrath and Death, Ashila the kitsune and avatar of Lust and Curses...also the Patroness of Witches. Let's see...Azrael the Werewolf her mate was the Mage of Pride and Self-Empowerment also known as the 'god' of war and man-beasts. Damonica...ohh she is the one of the most influence yet the saddest...The beautiful angel corrupted and turned into the Night Mother. From her taint even your race was born along with many others...all those with blood from the firstborn of THIS world that is. She was the Mage of insanity and sloth but not evil..."


Teide seemed to pause and shake her head sadly thinking to herself the old tale.

"Then there was Bodush Malak the Mage of Greed and the great blacksmith of the Fallen. He is the Patron of Orcs and the creator of the cauldron." She mentioned this Cauldron for an important reason but moved on.

"Then there was the dancing dragon elf Xellior Mage of Gluttony and Deceit and finally Etaine the Phoenix. She was the Mage of Envy and Disease. So you see Novajen is most certainly not one of the Fallen but she is a remnant...and very ancient remnant of their power and a creation. One of the strongest to be seen for a long time. As I said there are others of her kind but really mere shadows and always a reflection of the Mage that has 'corrupted' them. The stronger the being tainted the better but created beings are incredibly rare....extinct even in a sense. What would she do? She already told you."

Teide leans back and turns her head with eyes closed to the wall and seemed to stare at her potions are if they would come alive and attack her in the face. For his personal question it seemed better to answer somewhat truthfully.

"Alder...the most powerful forces in this world are knowledge and creativity. With the right information and a bit of imagination....you can always always win...even when it seems like you've lost. Finding the path between takes both and I've seen gods fall, legends fade and phoenixes die. For all the strength, the dexterity and power they possessed and vast swathes of magic in their hands...a mind that never gives up, a will unyielding coupled with knowledge and creativity is by far more dangerous...because you can find the roads to undo power, shield against magic, outmaneuver strength, and dance against dexterity. I see it in you and all you need is to grow. Be patient with the world around you. Gleam and grow and you've the potential to see the world in a very different lens...but again that is up to your own thinking. When you settle for what you think you are...you cease. It's not just about what's in your hand."
Silence

Re: Tricks & Giblets imaginarium: Butcher Shop and Alchemy

Post by Silence »

Well that was an excellent way of saying a whole load without really saying anything. He probably wasn't going to get anything out of her that she didn't want to say... unless he acted as if he already knew it. That would be difficult when she could read his mind. No, it would be impossible. Teide was not going to muck up here, so he might as well stop trying to get her to do so. Just being honest was probably the best option. She wouldn't have let him stay this long if she didn't intend to tell him something.

"I... don't get it... I mean, which one of them is Novajen a part of? Which one is she trying to reform or release or something? She's got lots of little parts, like changelings... so, the same one? I don't know, that's just a guess. Why are they five? Are you saying that numbers two through six are dead or something and the first and last are still around? Or is that to do with Zachthingummy and the Gretty one? They're the only two I've heard of, so did the others end up having some problem or something?"

Alder shook his head to clear it and tried again. Since she wasn't looking at him, he didn't bother to put on any airs, simply slumped in his chair, making himself feel more comfortable.

"Never mind, that's just me wondering out loud I guess. You aren't really telling me much are you? Ah well, you're gonna tell me what you want teh and nothing else anyway, so it doesn't much matter what I ask. Yeh must have invited me here for something like, and it clearly wasn't teh stop me from interfering, or yeh wouldn't have told me this much... "

She could read his mind anyway, so he might as well voice his thoughts and save both of them from wasting time.

"Might as well try teh get as much as I can from yeh though I guess... probably won't make a difference, but... ah well, Novajen wants teh reform itself, whatever itself is. What will that mean? And what are you planning teh do with it... or is she a her? I dunno, ignore that last question if yeh like. I guess the other big question is 'how was it almost killed last time?'"
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