seloria cassul ; dancer (mesmerist) wrote in emillion, @ 2014-03-21 21:41:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !log, seloria cassul, siri d'albis |
WHO: Seloria & Siri
WHEN: Pisces 17 (March 07) [backdate]
WHERE: Noble’s District (around the hole)
WHAT: Two young nobles meet by a big hole in the ground.
STATUS: Complete
Before the prophet found the World Tree, she stayed at the edges of the hole, walking around the circumference: count each step but keep a distance, weaving in and out of the crowd. Siri was careful, she didn’t peer into the hole, she didn’t test it. She had no wish to fall, no wish to see hell (and it was, wasn’t it? what rested below in those depths: hell). But moving in and out of crowds had downsides, including rough brushes with those who didn’t see her and whom she didn’t see. Some of those caused uncomfortable, oppressive discomfort (usually they carried secrets and whispered sins). Siri counted backwards, from a hundred to zero. That was how big it was. Seloria hadn’t had much of an interest in the whole outside of a passing fancy. She would have rather ignored it, except there was a crowd there today. Not only was there a crowd, but there was a figure weaving around it. Had something changed? Had someone fallen in? It didn’t appear as if anyone was ready to rescue anyone. But the figure continued to move around it snaking in and out of the bodies. She looked Ordalian in origin, but there was something about her features that the lady recognized as she moved closer. “Siri?” she called, quite surprised to see her here. She was surprised to see her there acting so curiously. “Lady D’Albis,” she corrected herself. It had been such a long time since they’d seen each other back at the keep. She didn’t know if it was proper to call her so informally anymore. The dancer moved closer to the crowd, looking over the group and attempting to catch the older woman’s attention again. “Lady D’Albis” she called once more. It was not an attempt to avoid conversation, Siri was distracted (as often was the case) with voices, sighs and something else. The second time her name (title) echoed, she lifted her head to look around, spotting Seloria in the crowd. Everything about the blonde was familiar, from her features to the way she held herself (Rictor and Aspel came alive around the edges — Siri blinked twice to focus). “Lady Cassul.” Formality was met with formality, Siri was unsure on how to step here. Being sister to Rictor granted her always a certain level of warmth, but she was still in many ways a stranger. Siri wondered if Seloria remembered her too, like Aspel and Rictor did, before the Feywoods. Probably not. “Be careful not to lean too far in, there is only fire at the end of that fall.” Seloria felt a wave of relief at seeing Siri finally look up and acknowledge her. She would have felt odd calling to her again as it would draw the attention of the people around them to her. To them. But still, when Siri’s eyes came into focus, she’d see the worried expression on Seloria’s face. She opened her mouth to ask how the woman was feeling, but then the other woman warned her about the hole. She spoke as she typed and it was all so confusing to the youngest Cassul. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t understand what she was saying, as being around bards made that sort of talk easy to weather. It was more that she’d mention the hole went to hell. It made her want to look down and see if someone saw anything new, because she didn’t feel any heat coming from it. “People have already been inside. They say it’s just a big hole full of dirt,” she attempted to reassure her. She tilted her head, puzzled by Seloria’s declaration that people said it was just a hole full of dirt. That was not what Siri saw when she glanced at the edges of it, there had been something in there — maybe it still was there for all she knew. Between the dirt and fire, looking up at the sky and cursing Faram. “It’s not.” But no further elaboration came, there was only so much Siri could do to show people, right now she felt too tired to be drawn into a debate about how and why she knew. Instead she changed the topic, “You look well. Are you not concerned about the hole?” It’s not. The two words were enough to make the hairs on the back of Seloria’s neck stand on end. She remembered, vaguely, the visits of Siri back at Cassul Keep. While she’d been one of Rictor’s most closest friends, Seloria had only had short snippets of their encounters. It’s not just a hole she had said and Seloria would listen. It was not because of the fact that Siri was a known prophetess. It was for other reasons. “Thank you,” she said, first, in response to being told she looked well. Then when she the question was posed about the gaping maw that had been ripped into the street by the earthquake, her frown deepened. “I am,” she answered honestly. “No one knows what caused the earthquake,” she explained and took a deep pause before leading Siri away from the crowd so they could talk more. “With all that has happened in this city, it is hard to see it as anything other than a threat. I just wish they would fill it already instead of leaving it there.” Siri followed Seloria slowly, half-smiling at the younger girl — Kerwon was at the tips of her fingers when those from back home closed in. There was a pounding noise inside her head, a steady drumming that drowned out the crowd, like the beat of a dance. It came from the youngest Cassul rising steadily. “How much has happened?” She was new, so everything going on was still a novelty to her, an unwelcome novelty and she wondered if Councilor Aeren had this in mind when he sent her to Emillion’s Guild. “I’m not sure the hole can be filled so easily. It has to swallow first, until it isn’t parched anymore.” “Rictor has not informed you of the dangers of wandering the streets alone here?” While there was the common sense knowledge of cutthroats and thieves, she’d come to experience much more than that. “Perhaps we should find a place to have tea, where it is warm?” And away from the hole that she kept referring to as a living thing. Swallow? Did she mean more were going to die? It was hardly a prediction only Siri could make. Considering all the other things that had happened. It was as if all the elements were simply taking turns thrashing the city. She would not be surprised. “That would be, if you would like to go inside,” she added in hindsight. Working with children had led her to a more authoritative way of speaking. It should not be too far to the area full of cafes and bistros in the corner of the nobles’ district. She didn’t have to tell Siri everything, but considering how dear she was to her brother, she wanted to be helpful. “He has not.” Perhaps she ought to be careful? Siri was not particularly worried about thieves and such, being seen around with Cian afforded her a level of protection, unspoken but present — heavy weight around her shoulders. The prophetess smiled at Seloria, “It’ll be fine.” Whatever happened, happened because Faram willed it, Siri could live with that or rather, die at His command. Her mind moved from the hole to the young woman in front of her, trying to find the ties from the memories of Kerwon to her now. The thought of going indoors did not appeal at all, “I wish to stay here, I’m waiting for someone.” Or something, Siri was not sure but the tie between the hole and her was a chain that would keep Siri orbiting around until released. Such was her way. “But you should get out of the cold, have tea.” It sounded nice, maybe she would do that later, once she could untie herself from this knot. “Well, he should have,” the blonde said, clearly disappointed in her brother’s priorities, especially considering all that had happened since she’d arrived. Siri had said it would be fine, and she was a woman, although a strange one, who was older than Seloria. She wanted to trust her judgment, and more so her gut feeling being reinforced by Siri’s unnerving descriptions of the hole in the ground. “Stay here.” Near that thing. She didn’t want to stay here, near the hole. The only reason she’d gotten so close was because she’d seen Siri there. “Well, if you are waiting for someone, I shall not keep you,” she relented. She bowed her head politely. “Please do keep safe.” Her brows were clearly lined with concern. The dancer wasn’t going to hang around and hover like a mother hen. Siri was a grown woman, and had handled herself longer than Seloria had. With that in mind, she went along her way. |