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Tweak says, "THE FIST ARE BACK!"

Theora (elunesgrace) wrote in nosuchplace,
@ 2009-02-27 18:49:00

Entry tags:

dylan uzoma, theora

Friday: December 21, 2007
Who: Theora and Dylan
When: Around 2 PM
Where: Arts & Trade Enclave
What: Making sure everything is set up for the grand opening

The steady beat of hooves echoed through the trees of the Northern forest as Theora made her way toward the Arts and Trade Enclave. The fresh, winter air invigorated the priestess and her steed. The Elven stallion ran hard and fast over the path, kicking up a flurry of snow with each stride. Theora's hair was flowing behind her as her hands gripped onto the reins tightly. The trip to the enclave would have taken at least twenty or so minutes, but Theora made it in less than ten.

Horse and rider didn't slow down until they reached the base of the stairs that led up to the newly renovated building. Theora dismounted, and tied her horse in the corral before she ascended the numerous steps to the enclave. The priestess had arranged to meet Dylan in order to perform a final inspection before the grand opening. The Head Council had been eagerly awaiting the completion of the project in order to announce it to the citizens. It would give the people another area to visit outside of Helicharis, and hopefully lift their spirits.

The priestess entered the building, and shook the snow from the hem of her gown. She removed the cape she had been wearing, and slung it over the back of one of the chairs that stood in the entrance. "Dylan?" She called out. Theora's voice resonated along the high walls and ceiling of the foyer, and she took a few more steps into the building. "Dylan, are you here?" Theora peeked into the architectural wing, but found nothing. Perhaps she had just come too early? With a slight shrug she made her way toward one of the cushioned benches and sat down. She had no other choice than to wait. Thankfully, the priestess was a patient woman.

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wishgranted
2009-03-01 04:29 pm UTC (link)

Dylan descended the steps from the small, elevated room connected to the main hall to make it back down to the first level. He had been glancing out of the windows at the scenery, admiring the enclave’s position against the mountainside, when he noticed Theora approaching in the distance. The djinni had arrived ahead of schedule as it was a common practice for him to show up early for any event. As he descended the steps with his hand upon the railing, Dylan smiled at the priestess. She was sitting on a bench in the main hall, seemingly waiting for him to arrive.

“Good afternoon, Theora,” he said to her, coming off the last of the steps. “I apologize for wandering off. I arrived early and decided to see the scenery from the windows in the room above. It is very beautiful out here. I hope the citizens will enjoy a getaway apart from the city.” It wasn’t a resort by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a very useful place for the citizens to learn various arts and trades in the proper forums that could not be found in the city itself. Dylan believed it was a worthy project for them to have pursued.

He approached her bench, one of his arms held across his middle. “Would you like to observe what we have been told is the finished product?” Dylan asked with a small smile on his face. “I am told it is ready and perfect, but we can never be too sure. It may need an extra touch or two before the grand opening.” He offered his arm to her in preparation for their walk around the grounds.

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elunesgrace
2009-03-04 05:52 pm UTC (link)

Elves were known for their keen senses, and Theora had heard Dylan's footsteps descending from above even before the djinni said a word. She smiled at him, eyes brightening to a twinkle. Theora always showed up early for appointments, but Dylan had beaten her this time around. It didn't bother Theora, though it did make her feel as if she had arrived late.

"Good afternoon, Dylan," she said as she rose to stand. She held up a hand when he apologized, and shook her head to dismiss it. "There is no need to apologize. I only hope that I have not kept you waiting for very long." Theora could not blame Dylan for wandering around the enclave; it was a beautiful building surrounded by beautiful scenery. She merely smiled at the djinni, nodding her head in agreement with his words. She too hoped that the people would enjoy the new building.

The priestess smiled at him, and slipped her hand through the crook in his arm. "It never hurts to look over everything once more," she said as they began to walk through the newly renovated building. "Where shall we start? The architectural wing? Or perhaps the astronomy tower?" Or wherever Dylan wanted to go, she thought, as she waited for djinni to lead her through the enclave.

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wishgranted
2009-03-04 10:20 pm UTC (link)

There was an amused crook to the corner of his mouth as they began to walk in no direction in particular. "I imagine we shall walk until we find ourselves in another room," Dylan said, and it was an attempt at a joke for the djinni. He turned his head to smile brightly at Theora, looking ahead once more as the solid soles of his shoes clacked almost musically against the polished stone beneath their feet. He had not yet wandered into any of the other buildings, remaining in the main hall as he waited for Theora's arrival at the enclave.

His feet veered towards the left, which was the passage into the nearby ballroom. The enormous gilded double doors were already parted for their entrance, as were all other doors in the enclave right now, and they opened up into a short corridor. The doors at the end of that were open as well, and they gave way to a breath-taking sight ahead of the djinni and elf: a seemingly golden ballroom made of warm and neutral colors, stretching out far ahead of them. Sunlight rays poured down from the windows of the tower ceiling above in the center of the room, bathing the ballroom in brightness. It was a gorgeous sight, and it only needed music in order to make the picture complete.

Dylan's gaze was fixed upwards, amazed at all that he saw before him. "You would think after six hundred years things would fail to continually amaze you, but I find every year I am filled with the same awe I once experienced as a child," he told her, as he gazed around the ballroom.

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elunesgrace
2009-03-05 07:17 pm UTC (link)

Theora chuckled softly under her breath at Dylan's comment. It was indeed very funny to the priestess since she had found herself in moments such as that. It was something that only those as old as Theora and Dylan would understand, and to them it was amusing. "There have been times where I have wandered until I have found myself in another country entirely!" She chuckled a bit more, her arm still holding onto Dylan's lightly.

She allowed the djinni to lead the way through the grand hallway toward one of the first rooms on the left. The ballroom was magnificent. It had only taken a few steps in to render the priestess awestruck. The golden hues of the room filled Theora with warmth and happiness, and she could imagine people dancing around the floor as music resonated all around them.

She answered Dylan's statement with a nod, eyes affixed upward before she said anything at all. "Things are always changing," she said finally in a soft voice. "And because of that we are presented with new and wonderful things that we have never experienced before. It is best to gaze at the world with a childlike curiosity, do you not agree?" Theora gazed at him with a small smile. She had slipped her arm from his to wander about the room, examining every corner to insure that it was indeed perfect.

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wishgranted
2009-03-09 02:43 pm UTC (link)

Dylan burst into hearty laughs at Theora's reply to his joke, finding it to be one of the most amusing things ever told to him. He could not help but shake his head as his deep laughter gave way to quieter, rumbling chuckles in his chest. His smile reached his eyes with a glistening spark, its incandescence brighter than the luminescence of the walls and floors around them. Today, he was in high spirits. It was doubtful anything would be capable of shaking them.

His smile had only faded briefly enough for him to be awestruck by the ballroom as much as Theora, his gaze wandering about to take all of it in. It returned to his face as he listened to Theora speak and turned to face her once more at the end. "Yes, I do agree," Dylan replied. "The world is always changing no matter how old we get, and we were made to not grow weary so young." He was old in terms of comparison towards other livings beings, but Dylan thought of himself as rather young in terms of his own personal thoughts. Djinn did not grow to be one or two hundred years old, and at six hundred he was merely middle-aged from the viewpoint of his kind and people.

As Theora wandered off to explore the ballroom, so did Dylan. He walked over to the wide, long windows to the left of the room and peered out to the open stone courtyard overlooking the river below and beyond. The edge was decorated with three gazebos of elven influence. Dylan smiled and moved back toward the center of the ballroom, his hand grazing across one of the pillars as he went. "They did an astounding job," he said, commending those who had worked on restoring the structure. "I would have believed this place to be brand new."

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elunesgrace
2009-03-10 08:07 pm UTC (link)

There was something to be said about finding humor in the simplest things, even after living for 500 years. Not many people could do that even after 50 years. The djinni's and priestess's laughter echoed throughout the halls of the enclave, subsiding only when they entered the grand ballroom. They were both amazed at the beauty presented before them, and it was hard to believe that the building was in near disrepair just a few months prior.

Theora joined Dylan by the window, peering out onto the courtyard for a few moments even as the djinni left her side. She too was amazed at the work done on the entire structure, inside and out. The gazebos were perfect, and Theora could imagine people sitting out there on a summer day, enjoying the landscape all around them.

She followed Dylan to the center of the ballroom, and looked upward at the ceiling. "Do you remember when we first came here? The walls were crumbling, windows were broken, and the roof was non-existent. And now look at it all..." She sighed happily, and then smiled at Dylan. "All that it really needs is people to use it. I am looking forward to the grand opening."

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wishgranted
2009-03-16 03:14 pm UTC (link)

He nodded his head, recalling the state of ruin the enclave had been in before they decided to renovate it into a center for arts and trade. He was not sure what it was originally used for in the days of old. When they first laid eyes on it, the walls were crumbling, no furniture or dressings of any sort could be found, and the whole place looked as if decay swept over it in a tumultuous tempest. It was true this particular building did not even have a roof, which was the fate of a few of the buildings. The ancient structure appeared to have been abandoned by the wayside of yesteryears.

The only building untouched by withering decay in the land of Elysium was the palace in the northeast. For some reason, it meant the most to those who came before; they protected it well with their magic, which had lasted long into modern times. Still, it protected the palace from the climate and other outside bearings, preventing nature from tearing it down slowly but surely.

Dylan thought not of decay at this moment, though. The renovation was complete, and a perfectly new building made from old ruins surrounded them. “It is quite lovely,” Dylan said with a smile, turning to Theora. He held out his hand to her. “Perhaps our feet can be the first to dance upon the floor?” It was a request to dance with him. Certainly, the brightly amused look on his face would give it away.

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elunesgrace
2009-03-18 08:31 pm UTC (link)

It was true that the palace was the only ancient building that survived the test of time, and she knew it was only because of the magic that protected it. Theora wondered why this particular building did not deserve the same treatment. It did not matter, though, since they were able to bring the ruins back to life with a little bit of time and work.

The smile that crossed the priestess's lips was an undeniable "yes" to Dylan's invitation. "Why Mr. Uzoma," she said being just a little bit playful with the djinni. "I would very much enjoy a dance with you." She then gave him her most elegant curtsy, bowing down in a fluid motion that made her robes move like flowing water. Theora stood up, and placed her hand within his outstretched one. Her other hand immediately went to his shoulder, and she readied herself to dance.

It might have seemed odd to dance without any music, but that fact didn't bother Theora one bit. She had lived long enough to know that music was something that one didn't have to physically hear in order to dance to it. She also liked the idea of "christening" the ballroom by being the first to dance upon it. She looked up at Dylan, smiling serenely at the taller man as she waited for him to take the lead.

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wishgranted
2009-03-24 05:26 pm UTC (link)

Dylan typically did not indulge in random dances, but given their reasons for being here today, it was not out of the ordinary for him to consider it. A lot of walking was not terribly appealing, so there was nothing wrong with them testing out the rooms. Since this was a ballroom, it made sense for them to dance and see whether or not it made a delightful ballroom. He took her outstretched hand and placed the other one modestly upon her upper waist. With a smile and a tilt of his head, they began to dance in a formal manner across the shimmering ballroom floor.

The djinni did not need music either in order to dance. He could imagine any number of tunes inside of his head as their feet guided them in the proper direction with each step, and he could even time just how long they spent upon the ballroom's floor before their dance had ended. When they came to a slow stop, he released her hand and waist and proceeded to bow in her direction. Perhaps next time he would discover if Theora was accustomed to djinn dances, and they could try something different next time. "I do believe the floor can hold our feet," he said with amusement, eyes twinkling as he offered her his arm again.

"Would you like to see more of the enclave now?" Dylan asked, casting his gaze over to Theora at his side. He waited for her to answer or perhaps to take the first step. The next room they entered would be up to her choosing unless she insisted he pick once again.

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elunesgrace
2009-04-02 11:56 pm UTC (link)

There were traditional Elven dances that Theora was well-versed in, but her travels around the world had allowed her to add many more to her repertoire. There was no need for music as she and Dylan floated around the dance floor. The djinni was an excellent lead, and Theora followed along easily with each step. It held elements of a waltz, and yet it wasn't exactly. Whatever it was it was enjoyable for the priestess, and she was a little sad when it came to an end. She curtsied to the djinni, and took her place by his side, her hand slipping comfortably into the crook of his elbow.

"Let us hope that it can do the same under the weight of hundreds of dancers." She accepted his invitation to see the rest of the enclave, and it was she who took the first step out of the ballroom. "Shall we go across the hall toward the architectural wing?" It wasn't a question that needed approval since they were already headed in that direction. Theora didn't think Dylan would mind her choice since they would have to inspect it eventually.

The room was quite large with grand windows all around, and bright lights overhead. Drafting tables were set up for use by anyone who visited the room. Shelves filled with books dedicated to architecture alone, as well as tables at which to study them. There were also cabinets filled with every supply a person would need. Theora gazed around the room, nodding as she took a survey of the area. She was obviously pleased, and she wondered what Dylan thought of the room.

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wishgranted
2009-04-10 03:14 pm UTC (link)

"It would be a pity if it could not hold the number of feet it was meant to hold," Dylan commented with a little curl to the corner of his mouth. When their arms linked once more, Dylan followed Theora's steps toward the architectural wing. He certainly didn't mind her choice since they would be visiting each wing of the enclave in due time, regardless of in what order. "I do believe that shall be a short visit," Dylan said with a laugh. "I am afraid we may not have the time to try to design a building, so we will have to forgo testing out the architectural wing. I'm sure no one will mind too much, though. The sooner we open up the enclave, the sooner everyone can employ it for their own needs."

The architectural wing was tall area with wide open floors covered in multiple drafting tables. The walls contained many shelves of books for the subject at hand. Dylan glanced up. Above their heads on a balcony floor was another place for studying and further creation. The center of the floor was nothing but open air, though, centered off in a square shape with railing around the edges for the balcony floor above them. A tower rested at the very top, letting in numerous shafts of glowing light from outside through the windows.

"They did a wonderful job on this wing as well," Dylan said, looking to the open areas above them heads. He turned to Theora, smiling. "I imagine we do not need to test out this wing, do we?" His footsteps fell with soft sounds as he lead them towards an exit. Beyond that was the astronomy wing and tower. "I would like to the see the top of the astronomy wing. I bet it is beautiful up there. I might have to come here to use it quite often."

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elunesgrace
2009-04-16 12:07 am UTC (link)

The architectural wing was beautiful, and Theora imagined that this room would get a lot of use once the enclave was opened. She smiled at Dylan, laughing a little at him comment. "I do believe that testing out this room would not be as enjoyable as our test of the ballroom." She allowed the djinni to lead the way out of one wing, and into the other. Like Dylan, Theora was looking forward to the astronomy wing as well. She had always had a love for the heavens, and it was the one place she knew she would never get to visit in her lifetime.

"Perhaps you and I will have to fight over the telescope," Theora teased, nudging Dylan with her elbow. She imagined that the skies were beautiful at night with nothing but stars overhead. She remembered times when she was younger, much much younger than she was now, when she would lie down upon the soft grasses around her home, gazing up at the stars. All her training in the world would never allow her to reach the stars above.

They entered the astronomy wing, and immediately the priestess's eyes lit up with wonderment. "Yes, I do believe this will be my favorite part of the enclave." The walls were decorated like the night sky with constellations, and there were more windows here than the other rooms thus far. There was also a winding staircase leading up toward the tower where the largest telescope in the wing was located. Theora wanted to go up there first, but she was nothing if not polite, and she waited for Dylan to go first.

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wishgranted
2009-04-19 02:54 pm UTC (link)

“No, I do not believe it will be,” Dylan replied with a soft smile on his features, his eyes glittering with unspoken humor.

He felt a laugh surging up to meet his lips as Theora teased of them fighting over the telescope. He could not help but tease her back. “Where is this generosity of the elves I have heard so much about?” he jested, feigning to look admonished. “I believe I have been told unnecessary falsehoods!” A chuckle spilled forth from his lips, and he shook his head as they walked along the hall. It wasn’t long before their feet reached the astronomy wing, and Dylan was as much taken aback as Theora as he observed the elegance with which the room was created.

“I concur,” Dylan agreed with Theora. He, too, held a fascination for the heavens and the stars above, and he knew this room would be of great enjoyment for him to put to use. He stepped forward slowly, his head falling back to take in all of the paintings made on the walls and ceiling of the constellations beyond. A fiery sunset draped the room in burning reds and searing oranges. “This would be a thing of beauty even more at night,” he said aloud, noting the silver and gold paint, the shimmery metallic tone underneath. They would glow even with the smallest glints of light during the nighttime hours.

Dylan approached the staircase as he walked across the room, gazing at everything around him. However, he paused at the steps and turned to see Theora not too far off. He gestured for her to ascend the stairwell first. “The generosity of the djinn,” he joked with a small twinkle to his eyes.

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Fin.

elunesgrace
2009-05-08 10:33 pm UTC (link)

Theora was old, but she was not so old that she could not playfully tease her companion. "Our generosity is overrated," she said with a laugh. "Elven females are nothing if not selfish." She laughed even more, the sound of her voice mixing well with Dylan's much deeper chuckle. It was not often that she had the chance to spend time with the djinn apart from their Head Council duties, and while this counted as a necessary task it was much more laid back than anything else they had done in the past.

The room was breathtaking, and Theora could not help but be awestruck. Whomever decorated this room paid great attention to detail, and she sensed that they too appreciated the stars just as much as she and Dylan. It was entirely peaceful as well, and Theora thought that this would be a wonderful place for meditation as well.

Dylan's joke was not lost upon Theora, and she could not help the small smile that formed upon her lips. "How very gracious of you, sir," she said with a graceful curtsy. It was a pity that the winding staircase was only big enough for one person to climb at a time; otherwise, she would have invited Dylan to join her side so they could enter the room together. She stepped on the first stair, and then turned to smile at Dylan. "Your generosity shall not be forgotten." And though Theora took the first step she had already taken a hold of Dylan's hand to walk with him up toward the observatory.

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