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Lysander of the Clear Sky ([info]kytherion) wrote in [info]nosuchplace,
@ 2009-10-23 21:54:00

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Entry tags:lysander harsi herrenlaia, theora

Thursday: February 14, 2008
Who: Lysander and Theora
When: afternoon
Where: Helicharis, wandering about
What: Lysander steals a few moments to explore alone

He had the sneaking suspicion that Xanthus had lied to him and was currently stalking him just out of eyesight. Lysander knew that his training had been directed for a very specific purpose, a very important, singularly important purpose; just now, however, he was wishing that he was better at tracking things. Or at least noticing them.

"Oh," Lysander suddenly derailed in a quiet, curious tone as he looked through a glass window (a substance he was only mildly familiar with) to see colored glass twisted into artistic shapes that defied description. He came to a halt and cupped his hands on either side of his face to block the afternoon sun from interfering with his view into the room. The glass shape before him was a cool blue that swirled up like an ocean wave might against a cliff side. He was sure it was supposed to be used for something, but Lysander couldn't guess what. It's beautiful lack of symmetry took it out of the running for a vessel of some kind.

He moved slowly across the window, breath leaving a trail high on the window as he examined each piece. Having never seen an art exhibit before, he couldn't make the necessary comparison to it. It stole his attention thoroughly, even as the white fur wrapped about his shoulders began to slip down, cockeyed on his frame.

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[info]elunesgrace
2009-10-26 09:46 pm UTC (link)
"Lysander," the priestess said as she came upon the young centaur. The elf was familiar with the young Kytherion of the herd living in Elysium, and though they had only met briefly in the past Theora felt a certain kinship to the boy through their designated positions within their respective cultures. The elven maiden stepped closer to the centaur as he gazed through the window of the glassblower's shop. She could see his fascination with the colorful shapes in the window, and it brought a smile to her face despite the tumult going on around her. Search parties had been going out all day, and there were still a few slated to go out later in the day.

"Beautiful, are they not," Theora asked as she stood next to Lysander. "They are particularly amazing when the sun is allowed to shine through them." She smiled at him just as she moved to adjust the fur wrap that was falling off his shoulders. He was so young to have such a responsibility placed on him, and yet she could relate clearly to the pressures placed upon him.

She stepped back to give the boy some space, and moved to push some strands of hair behind her ear. "How are you doing," she asked since she was sincerely worried about Lysander.

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[info]kytherion
2009-10-26 11:07 pm UTC (link)
Lysander turned in surprise to hear a female and not the usual gruff, mocking tone of Xanthus call his name. It was Theora, and she picked up the fur hanging off his shoulders like his mum would do.

She was an elf so Lysander thought her personal radiance was at least equal to the pieces of glass he was looking at, but he got the sneaking suspicion that if she was someone with a lifespan more like his, spidery lines framing her vivid eyes would be crinkling evidence of the day's events. He turned and backed up a bit so that when he leaned his upper body on the building, it wasn't on the fragile glass but on the wooden frame.

"Pretty good," he answered honestly, though it wasn't the exuberant reply he thought she might like to hear. "I should thank you for thoroughly distracting Xanthus, even if it's not for the best of reasons he's distracted. I've been trying to use the time wisely, by which I mean all to my own desire."

That statement turned his welcoming smile into a teenage smirk.

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[info]elunesgrace
2009-10-29 03:13 am UTC (link)
It was in Theora's nature to be caring to those around her, but the priestess did hold a certain fondness for the young centaur. Her lips curled into a soft smile, and for a moment she pushed aside the events of the day to focus on Lysander. It would not be fair for him if she were distracted in the midst of their conversation. "You should consider taking one home," she said with a pointed look at the colored glass. "I happen to like this one," Theora said as she pointed to a small replica of Notre Dame's famous rose window.

The boy's answer pleased the priestess, and though it would go unnoticed by most people she let out a relieved sigh. It did not need to a happy or exuberant response, only an honest one. Those were the kind that Theora appreciated most. The comment about Xanthus brought forth a small giggle, and she lifted a finger in playful reprimand. "I do hope you have been staying out of trouble," she said. "Or else I may just call Xanthus back from the search parties." Her words were meant to tease the teenager something that the tone of her voice would have indicated. Theora remembered well her times with a guardian when she was younger, but they were few, and most of her time was spent alone where she would have to fend for herself. Lysander was lucky to have someone like Xanthus by his side.

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[info]kytherion
2009-10-29 03:32 am UTC (link)
Lysander rolled his eyes dramatically, adding a snicker. "He can't help but impose his own experiences on me. He was a brash, adventurous youth and he thinks I am to be too!" he replied with a laughing defensiveness.

It was all speculation, of course, but alpha was alpha. He couldn't imagine his boisterous, self-assured, alpha superiority being something he developed as an adult. Lysander was responsible- he'd been responsible all his life. Okay, maybe he did have an over developed sense of curiosity, but responsibly so.

He turned to look at the glass she pointed out. "It's very pretty," he replied, though not agreeing with her on it's top status. Then, he shrugged and looked back to Theora. "What do you do with it?"

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[info]elunesgrace
2009-10-30 10:01 pm UTC (link)
Theora laughed along with Lysander, and understood completely where the young man was coming from. Theora knew that most people stereotyped youngsters, teenagers especially, to be boisterous, and troublemakers. Theora knew that Lysander did not fall into that category, and that Xanthus hovered around the young centaur to keep him safe, not to stop him from having fun. Though Theora was sure that Lysander felt smothered at times because of his protector.

"The glass," she questioned. "Well, I suppose that many people simply use them for decoration," Theora answered with a tilt of her head. "I have seen some hanging in the windows of cottages, but I do not see any other purpose for them beyond that." Theora touched the window for a moment with her slender fingers before she turned to face the centaur.

"Walk with me? I would like to speak with you about something," she said suddenly. The truth was that there had been something stirring in the back of the priestess's mind, a sense of foreboding that carried itself upon the wind. She could not interpret what she was feeling, but perhaps Lysander could. He was, after all, a Kytherion, and he was quite skilled with his gift.

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[info]kytherion
2009-10-30 11:25 pm UTC (link)
Lysander's head tilted gently at the request and, for a moment, was surprised that this wasn't a chance meeting at all.

But it was only a moment. He wondered how elves looked at the stars, or if they did at all. Lysander's midnight eyes flickered upwards, though he didn't need to see to know what was up there.

He nodded and gestured before him. "Lead the way."

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[info]elunesgrace
2009-11-03 10:05 pm UTC (link)
Theora did not set out to find Lysander specifically, though she could see how the young centaur would think that. It was mere happenstance that the priestess had run into Lysander, and with that she was reminded of the questions that had been plaguing her mind. It was a most fortunate meeting in Theora’s eyes, and she hoped that the young Kytherion would be able to assist her.

She began to walk alongside the centaur in silence that lasted but a few moments. “For the last few weeks I have been struck with a sense of omen that has been brought with the wind. I cannot pinpoint it directly, but I know that it is there.” She paused for a moment as a breeze gathered around them, filtering itself through the folds of her robes, and her hair. She closed her eyes, and listened to the slight murmur that was carried with it. Theora turned to look at Lysander. “Perhaps you could use your skills to verify, or disprove, what I have been sensing. “ She paused, and then offered up a smile for the centaur. “Please. I would not ask if I did not think it was important.”

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[info]kytherion
2009-11-04 02:27 am UTC (link)
Lysander looked at her with innocently piercing eyes, trusting his feet to pay enough attention to the ground to not trip over anything. He listened to her words, but more importantly, he watched her face, watched her air and carriage.

That she was being honest wasn't of doubt, but he sought out the severity of conviction her intuition had. Like it had when she first addressed him, the pretty stillness of her waters ran terribly deep. Concerns here and concerns abroad must be weighing heavier, Lysander thought, than what she showed. They must be. He could almost feel it.

His eyebrows knitted gently as she smiled up at him, his thoughts shifting from Theora to himself.

"There is... a lot. Going on." Lysander paused at the lack of explanation, trying to drum up words. Similes were difficult. "Not that there isn't a lot always going on. But... I guess with... em. Doom in general."

Obviously unhappy with his last few sentences, he restarted apologetically. "I guess I mean, could you be a little more... descriptive. If you could."

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[info]elunesgrace
2009-11-06 06:13 pm UTC (link)
Theora's gifts did not lie with divination, but as an elf she could sense the changes within nature, and she knew that what she felt now was something unnatural. It was an ominous feeling that Theora had felt a few times in the past, except there was a deep sense of hatred accompanying it this time around. It felt... personal, but Theora did not know why. She glanced at Lysander, and saw the confusion in his eyes. His words confirmed her suspicions, and she could not help the sigh that came from her parted lips. It was not frustration directed at Lysander, but at her own inability to explain her feelings clearly.

"I apologize for my vague description," she said. "It is an unsettling feeling, different from the unrest currently in the haven, and much different from what the world has suffered through the virus and war. It is my inability to provide further description that has prompted me to ask for your assistance. All I can tell you is the feeling grows stronger every day, as if it were nearing Elysium. I cannot be certain, but you would be able to discern whether or not I am correct, or just completely out of my mind."

She let out a lilting laugh, and placed a hand upon his shoulder. "Of course you have every right to deny my request," she said. "I would not be offended if you did."

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[info]kytherion
2009-11-06 09:36 pm UTC (link)
"I won't deny it," he replied hurriedly, then falling silent again just as quickly. He walked at an almost distractingly languid pace, tail swishing in a meter that resembled the pace of his thoughts -

"But," he started, but immediately felt discouraged with his reply. Lysander cut it off with a disheartened frown as he tried to reformulate his line of thought.

"I suppose what I'm asking you is whether you feel as if it is something personal. Something specific. Em. An omen pertaining to your fate or rather..." Lysander trailed off and instead of concluding made a gesture with an arms to encompass as much world as his arms could hold.

He awaited her response with baited breath, unsure of what he might do if she was predicting her own fate, but even more worried if it was intuition on a grander scale. He tried to keep his heart from plunging straight into his stomach; that it could be more of the Darkness threatening the last bastions of open life hovered precipitously on the edge of his mind.

"Not that I can't help you with either," he resumed, worry evident in his face, "but... well. Well. I know... at least I think I can find out anyway if you don't know."

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[info]elunesgrace
2009-11-09 10:11 pm UTC (link)
There was a slight blush that formed upon the priestess's cheeks when Lysander asked for further clarification. She felt silly for not understanding the centaur clearly, but she explained what she could about her intuition. What Lysander asked for was not beyond the extent of Theora's sense, however, and she answered it easily. "It is not personal," she said rather bluntly. "But I feel that whatever is on a grander scale. The wind whispers of mass destruction, but I cannot tell by whom or what. Only that it feels as if it is nearing us. Nearing Elysium." She paused dramatically; unintentional as it was it added to the entire mood of the moment.

Still, the priestess smiled at the young centaur. "I apologize for placing such a burden upon you, but there is no one else that would understand my request. Not anyone so close to town, at least," she laughed a little as she thought of the oracle Euryale that lived in the southern ruins. The oracle had not been feeling well as of late, and had turned away any visitors that came to talk with her. Her premonitions often came in the form of hard to understand riddles, and Theora found it much easier to talk with the boy by her side.

"We need not dwell upon this subject any longer," she said with a brighter smile than before. "Come. I shall treat you to some ice cream from the cafe," she offered. "Unless there is something you enjoy more than ice cream?"

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[info]kytherion
2009-11-10 01:31 am UTC (link)
Lysander exhaled and there was more than a hint in the sigh that he might already have an idea of what was going on. He took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. I'll think about it tonight. See what I can gather." He watched his hooves clop one after another, hoping silently that was a promise he could keep. While Lysander himself wasn't persona non grata in the sphere of the universe, the close connection he wanted to make to really delve deeper into this mystery was hard to do on a planet that was Dark.

If Lysander's response was ominous, he didn't notice. His attention became fully distracted by the new question she posed.

"I don't know if there is something I enjoy more than ice cream. What is it? What sort of creature does it come from?"

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[info]elunesgrace
2009-11-11 04:41 pm UTC (link)
"You are quite noble, Lysander," Theora said sincerely as she bowed her head in thanks. She was glad that the centaur had agreed to help her, and it eased some of the worries on her mind. If she could get some confirmation one way or another about what she had been sensing. She breathed a sigh of relief, and watched Lysander from the corner of his eyes. He was so young, much younger than she was, and she hoped for his sake that her intuition was indeed wrong.

"Ice cream comes from a cow," she said. "Its milk. I am unsure of the process itself, but it is creamy, and cold. It is sweet, but not overbearingly so. And it comes in many different flavors." She paused her steps, and looked at Lysander with a quirky smile painted across her lips. "You have never had ice cream," she asked curiously. Theora crossed her arms over her chest, and tilted her head to the side. Lysander was young, and he had been sheltered his entire life. She understood what that was like, but she had the opportunity to explore the world when she was older. The world now was a very different place, and if Lysander had any opportunity to experience things it was now. Never before had centaurs been able to walk freely amongst humans without any sort of reprimand. It was a new world born out of chaos.

"It seems there is much for you to learn, young Lysander," she said with a smile. "And we shall begin with your first taste of ice cream."

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[info]kytherion
2009-11-15 12:10 am UTC (link)
"You wouldn't believe how often I hear that," he remarked with a careless sort of snark as he meandered alongside of her. The thought intrigued him terribly though. He knew of cows and was sure that he'd eaten them in his time, but it had always had very similar flavor that he couldn't quite describe as creamy, cold or sweet by any measure. Maybe it tasted that way when you had it raw - he'd never had it raw before and wasn't sure he should (none of the Herrenlaia herd had after Karannos ate it and went into such a state of madness he slit his own stomach some fifteen years prior).

"What sort of flavors does it come in?" he asked, figuring there was no sense in keeping his curiosity to himself. "I've never had a cow that tasted... well, different than most other cows. Oh - do you mean herbs?" He couldn't believe he hadn't thought about that. "I like thyme. And laurel in soups."

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[info]elunesgrace
2009-11-16 06:52 pm UTC (link)
The boy was very enjoyable to speak with, and Theora found herself amused by his comments and questions. She had to remind herself that Lysander's experience with the world was limited compared to hers. Of course she had almost eight-hundred years under her belt, and Lysander had not even broken twenty. She smiled at him just as a small laugh passed through her lips.

"It comes from the cow's milk," she further explained. "It is taken from the cow, and then used to create ice cream. It can be flavoured with fruit, or anything sweet really." She paused a little at his mention of herbs, and she wondered if ice cream could be flavored with them as well. She imagined that it would not be as good as strawberry, or vanilla, though. Theora turned to Lysander when they reached the cafe, and soon enough the boy would know exactly what she meant.

"Ice cream is more of a dessert than a food, dear one," she said. "As I have witnessed it is a favored treat amongst young and old alike." She opened the door for Lysander to enter. The entrance to the cafe, and the cafe itself was big enough to facilitate the centaur as they moved through the small crowd.

"Go ahead, and choose one of the flavours," she said indicating to the ice cream that lay within the freezer. There were no more than half a dozen flavours, and as an after thought the priestess imagined that it might have been better to have gone to the sweets shop instead; but the cafe was good enough for a first visit, and she waited for Lysander to make his decision.

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[info]kytherion
2009-11-17 02:46 am UTC (link)
It wasn't that Lysander took issue with crowds. He didn't. But the sudden eyes on him was a little unnerving as he maneuvered through the light bustle of human-shaped creatures and bent over low to look through the glass at the plastic tubs.

He studied them quickly and decided on the one that sounded the most exotic.

"Alright. Coffee. No wait. Cho-co-late. Em. Ooh, those look like clouds," he remarked, his face moving across the glass to find a tin of thickly cut marshmallows. His dark blue eyes slid up to Theora.

"I don't know. Which one would I like?"

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[info]elunesgrace
2009-11-18 10:24 pm UTC (link)
The eyes that turned to look at Lysander, and the priestess were not hostile, merely curious. The priestess assumed it was because the people had never seen a centaur before; or even if the had a centaur was a magnificent praeternatural that would garner attention all the time.

Theora studied the selection behind the glass, and smiled as Lysander wavered in his decision. She understood the difficulty of making a decision when there was no basis for comparison. "Perhaps you should start off simply with vanilla," she suggested. Vanilla was a nice, neutral flavor that allowed for the young centaur to become accustomed to the threat.

"And if you do not like it then you can try a different flavor," she said reassuringly. The worker behind the counter held a spoon of vanilla ice cream toward Lysander, a small taste before he committed himself to a larger serving.

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[info]kytherion
2009-11-18 10:47 pm UTC (link)
He took the spoon gingerly and stuck it in his mouth. It was gone in a moment and it was unlike anything he'd ever eaten before. Ever. It was cold and it coated his tongue with a comforting texture. And it was sweet, but not like honey or sap. And the vanilla in his nose reminded him of a flower, but he couldn't remember what kind. It all combined in wonderful, other-wordly fashion that was evident on his expressive face.

"I think I'll need to taste all of them," he remarked happily, grinning madly as he offered the spoon back. The smile became a look of smirking satisfaction. "It was good, but I can't be sure I'll like it best and I really should like to be sure before I pick. What's your favourite, Theora? Let's try that one."

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[info]elunesgrace
2009-11-20 04:36 am UTC (link)
Theora remembered the very first time she had ever tasted ice cream, and like Lysander it was unlike anything she had ever eaten in her entire life. Though the elven race had existed for centuries before humans they did not dream to make such an exquisite treat like ice cream, and it was one of Theora's favorite human foods. She smiled at the expression on Lysander's face, and let out a happy laugh. She imagined that was the exact same expression she had so many years ago, too.

"I think tasting them all is a grand idea," she said as she nodded to the worker behind the counter. The girl understood Theora's actions, and began to collect the different flavors on different spoons just for Lysander. She placed them on a silver tray, and slid it over the counter toward the centaur. Theora glanced down at the tray, and when Lysander asked his question she pointed toward the pink one with red chunks. "I do enjoy strawberry quite a bit," she said. There were more exotic flavors on the tray - coconut, butter pecan, cookies and cream - but Theora was simple woman who enjoyed simple things, and the flavor she enjoyed most was simply strawberry.

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[info]kytherion
2009-11-21 05:46 pm UTC (link)
"Oh, strawberries," he said with a slightly surprised tone. He could tell by the seeds sprinkled in the pink ice cream. "I've been looking for strawberries! I wasn't sure that they grew here as I did look for them last summer but I'm very glad to see them now."

Lysander took the spoon and sucked at it, eyebrows knitting over closed, analytical eyes. "It tastes like strawberry... but it doesn't. Do you know what I mean?" He looked plaintively at Theora, his tail switching back in forth in time with his thoughts. "Like, if I close my eyes and think about it, it tastes like I ate a strawberry, but it's been transformed when I open them. Transformed into something new that I don't really know if I'd call strawberry, because it's not juicy or tart and you can't smell the green, grass bit on top. But it is strawberry! Very curious."

It was a good thing that he'd never experienced the awkward, chemically-created flavors of the human mass candy industry - they would have set his head spinning. Lysander couldn't help it - the first flavor he wasn't familiar with and thereby had nothing to compare it with. With the strawberry though, it was like having a new tongue but the same memory - his tongue was telling him it was unfamiliar and excitingly different, but his mind was telling him that he knew that summery taste.

Lysander wanted to pursue this further, the enticing exotic flavors suddenly less interesting than the prospect of seeing how ice cream transformed other flavors he knew. "Are there any others I'd be likely to know?"

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[info]elunesgrace
2009-11-24 07:02 pm UTC (link)
Watching Lysander was like watching a young child venturing out into the world for the first time. He was wide-eyed with each flavor that he tasted, and it made Theora smile whenever she looked at him. She nodded to agree with his revelation about strawberry, and she had thought many of the same things when she first tried it as well. His question, however, made the priestess pause for a moment to think about the variety of ice cream flavors available in the haven. She had tasted all of them, and still she liked strawberry the best.

"Other flavors that you'd know," she asked out loud as she pondered Lysander's question. She assumed he meant something along the lines of what he would normally eat out in nature. Strawberry was one of them, but she had no idea what else Lysander had ever eaten in his life. "There are other fruit-flavored ice creams like cherry, orange, and raspberry," she said. "Some of those have other things mixed with them like nuts, or chocolate. I suppose we will not know what you are familiar with until you try it, right?"

The worker behind the counter began to scoop up the different fruit flavors they had available. The cafe did not have as many as the sweets shop, but there were at least half a dozen that he could try. "I have also seen people eat the ice cream with fruit toppings. That is also very quite delicious to eat." Ice cream had somehow made them forget (for the time being) about the troubles that had laced their conversation earlier, and that was perfectly fine with Theora. She would rather be happy, and see others happy than talk about foreboding visions of the future.

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