Prepare for the #LodanRespawn2024 Existing characters may choose to be displace from/have memories of different timelines, thereby allowing returning members the option to retcon their whole character. These changes are the result of the "Unnatural Fog" plot device that is running between now and the Respawn. The plot is simple: no matter where your character is, that place is shrouded in a thick fog that suspends time, but not thoughts or memories, so even if they're repeating the same day over and over again, they continue to remember, so each time feels like a new day. For those retconning OCs; this is where new versions of themselves have the opportunity to replace the old versions. Official lore and tree updates will be announced asap
“Well.” Sayvahn started, pouring Syd a cup. “Now that you said yes to coffee, you owe me your company. Come, sit.” Ushering Syd to a table in the waiting room, Sayvahn rearranged the chairs so that he could sit with Syd. Then, he clapped, which caused Corey to shuffle angry out from behind the curtain, inquiring about a “What is it sir?” “Corey, be a dear and switch the sign on the door.” Corey glared at him, muttering something about being a lazy bastard, but Sayvahn shooed him away with a flourish of his hand. “Corey, hush. I have to pay you to do something or else I’m getting cheated.” He hummed, taking a sip from the coffee. Ah, how splendid. His own home brew, of course. Nothing else could taste as magnificent. “Now.” Leaning back, Sayvahn waved for Syd to come sit once more. “Come sit at the table, Syd. Chop chop. I’m only growing older.”
“In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught." ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Post by Syd Croswell-Miklos on Jan 12, 2016 2:38:34 GMT
"I...okay?" His voice trailed off as he watched the other pour him coffee then leave to sit. Getting up from the seat, he hesitated but followed after the barber only to pause and look at Corey when he emerged. In a way the boy intimidated him with the way he held himself and acted but on the other hand he could not blame him. The relationship between the boy and the barber was... Interesting. Was it always like this? Was the boy happy? Was Sayvahn sane? What brought them together? Was he stepping on fragile shells?
At the ushering, Syd snapped out of his thoughts and looked about before bowing his head, hurrying to sit. "Thank you, Sayvhan. You are kind. Is it customary for shops to offer their clientele coffee...?" He gently stirred his mugs with movements of his cup then lifted the mug to sip at the brew. The flavor assaulted his tastebuds making him wished he had something to kill the bitterness--not that he wished for sugar. Something about plain coffee reminded him of home. "You do not strike me as old, Sayvahn. Do you ever have time for yourself outside of business?"
Leaning back in his chair, Sayvahn crossed his legs, although he did push the honey and the sugar toward the boy. It didn’t seem like he could handle his brew, that or perhaps he didn’t like coffee. How strange. That was going to have to change quick.
“Is it customary?” Sayvahn parroted, leaning his chin on his palm. “No, I suppose not. But is it nice to have? Sure. As they say, it’s easier to catch a fly with honey then it is with vinegar. But, today I caught something better then a fly.” Chuckling, Savyahn stared over the brim of his glasses at the younger man, a grin on his lips as he took another sip.
“My, Syd, a compliment then asking of my free time? I didn’t know I caught your fancy so quickly— I’m flattered.” He joked, placing his cup down before flashing another smile. “I suppose I do get that a lot. My travels have made me eternally youthful. That or a stubborn mule. Take your pick. I won’t let age win anyway. But, as to my free time.” Kicking his foot lightly, he mused with the thought as he drummed his fingers across the velvet chair. “Yes. Yes I do. Too much of it, if you asked Corey, but, I have a side business as well. So I suppose if I’m not working one, I’m working on the other.”
“In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught." ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Post by Syd Croswell-Miklos on Jan 12, 2016 6:25:02 GMT
Syd eyed the honey and sugar with mild suspicion. Some mob leaders used food as a test of a person's character and perhaps this was a similar scenario? He had tasted the coffee first but did not wish to offend his host. Perhaps if it had been milk before him he might have risked taking the offer but he did not. Sweets were not something he disliked but did not typically prefer if given a choice. Then again, having not paid and accepting coffee would have been a dangerous thing in Ronuvia as well. For a fleeting moment he wondered if he would die? No. He had to stop being silly. Lodan was not Ronuvia and this man was no mob leader.
Swallowing lightly, he lowered the mug of coffee from his lips once more and studied the other from bind his bangs. "Uhm, excuse me, Sayvahn but... I, uhm..." How would he word this. Was he being flirted with? Was he interested in men? Was he hoping for othe sorts of payment other than money...? The last one worried him most but in the end he decided none of these things should be asked because he did not want to know the answers. "What did you mean by it being safer here despite the war?" It had not been his original question but it was one he had been mildly curious about. Safer than Ronuvia?
Seemed like honey or sugar didn’t appeal to the other either. Perhaps he favored milk? Alas, they didn’t have any, not at the current moment. Leaning back, Sayvahn sighed.
“If you don’t like the coffee, that’s fine. I understand. It’s an acquired taste. I won’t hold anything against you if you deny it. We also have tea, if you rather prefer.” The boys stuttering, although adorable, was getting harder and harder to place. Part of Sayvahn wished that he would be open about his thoughts, but alas, that might not be as easy for the Ronuvian.
“Like I said earlier, I’ve heard things about Ronuvia. Just as you have probably heard about Masaa.” Although, not all the rumors of the desert place was true. Most of them were, but, well, rumuors always came from part of a truth. Placing his own cup down, he leaned on his hand, eyes staring out the window of his little shop. My, what a lovely day, but one that made him want to stay inside. The cold was never welcoming, at least, not for Sayvahn. Tapping his foot, Sayvahn let his head roll back, as if to sleep the words off. “And judging from how you act, terrified like a little bunny, either you were born that way or something has given you reason to be cautious, timid, terrified.” Flourishing his hand, he continued.” Hence , why Lodan is probably safer then wherever you came from, despite a war going on.” Which is saying something, but he chose to keep that thought to himself. Better not scare the little rabbit anymore then he already had, after all.
“In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught." ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Post by Syd Croswell-Miklos on Jan 13, 2016 5:56:28 GMT
"The coffee is fine," replied Syd. He would not allow the drink to be wasted even if a more desirable option had been presented. But he would be honest, "I am not used to coffee this strong. The flavor is good though bitter. I tend to have mine with milk though will not trouble you for it. I thank you for the hospitality." Falling silent once more he listened to what the other had to explain about rumors and Ronuvia. The barber was not incorrect about his statement toward rumors. They all tended to deviate from some sort of truth indeed.
Watching Sayvahn was slowly becoming something Syd was enjoying. His mannerisms were familiar in a way... A certain wizard he had crossed paths with. As he watched the blonde man roll his head back, Syd's brows furrowed. Terrified bunny? He was scared and although bunny was not an unfamiliar insult he doubted this man meant to use it in such a manner. Sayvahn was more like the Wizard than he initially thought. The blunt nature, the fluid movements, even the subtle flirting. "Do you like bats, Sayvahn," he asked suddenly after a moment of silence where he had not replied to the other. The answer was almost crucial. Almost. "Do you enjoy fruits mostly? Peaches? Do you favor the color blue? Magic tricks...?"
Syd had become very formal, but at least he wasn’t stuttering. Still, Sayvahn could not tell which he preferred. The stuttering, cute rabbit, or the very calm defensive Syd. He was going to have to come up with an animal for that. Perhaps a bird. Or a squirrel. Syd the squirell. How original.
“Ah, well, that coffee is a special brew of mine. I’m fairly picky." Though, what a shame the boy didn't care for it. "Maybe next time you come over, I’ll make sure there is some milk. That is, if you will let there be a next time.” Flashing the other a wink, Corey let out a groan from the back, and Sayvahn sighed. “Corey, for the love of all that is merry, stop your judgments.” There was a muffling from behind the curtain, probably a witty retort, but it was barely audible from where the two sat. Rolling his eyes, Sayvahn picked up his coffee. And that’s when Syd unleashed his wave of questions with an enthusiasm Savyahn wasn’t quite sure to applaud or be cautious of. “Well.” The questions seemed random, but perhaps they did have some purpose? He would play along. “I’m indifferent on bats. I like them, I suppose. Their structure is quite exquisite, plus their ability to strike fear is quite thrilling. Especially the ones that can drink blood. Something ghastly, but tame.” Drumming his fingers, he thought on the other questions. “And I like most fruits. Peaches are quite delicious, and quite a scandalous fruit. Two of my favorite things, it seems.” He laughed at that. ”And some blues, I don’t mind. I like royal blue, maybe with a tint of purple. Anything exquisite, really.” He pointed to his own vest, a deep blue, with a hint of purple, just as he said, with golden buttons. “And magic tricks? Perhaps, depending on what you mean by that.” He had been an entertainer a little as a child. Where he was from in Masaa, there were always snake charmers and magicians, though, who was to say what the boy’s idea of “magic” was? Tilting his head, Sayvahn pursed his lips. “Why?”
“In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught." ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Post by Syd Croswell-Miklos on Jan 15, 2016 6:03:05 GMT
"It is not necessary. Please, I implore you not to go so far to accommodate me. The brew itself tastes quite good, I just... do not like such strong tastes. I am sorry." A quick glance was made at the curtain when Corey groaned and then Syd cast a glance at Sayvahn. "Did I do something to upset Corey...? I do not think he likes me very much." He quieted to listen to the answers of his questions since he had been genuinely curious. No the man didn't seem to like bats as much as he was hoping. Were peaches scandalous...? The more he dwelled on it the more he could see it with how juices tended to flow and how messy people tended to eat at times. A small shudder ran down his spine but it leaned more toward disgust than anything. Indeed the man did seem to be wearing blue. "Magic... as in--well, it is complicated to explain," he sighed then forced himself to take a lengthy drink from his cup to try and down the coffee as quickly as possible though without showing his discomfort at the taste.
"I, uhm, I was just curious, Sayvahn. You reminded me of an old friend... Do you paint, Sayvahn? Read? Does, uhm, do you--" He paused to think a moment then exhaled as he changed his mind, "Sayvahn, where are the best places to go here in Lodan? How does one meet people?"
On the mention of Corey disliking Syd, Sayvahn burst out laughing. “Upset? With you?” The man let out another wave of laughter, which died down to restrained giggle as he cupped a hand over his mouth in an attempt to be polite. At the sound of laughter, Corey stuck his head out of the curtain, giving Sayvahn a light sneer, only to scuttle back behind the curtain mumbling something about “stupid dirtbag.” Dotting the side of his eye, Sayvahn smiled at the young man. “Syd, if Corey is upset, I can assure you it wouldn’t be with you. It’s probably my fault, in some shape or form. Making him actually work for his money instead of-." Sayvhan coughed in an attempt to raise his voice. "-reading the newspaper behind a curtain when he should be cleaning.” Shuffling could be heard from the back room, the sound of a newspaper being folded being in the midst of it. Or some form of paper. Sayvahn said "newspaper", but for all he knew, Corey could have found the books of “research” Sayvahn kept in the backroom. Anyhow. Moving on. “Anyway, accommodating you is simple. It would be my pleasure.” Pouring himself a little more coffee, Sayvahn manily grabbed the drink for the warmth instead of its actual contents. He continued, “Now don’t drink it if you don’t like it. Don’t get yourself ill.” Staring up from his own brew, he grunted slightly at the idea of magic. “Syd, I’m a complicated man. But if you insist, I won’t push you.” Leaning his head a bit away, Sayvahn thought more on the boy’s words, offering a slight smile. “But if I remind you of someone, hopefully that puts me in your good graces.” “Now, let’s see. I do “paint”. And I do quite a bit of reading. That’s actually how I learned of Lodan, you see.” Though, showing any of his paintings were out of the question, unless the other favored seeing the images of bare but painted bodies of men and women off to dance. “Bars are the best place to meet people, I suppose— but the merchanics district is great to see people’s crafts and talk to them about that, if you are even interested in that. The entertainers district is great as well. Or you can go to the portside, where the sea is just as great. Just be careful of the forests. Those are not the safest, unless you go with people who know them.” Flourishing his hand, Sayvahn stopped it to look at his gloves, and how he really wished he could take them off.
“In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught." ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Post by Syd Croswell-Miklos on Jan 19, 2016 4:44:11 GMT
At the sounds of shuffling newspaper Syd had to wonder if he had just gotten the other lad in trouble then felt sorry if he did. Maybe he would bring him a book as an apology? But he felt that might only be met with malice and displeasure because what if he brought him a book that was a subject he did not care to read about? Despite his conflicted emotions, Syd did decide on one thing. He did like Sayvahn and would certainly visit him again if not just to simply chat or have tea. Right, tea--or rather coffee.
"I won't get sick, I promise you. Really, I think the coffee is good. Thank you. Isn't everyone complicated? I mean, some claim they are simple and that may be so in their desires but I doubt there really is such a thing is a simple personality--dull maybe.. but everyone is intricate in a way." His words fell off into a quiet mumble as he looked down feeling much the idiot. However, he perked up upon hearing the word "paint". "You paint? May I see some of your works?" Perhaps that was too soon for him to ask, but he was always far too curious for his own good. "Reading is quite pleasant. I enjoy much of it myself." Little did Sayvahn know that the man Syd was comparing him to with the bombardment of questions also painted naked people as well as normal subjects--but there had been a time he had done so with Syd that left the Ronuvian in a fit of anger while the other died of laughter. He always did like to tease. Hopefully Sayvahn was not that way. He could only handle so much of such crude behavior.
"Bars?" He sighed. "I expected as much, sadly. I enjoy the merchant's district so far." The other subjects intrigued him, even the forest though would he heed this man's caution? Probably not. When he was curious about things, he almost never stopped at anything to find out the what, why's, hows, and where's. "Where is your favorite place to go?"
Complex in their desires? Sayvahn understood that very well, and the fact that the other didn’t know that about him made him smile. He struggled to hold back another chuckle. The boy was sure a plus of the day, and part of him really wanted him to return, at some point, but hoping was never a good thing. So, he would treat this as the first and last time, like he always did with meetings.
“I’ll be frank. Most of my work is on the human flesh, dear. Specifically those who are nude. You are welcome to see some images, if you wish.” It was hard to not use the word desire. Although fitting, the word may upset the boy, though frankly, it was hard to tell. It was a hit or miss thing with him. “And mine? Hmmm. The entertainers district. That or the forest,” he admitted. The MI base was there, but there was another reason. It was a great place for him to be part himself. There was a nice lake he liked to visit there, one were at times the water could reflect back at him, and he could adorn his true self, pushing ruby red onto his lips to dance and melt into the crystal water. Plus, skinny dipping was always fun, but that was a truth better left to himself.
Post by Syd Croswell-Miklos on Jan 19, 2016 6:13:26 GMT
Complex desires was something they both understood very well though neither of them aware of it. Beautiful, really, if Syd had known. There they sat, two men with their own quirks. One who desired to dress as a woman and the other who desired to lie with men rather than women though neither could be very outward with such desires in the given era. Who knew about place, yet. Being either one of them was a death sentence in Ronuvia or a permanent stay in an asylum. The thought of Lodan being similar made Syd's heart beat frantically and subconsciously set the mug of coffee down in favor of running his hands over the scars hidden beneath his sleeves on his forearms.
"Human flesh?" For a fraction of a second his mind went to grotesque images of people ripped apart but then Sayvahn had confirmed they were only nudes. "I do not mind nudity in the form of art," he replied. "I would like to see if that is alright or whenever may be convenient? If the forest is dangerous, how come you like it, Sayvahn?"
Eyes lingered on Syd’s forearms as Syd ran his hand across them. Perhaps something was hidden there, but Sayvahn did not pry. He knew better than that. Instead, he smiled at the other, closing his eyes to ponder—to contemplate the cause and affect of letting the other see his work. If anything, it would be a cheap way to invite the other into his home.
“Alright, if you are so eager. But it would require you to visit my home, which isn’t far away. And any time is fine, as long as you tell me in advance.” He said the words as if the fact didn’t really matter, and perhaps, it didn’t. But still. He couldn’t pass up the boy coming into his home. Especially with such a find he was. Emerald eyes again traveled the boy’s face, at those blue gems hidden underneath. That, and soft pink lips. And was that a gap in between his teeth? It made Sayvahn laugh, somewhat, not out of mocking for the other, but out of how cute it was. Also, he couldn’t help but wonder if that would spice up a kiss. Maybe someday Sayvahn could try it out for himsef. But it would require a lot of time on both their parts, and perhaps a lot of weed for Sayvahn. But anyway. Forest. Yes. “I never said I didn’t like dangerous.” Sayvahn hummed, looking at the other from over his glasses. Leaning back, Sayvahn glanced at the coffee. “But I do stress safety. I’m not foolish.” Sayvahn continued, playing more on his thought then the forest to be honest, but it could work either way.
Post by Syd Croswell-Miklos on Jan 22, 2016 5:58:47 GMT
"...visit my home..." Those words rang in his mind and seized his brain captive. Visit his home. Syd smiled at the same time the knuckles of his fingers locked up around his forearms. Sayvahn was nice. He liked him... but still a stranger. Other voices filled his ears though they were distant and images behind his eyes played a different scene. Visit his home. Trust. He could not do so. The fabric of his sleeves did much to keep his nails from biting into his flesh until his grip finally loosened and he bowed his head to stare at his boots. Safety. That is right--they had moved onto the forest. "How does one express safety in the woods? Are they like no other?" His tone was exhausted and he refrained from looking up.
“Safety can be expressed with a gun, or by any other means. But you may not need it, if you express caution.” Extending his fingers, Sayvahn stretched them, looking to the side as he spoke. “They are unique, the forest. But it is the beasts that lurk inside that you should be wary of.” Returning to Syd, Sayvahn’s eyes inspected him. The boy’s interest had faded to be replaced with what Sayvahn recognized as a form of fear. Of an episode of sorts, caused by a trigger, started by his offer of the visiting his home, it seemed. He had seen the fists clenched, the gripping at the arms. At whatever lurked beneath the fabric, he would not pry. Would not push. But that didn’t stop him from speaking. Especially since the boy wouldn’t look to him. He wasn’t offended by the action, per say, it just meant that Sayvahn got cheated in more ways then one. The boy could be moody, but if he was going to be, Sayvahn wanted to see his pouting little face. Easier to read, and quite adorable to look at.
“It seems I troubled you. Something to do with those arms again, hmm?” Leaning back, Sayvahn relaxed himself more in the chair, leaning his head back to think aloud. “I will not force yourself to come into my abode. Nor will I do anything to harm you, but I doubt that will clam your nerves.” Rolling his head, he looked toward the curtain, but there was no sign of Corey. The boy must have gone upstairs. “But dear, please. I notice things, but I’m not a bloody mind reader, and you can’t offend me. Trust me, many have tried. Speak your mind, and if it’s private, just say it. I realize the arm fidget is an instinctive thing, but if I’m treading on glass, I would really love to know about it. No explanation. Just tell me to buzz off.” Sayvahn waved his arm to emphasize the action, peering at the other in hopes that the boy may look at him to address him this time.
“In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught." ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
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