Robert
Settling into Miller Dale proved stressful and troublesome, but Velir Silivasti expected nothing less.

When the *Harrow* Docked in Miller Dale after two miserable months at sea, Lir slipped even more coins to its captain. This had been the only vessel that was willing to take them on such short notice, and Lir needed to get his employer and himself off the ship as quietly as possible. 

At night. The fewer people around, the better it would be for everyone. Perhaps, though, it might cause a bit of a fuss and attract a few curious eyes to them. Lir risked it, however, hoping that all would turn out well for them, and that they would have a stroke of luck at last.

The *Harrow's* Captain was only too happy to see the end of them and wished bandits and thieves upon them and curses upon their mothers. Lir fumed at this insult to his mother, but he had more urgent business. He greased a few more palms to get their crates onto a wagon and over to a handsome seaside cottage.

At any rate, they had now arrived at the cottage, with what belongings they had managed to collect, in mostly one piece. (Lir had lost a couple bits of himself along the way, and he knew there was no getting them back.) They had wrestled their several crates of luggage into the cottage. 

The horse was in his stall. The horse's barding, however, owing to a manic frenzy of unpacking from Lir's employer the previous night, was currently in the parlour. A chanfron laid on the hastily-acquired yellow settee that both Lir and his lord agreed was terribly ugly. 

"Really can't stand that settee," Lir grumbled as he buttoned up his waistcoat and picked up the walking-stick leaning on the wall next to a crate stuffed with books. Lir slid his tailcoat on, then glanced again at the unfortunate-looking piece of furniture.

"Hmm. I do suppose it could give the place character, though," He mused.

Deftly stepping around bits of mess to avoid tangling his ankles in the packing-straw and the leather straps of a few stray pieces of armour, Lir strode towards the door, placed his hand on the handle, and listened to the cottage for a few moments.

From upstairs came the gentle scraping of wood on wood and the occasional clatter of a slat on the floor. 

"Ah, good, he's putting the bed together," Lir murmured as he flicked the latch and slipped out the door into the front garden. After locking the door behind him, Lir walked through the front fence gate and into the cool early morning streets of Miller Dale whilst humming a soft cheerful song to himself.

Lir strolled along the riverside road, watching the waters burble along below him. As the town awoke, voices stippled the air, underlined by the constant flow of the water and the occasional brush of a late summer breeze.

After wandering a bit further along the riverbank, Lir settled himself on an iron bench under a tree to observe the place they had suddenly been forced to call home, at least for the moment. He watched boats lumber along the river with their cargo, water splashing against their sides. A dwarven labourer pushed along a cart of hops headed for a brewery, its wheels rumbling along the neatly-swept cobblestones. A nearby bakery was beginning its daily bread baking, contributing a homey, yeasty aroma to the smells of the busy water and the late-summer flowers perfuming the air.

Lir set his walking-stick against his leg, reached into his inner coat-pocket, and pulled out the map of Miller Dale he had gotten the other afternoon from a young woman who had also sold him a few loaves of bread. He unfolded the piece of paper and studied it. Lir was looking for nothing in particular, at least nothing that the map in his hands could provide.

What he sought was an anchor. The past several years had been abysmal chaos, and, while Miller Dale offered far less darkness, the sudden flinging of the two of them into this pretty provincial place was still, in its little idyllic way, overwhelming.
David
*`-Walking around near the river parasol in hand was a lanky man who had a butterfly beside him. Each step he took sounded like hard crystal hitting the ground.-`*

*`-The man must have not noticed Lir as he sat down beside him. When you look at him, you can only see the what was beyond the face, which was covered in shadow.-`*
Tammy
*`-The butterfly is fluttering beside the man carried a lamp with a blue crystal inside of it. It seemed to be made of glass..-`*
Robert
At first, the map in his hands distracted Lir from the newcomer. He studied each word he saw carefully, drawing a finger under every letter as he sounded the words out to himself in a whisper. The Singing Shepherd. The Fox and Flagon. The Amethyst Theatre. Highwater Keep. Palladium Park (which sounded a promising trip today).

The crystalline footsteps did, eventually, attract his attention as their jingling sparkled louder and louder. When the crystalline footsteps eventually ceased, Lir glanced up as the younger man with the parasol sat beside him on the bench.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry, my young fellow!" Lir moved his walking-stick out of the way so that Hakuzaishi might sit unimpeded on the bench next to him. "Didn't mean to take up this much space."

Lie tilted his head as the glittery little butterfly with its tiny lamp fluttered about, the morning light reflecting prettily off its glassy wings.

"My goodness, do you see that?" He asked the young man with the parasol. "That is... Well, it's a little wonderment, is what it is."

Lir leaned back, the map settling into his lap as he gazed at the beautiful little butterfly. "I say, are these little fellows normally seen hereabouts?" He asked the young man with the parasol.
David
*`-The man sat silently. Though he did acknowledged the the man's existance. He moved the parasol up, revealing a doll-like face which had cracked in many areas. His bright blue and red eyes glow under the shadow of the parasol.-`*
Tammy
*「• It is alright, really. I should be the one apologizing as I have not noticed you when sitting down . 」*

*`-The butterfly spoke.. It seems to be speaking for the man.-`*
David
*`-The man then created another one like the butterfly that just spoke. He let it perch on his finger. He nods at Lir's question when it was asked.-`*
Robert
The tall young man's initial silence stymied Lir, who crumpled the left side of the map in his hand. His own greying brows furrowing, he studied Haku's face. The cracks. The odd-coloured eyes. 

The unmistakable mark of thaumaturgy, in some way.

Magic.

Lir shuddered and shifted a few millimeters further away from the man next to him. He inhaled deeply and then swallowed nervously.

But this is a new world. What else might he see, and what other powers might he not see?

This is hardly a time to be rude.

When the apology came, though, Lir wasn't quite sure where to look. At the tall man with the parasol at his side? Or at the butterfly with its little lamp? 

And then there was yet another butterfly! Lovely though they were, Lir had never seen the like. His left hand curled around the handle of his walking-stick until his knuckles paled.

Lir's one-eyed gaze flitted from the man with the parasol, to the butterfly with the lamp, to the second butterfly that had suddenly appeared, and then finally back to the butterfly with the lamp, who seemed to be the speaker.

"I, ah..." Lir leaned forward, studying Charon. "Do I... Who ought I speak to?"
Tammy
*🦋 -「• My master does not prefer to speak. All that I say are his responses to you. Though at this moment, you are currently speaking to me. You can tell a difference by the way I speak.」*

*`-The butterfly's tone shifted, it was now a rather femanine tone as it spoke.-`*
David
*`-He was a rather.. Unnerving young man. He does not show any form of emotion on his face at all. Staring at it almost feels like he is staring into your soul.-`*
Robert
"I... I see."

Lir certainly saw. He saw quite similarly. His own occupation frequently required him to perform a function rather like Charon's.

"Only, I mean... What would you... He... Prefer?" Lir inquired. He glanced between Charon and Haku.

"In general, it's best to look at the person whom you happen to be addressing." Lir folded up the map and slipped it back into his coat pocket. "That has been my experience, at least." Lir exhaled.

After everything, here he was, in a gorgeous place, next to a tall silent young man with a parasol, and talking to what was apparently this man's voice in the form of a little butterfly.

"Eye contact is rather important. Ought I to look at you, or your young man here?" 

Lir glanced at Haku, then sighed. "My deepest apologies if I come across as rude; I don't mean to. I'm simply rather new here, and I'm thus unfamiliar with how life works here."
David
*`-The man put a hand on his chin, thinking on what to say.. He then opened his eyes.-`*
Tammy
*`-The butterfly swapped to a male's voice again.-`*

*「• I do not mind this at all. I have beee in a lot worse situations. And what would I pefer... Hm. You may address me as "Haku".」*

*`-The butterfly then swapped to a female voice-`*

*「• And you may call me "Charon" To make things easier. 」*
Robert
"Ah," Lir said again. He looked at the young man. "Haku, then," He said, and then turned back to the butterfly. "And Charon. So, two of you."

Lir gripped the handle of his walking-stick stick again. "Oh! My apologies again, Haku, Charon." He made certain to look at Haku when he addressed the young man, and not Charon. Lir did not like people speaking to him as though his employer wasn't present when he was, so acknowledging Haku as a person, even if he was incapable of speech, felt the right way to go about the interaction.

Lir smiled–genuine, but a little uncertain all the same. Haku and Charon were unique, at least to him. "I failed to introduce myself. I am Velir Silivasti. Call me Lir, though, please." He tentatively reached out a hand to Haku, offering a handshake.
David
*`-Haku would take his hand gently. His hand was rather hard and cold.-`*

*`-He would shake his hand, seemingly being careful of something as it was a bit slow.-`*
Tammy
*「• Nice to meet you then, Lir.」*

*`-The butterfly flutters around the two slowly before perching onto Haku's arm.-`*
Robert
"A pleasure, Haku," Lir grinned.

The handshake was likely awkward for the both of them–Lir tensed a bit at the coldness of Haku's skin. He noted the care that Haku took with his grip, and he made sure he held the other man's hand gently.

Not that Lir could, in fact, grasp tightly with that hand–the missing ring and little fingers weakened his grip considerably.

"Lovely to make your acquaintances, Haku, Charon." Lir dropped his hand, then gestured to it. "Don't mind that. Lost them in a bet with a troll. *Never* Gamble with trolls, my dear boy."
David
*`-He would nod, noting what he had said and his hand which was missing two fingers.-`*

*`-When he let go, Haku would pull his long, blonde, crystal-like hair back and combing it with his fingers. -`*
Tammy
*「• That is rather tragic.. But that can serve as a lesson to some gamblers.」*

*`-The butterfly mentioned, now having no lamp as it put it down on the ground.-`*
Robert
Lir laughed. "Indeed, that it would. Perhaps I ought to become a cautionary tale about the evils of gaming?"

As Haku drew his hair back, Lir asked, "So tell me. Are the two of you of this place? I've only just arrived myself. My employer, as well. We're getting settled in, and all that. Haven't gotten a real feel for the town yet. Any insight you might be able to provide? Any reputable shops to patronize or gambling dens or other such dens of iniquity to avoid?" Lir grinned, waving his walking-stick about innocuously as he spoke.
Tammy
*「• Not at all.」*

*`-The butterfly said-`*

*「• I am merely a wanderer, though I may tell you about the places as I do know that. 」*
David
*`-The man went closer to Lir. Point at various locations-`*
Tammy
*`-The butterfly spoke for him to explain everything-`*
Robert
Lir listened intently as Haku, through Charon, pointed out a few places of interest.

"Thank you indeed for your insight!" He said when Haku finished his explanations.

"So is that what brings you here, then? Wandering through?" Lir tilted his head. "Any particular reason for your wandering? If that's not too impertinent a question."
Tammy
*「• Yes, yss. I am wandering... The reason is rather personal though.」*

*`-Said the butterfly as it perched on Haku's shoulder-`*
Robert
"Ah, I understand," Lir said. "Are you searching for something in particular? Or simply enjoying new experiences?"

As the two men spoke, a younger fellow darted past them, pushing a wheelbarrow full of rocks freshly carved from a quarry. As the wheelbarrow careened past, it struck a bump in the cobblestones. A rock shot out of the wheelbarrow, heading right towards Lir and Haku.
Tammy
*「• You can say.. I was searching for something in particular.」*

*`-The butterfly said.-`*
David
*`-Haku notices the rock, then he would summon a butterfly to cut the rock in half. The butterfly shattered, though it cut through the rock and stopped it frim going closer-`*
Robert
"Oh, was there anything in particular that you might need help with fi–"

Lir was uncertain of what actually cut him off... The rock flying towards them, or the sudden appearance of a glass butterfly slicing towards that rock. Or that little glass butterfly cleanly cutting the rock in half.

At any rate, Lir was left sitting on the bench, eyes wide. The young man carelessly thrusting the wheelbarrow forward stopped as well, staring at Haku.

"You ought to be more careful, young man," Lir admonished the boy. His voice, though, was tight.

The young man, eyes wide, nodded and pushed the wheelbarrow away far more carefully than he had previously pushed it.

"So, ah, Charon isn't your only butterfly?" Lir stared at one of the halves of rock that had rolled next to his boot, then bent down and picked it up. A few tiny shards of glass still sparkled within.
Tammy
*🦋 ~ 「• Not at all, my master has the ability to create more of my kind. Though limited, when used correctly can cut through metal objects clean.」*

*`-Charon said. Unfazed by what the man did.-`*
David
*`-He would be staring at the two with his doll-like eyes. It is rather unnerving in nature from his expressionless face.-`*
Tammy
*「• That man really needs to be careful on that.. I only cut it in half because I am rather frail.」*
Robert
"I see. So, Haku created you, then, Charon?" Lir turned the sliced rock around in his hands, watching the tiny crystals and shards glitter in the early morning light.

He looked at Haku. "So, Haku, how does one come to learn this sort of... Magic?" The last word stuck a bit in Lir's throat. Magic, in Lir's experience, frequently, if not always, led to ruin, and thus was generally something to avoid. 

Haku's gaze, while certainly unnerving with its inexpressiveness, was one Lir had seen on others. It reminded him of that frightening primal terror that sometimes never leaves the soul.

"He certainly ought to be more careful," Lir remarked to Charon. "And, to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure I would define cleaving a rock in twain as frail." Lir laughed nervously. "Not a feat I could manage, most assuredly."
Tammy
*🦋 ~ 「• Yes, yes, he had created me.」*
David
*`-Haku looked back at Lir before twirling his parasol.-`*
Tammy
*`-Charon then swapped to a masculine voice.-`*

*「• Trial and error.. Mostly. And that frail comment? It is reffering to myself. Like my appearance, I am made of glass. I can easily shatter to many peices if I am not careful.」*

*`-Haku stated through Charon.-`*
Robert
"So no sort of schooling? At an academy?" Lir slid the sliced rock into his pocket to show his employer later.

The comment about... Glass, though, stopped Lir. He had, of course, noted Haku's unusual appearance, but commenting on that sort of thing was terribly rude.

"Pardon me a moment. Did you say you were... Made of *Glass*?" Lir blinked. That explained the coolness of Haku's hand, and the delicateness of his handshake, and perhaps even the stoniness of his expression.

"So are you... A golem, then?" Lir asked, unable to think of any other type of extant creature that might be made of glass. He tilted his head at Haku's twirling parasol. "And does the parasol help with... Something?" Lir wondered if Haku needed to shield himself from the sun for some reason. Or perhaps he used it to shield himself from falling items. Of course, Haku might simply just be fond of carrying a parasol. That, too, was a perfectly legitimate explanation, the simplest, in fact, and thus most likely to be correct.

Lir paused. "My apologies if my line of questioning is inappropriate," He said. "But it is rather unusual to meet someone made of glass. As a matter of fact, this is a first for me." Lir laughed. Of course, perhaps Haku wasn't telling the truth about that–-Lir's own claim of having lost his fingers in a bet was a fairly obvious lie–-but Haku certainly *Looked* To be made of glass, and Lir currently had no reason to doubt him.

Lir examined the area around them. Generally peaceful, with the residents going about their morning business. The flying rock was a fluke. But the place was full of fruit trees. What if an apple were to fall on Haku? Or little Charon, whom Lir surmised was even frailer than her companion?
David
*`-He would soon move the parasol out of the way, now showing himself in full light. He was very reflective of course, he was a tad too bright to even look at him. He then moves it back where his body is now shaded.-`*
Tammy
*[It is alright... A golem would not be farfetched.. If it was not a curse. I am a human.. Just one cursed to be made of glass. It also cursed me to not feel any emotions of sorts.]*

*`-He replied through Charon once again. This time, the voice was even deeper and monotone. -`*
Robert
Lir squinted as Haku briefly moved the parasol so that the early morning sunlight shone off his glass skin.

"Fair enough, fair enough," Lir laughed, looking away until Haku once again shadowed himself with his parasol. "Do take care, though. I've got only the one eye left."

Lir leaned back on the bench, twisting his walking-stick in his hands thoughtfully. "A curse, then?" He muttered. "I suppose not feeling certain emotions would be a boon, but as for others... Well. Not terribly good to be feeling... Emptiness, for lack of a better word. How might this curse be lifted? Have you any idea?"
David
*`-he simply shook his head as he looked at his own hand.-`*
Tammy
*[ I don't think so.. I have not found any way to ever lift this... Now that I said this.. I was cursed as an infant... I am still trying to investigate why. My family mansion is... Complex.]*
Robert
"As an... Infant?" Lir's eye widened. "What sort of creature curses an *Infant*? That's horrible!"

Lir listened. "It certainly does sound complex, and as though the curse was laid to punish not you, but someone who cares about you." He shook his head. "I imagine that might be something you are seeking in your travels?"
Tammy
*[..I mostly travel as I would like to learn more about this world..]*

*`-Said simply by the butterfly. Yes, it was one reason but Haku was hiding another one from Lir.-`*
Robert
"Well, a worthy reason, certainly," Lir said. "Though the world is quite a broad place. Lots to learn, and I don't imagine any of us will be able to live long enough to learn everything. Or even go everywhere.

"At any rate, what brings you here to this particular bench on this particular morning? I hope I'm not keeping you from an errand or appointment or whatnot."
Tammy
*[Nothing at all. I just wanted to go for a walk.. I usually go for walk at around midnight to four in the morning and I took a break here. And you're right on that... But-....]`*

*`-..The butterfly stopped speaking abruptly. As if... Avoiding saying something.-`*
Robert
"But what?" Lir asked as he rose. "We can certainly walk and talk."

Lir twirled his walking-stick around a bit. "Largely what I was doing myself."

He paused. "But–?" He asked again.
Tammy
*「• Do not mind that. I... I just don't want to say it.」*
David
*`-As the butterfly said that, he hid himself more wth his parasol.. Can be a sign of discomfort maybe?-`*
Robert
"Ah." Lir watched Haku hide behind his parasol. "I'm sorry. You don't have to say it, if you don't wish to. Simply tell me if I pry too deeply, and I'll stop."

Trying to turn the conversation to lighter subjects, Lir glanced around them. "Shall we continue your walk, then?" He spun his walking-stick around nonchalantly. It slipped from his mangled hand and clattered to the ground. 

Lir crouched down to pick the walking-stick up, and then asked, "So where are you staying?" He rose again, one hand at the small of his back.
David
*`-The man would stand up, twisting his long, straight hair-`*
Tammy
*「• Most probably in some inn. I may go home after this, really... As a break. 」*
Robert
"Oh! I'm sure I saw at least one. Singing Shepherd, was it? And the Fox and Flagon, that I believe was another one. But you're not certain?"

Lir's brows furrowed in worry. "Where did you sleep last night?" He began walking. "Ah, no matter. Shall we examine one of these inns for you so you've got a place to lay your head tonight?"

Haku's last words echoed within Lir, stirring up a tiny bit of jealousy. "It's good to go home sometimes... If you can."
Tammy
*「• Home is rather far for me.. So it is best I prepare myself before setting off... Though I thank you for giving me some names of inns.. I forget locations sometimes.」*
David
*`-He would twirl his parasol, revealing his face once more to Lir-`*
Robert
"If you can still go back sometimes, it can be a great comfort." Lir's voice lost its previous energy, and the walking-stick remained still in his hand. "Very little compares to feeling at home." His voice softened.

Lir sighed, then pulled out the map from his coat-pocket. He studied it for... Far too long, mouthing words and, at one point, scowling at the innocent paper. He turned it once, then turned it back. 

Glancing up at Haku, he forced a smile, but the smile did not reach his eyes. 

"It looks as though the Singing Shepherd is closest. Shall we walk there?"
David
*`-he would nod, making Charon perch onto his shoulder-`*