''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby & Verse)
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Solos =&gt; Topic started by: PearlRuby on 10-04-2011, 22:25:08</h2>
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				Title: <strong>''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>PearlRuby</strong> on <strong>10-04-2011, 22:25:08</strong>
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				<div align="center">(http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m357/yuniebee/OLtitle.jpg)</div><br><hr><br><div align="center">(http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m357/yuniebee/talitha1.jpg)</div><br><hr><br>Apprentice Talitha Finnael, was still shaking as she gently closed the oak and diamond embossed door to the Arch-Mage's private study behind her. When the magical lock automatically clicked in place, she let her back hit the wood with the release of a loud, relieved sigh. 'Phew.' To be called to a meeting with the Arch-Mage, the leader of the Loughgilly Mages Guild, was an honour beyond all others. To survive that meeting, was another story. Of course, to be summoned without warning, as was usually the case, could only mean one of two things; severe discipline, or rare reward. Fortunately, the latter had not been the reason behind the scroll she'd received that same morning, ceremoniously before the cockerel had even roosted. Now, as her lithe form slid away from the door, and her light steps padded down the narrow corridor, the result of the meeting finally started to sink in. Glowing orbs of dancing light absent candles, illuminating her path back to the apprentice dormitories. The deeply matured voice of the Arch-Mage repeating in her skull, as if by some unspoken spell, he had implanted most accurately the details of her summons.<br><br><div align="center"><em>“Apprentice Finnael. Here at Loughgilly, we pride ourselves on the recognition of those who may attempt to seize opportunity... Even if levity should be the tool, such as in your case. Ahem! You may recall the recent summons of Apprentice Wiscott to serve under one Enchanter Novarese... the greatest Enchanter to grace our humble halls. It is a great honour to receive patronage and tuition beyond the Guild.”<br><br>“Which brings me, once again, to your levity. You have keenly exerted yourself most fervently, exceeding the talents of your peers and, dare I say, my own expectations. Naturally, the potential behind your numerous antics, has not been absent attention. Hence it pleases me to announce that you, Apprentice Finnael, have been chosen. You are to abandon your duties forthwith, and prepare yourself for presentation, instruction, and residency at the Tower of one, Master Fortuna. Such rarity does an offer of this calibre provide! Do not forget yourself, or your conduct.”</em></div><br>An obedient Talitha had found herself in a daze as she'd retreated to her room and started to pack her very little possessions into one, sturdy case. A mixture of excited anxiety together with light confusion tainting her dark, neatly plucked brows. Though she was swelling with pride at the thought of being granted this rare opportunity, she also had never even heard of this 'Master Fortuna'. Furthermore, to be uprooted from the place she had fondly called home, and sent to what sounded to be a very isolated and lonely tower, seemed an awfully great adventure. If not one of many risks. The Arch Mage was a difficult man to deny; her tongue had been tied from the moment she had entered upon his study. Now that she was freed from his bewitching presence, all she had to quell her excitement, was a snoozing room mate.<br><br>“Psst! Kalin.” The slighter older apprentice wrapped up in thick blankets on the lower bunk, murmured in sleepy voice. The young woman could sleep through many things; Talitha's loud packing and pacing around the room, being one of them. Still, being vigorously shaken would always eventually cause her to stir. Now being no exception.<br><br>“Wh<em>aaa</em>t?” She eventually groaned from the patchwork quilts, lifting a hand to rub at her sleepy eyes. A more devious little grin spread across Talitha's rosy pout.<br><br>“You <em>do</em> realise you're late for Enchantments cl-”<br><br>“WHAT!” The pure blooded human girl erupted from her blankets in a frenzy of shifting limbs and rigid sitting up. Only, the accompaniment of merry giggles from the mischievous room mate soon told Kalin the bitter truth. “Talitha, you are <em>such</em> a... ugh!” She flopped down on her back again with a half-hearted curse, and pulled the covers back over her. “Mandrake's Tears. I told you not to do that! Just, bugger off.”<br><br>But Talitha didn't 'bugger off.' Instead, she was nimbly climbing up onto her roomies bunk bed, and kneeling beside her on the crumbled patchwork fabrics. “Kalin?” The human would feel the poke of fingertips against her ribs.<br><br>“<em>Go away</em>.” Despite the darkened tone full of threat and a shortening temper fuse, Talitha persisted.<br><br>“Have you heard of a... Master Fortuna, before?” At once, Kalin stiffened. Her shifting arm pulling the blanket away from her face, to stare directly into eyes of ceil irises mixed with faint lilac.<br><br>“<em>What</em>?”<br><br>“Master For<em>tuna</em>,” she re-iterated with further emphasis on her common tongue. “I've been summoned to his tower and I've no idea who he even -”<br><br>“Bed-knocks and broomsticks Talitha!... Are you <em>serious</em>?”<br><br>“<em>Yes</em>,” she snapped instantly at the harshly toned interruption. Her neat brows sharply knotting at the accusation insinuating deception. “Why? I'm not making it up, Kalin. Like I said, I don't even -”<br><br>“Because!” Another interruption, causing Talitha's nostrils to flare with a huffed breath. “<em>Spell</em> Master Fortuna has never, <em>ever</em> taken an Apprentice to his Tower before. At least, not that I ever heard, and I hear a lot.” Talitha believed it without a doubt. Kalin was after all, a renowned bookworm amongst the Guild. She would make a fine researcher of ancient tomes one day. So, after wide-eyed stupor, the shock set in together with pride swelling in Talitha's chest. <br><br>“Jeepers. That means, <em>I'm</em> his first apprentice?” Alas, Kalin was quick to pop the bloated ego with her well-aimed pin.<br><br>"I don't know about <em>that</em>. For one, he's old, and I mean, <em>really</em> old. Secondly, he's no stranger to the Guild. And thirdly... well, you're.... <em>you</em>. You wouldn't be <em>my</em> first apprentice, that's for sure." With the wrinkling of her <em>almost</em> perfectly straight nose, Talitha at last hopped off the bed.<br><br>"We shall see about that!"<br><br>The young Apprentice more hastily finished packing her bags with the aid of her equally excited, if not slightly jealous room mate. Then, they were both to read and re-read the missive brought to their chamber door, featuring the eloquent scrawl of dark green ink. Instructions concerning her mode of travel were relayed, together with the specific items she would need to take with her, and of course, the Guild's code of Apprenticeship conduct. That scroll was discarded of almost instantly, while the others were stuffed between Talitha's belt of soft leather. By midday, she had said her goodbyes to all the wonderful people she'd met within the Guild. Then, she had been escorted to the nearest village, and abandoned to her own devices amongst the 'normal' folk of Loughgilly County. To think, of all the wonderfully amazing spells and charms at her disposal, here she was, bartering for a horse to take her the rest of the way! The Arch-Mage had called it 'character-building'. She called it a waste of time; especially when there were tales of Mages who had learnt to project their bodies across great distances of time and space. Now <em>that</em>, sounded useful.<br><br>“Mental note to self,” she spoke aloud to herself with happy-go-lucky tone. Pausing as she mounted up onto the palomino horse's saddle, and settled herself with brief fidgeting; a smile teased her lips with the freedom of continued words. “Must, oh <em>must</em> enquire after Astral Projection.”<br><br>The first day of travel down countryside lanes and across quaint, farmland paths, was guided by warm, Spring sunlight. Naturally, on the second day, bad luck swung Talitha's way. She should've known that the red skies that morning did not bode well, as the nursery rhyme went: <em>''Red sky at night, shepherd's delight. Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning.''</em> Hence the over-cast, heavily pregnant clouds inevitably parted at midday to permit the fall of rain and hailstones in unison. An ancient weeping willow provided shelter through the storm; the branches moaning and aching against the sweeping zephyrs. An hours set-back at the very least. When the storm died down and the dratted horse stopped whinnying, a soaked to the bone Talitha resumed the remainder of her journey. It didn't help that her crudely drawn now soggy map possessed ink smudged lines, and the tower wasn't anywhere in sight upon the descending horizon! Without a doubt, despite what had started as immaculately good time keeping, she was now going to be spectacularly late...<br>&nbsp;
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				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verse</strong> on <strong>11-04-2011, 00:13:09</strong>
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				<hr><em>"But Fortuna, surely reconsider! This apprentice is exactly your type of student. Dedicated, hardworking and dare I say even worthy of your tutelage. You are the only man within the Guild's purview capable of handling her avaricious mind. She has practically mastered many of the basic courses already." the wizened man said as he sat across from the younger looking man. The two were holding small cups of what looked to be brandy and while the older man was dressed in the garb of a high-class mage, the younger's attire was far simpler.<br><br>"I understand that Alendor. And under normal circumstances you know I would never hesitate to take up her instructions personally. But I am extraordinarily busy here lately; The Lord has me preparing all sorts of new draughts and tonics for his silly ailments and I've struck a thought in my personal research that has proven fruitful." the younger man said. While the Arch-mage sounded wizened and venerable, Fortuna's voice was somewhat more relaxed. It's tones dark in an inhuman way but well accustomed to the common tongue. "I understand of course, but this young woman is extraordinary. And frankly, even amongst the staff none of those with the knowledge required to advance her instructions are available to do so. I would even not object to you bringing her here! Surely a hand in your research and studies would be welcomed!" came the Arch-Mage's please. Fortuna sighed softly at the insistence in the man's voice, knowing he would have no choice but to accept or be pestered endlessly by the man...<br><br>"...Very well, but under the condition that her care is my responsibility. I'm quite busy enough without some Guild watchmage standing over my shoulder as I try to instruct her." he had finally said, sharply and with a tone that left little negotiation. Without even the curtsey of an argument, the Arch-Mage nodded. "Agreed absolutely."<br></em><hr>The conversation played over and over in Fortuna's head as the days progressed and finally, it was the day she was to arrive. He did not dress his best and frankly, he didn't care to impress her. He knew many mages who would have taken their apprentices on grand tours and magnificent, sweeping formalities. But for him, how his style, he did not intend to grandly introduce her to anything. He would settle her in and get her used to her new home for perhaps a few days unless she was particularly impatient and then she would spend her time in the library and experimentation rooms when he was instructing her and beyond that, as long as she kept to the second floor of the tower he really didn't care what she thought of his home or his studies.<br><br>He had, however, a certain care for punctuality. It was not as if he was dreadfully waiting for her, he had attendants for that sort of thing, but he was also not in the mood to focus on anything but his work and he himself kept losing track of him. He was bent over a table full of glass vials and smoking liquids when one of his servants walked into the room.<br><br>The shaky golem was made of wood and cloth, the skeleton-like frame of it's body made of strong wood and the outfit it wore cloth. It was abnormally tall, standing at eight foot and to compensate it hunched slightly, looking a bit shorter but much stranger. It's arms were proportionally long to the rest of it yet only it's feet and hands were visible. Dark wood concealing sharp claws and limber movements, the rest of it's frame was hidden under deep purple cloth that looked like an old cloak, wrapped tightly around it but still flowing every which way. It's face was a simple, white mask with one slit for an eye and a mouth slot, covering the dummy-like rounded head. White cloth had been crafted into it's head to make a very poor hair substitute and it flowed down raggedly onto the creature's back.<br><br>The servant's voice was shaky and oddly baritone as it said "Master. Rain." and then made it's quiet exit from the room. It walked like one might imagine a wind-up puppet. Fortuna sighed as he swept his hair back over his head, frowning as he looked out the door. Well, considering the countryside it was obvious what was delaying his new apprentice. He certainly hoped the Arch-Mage had not chosen to deliberately torture him by making the girl travel by horse or carriage, but he knew he would not be so lucky as to avoid that...<br><hr>The vague directions of the map soon proved to be unneeded for the remainder of Talitha's journey to the tower. For rounding a bend and following the rough trail the map took which wandered off the beaten road, she'd come to a clearing between two large mountains that was clearly not natural.<br><br>The tower was made of white marble and stone that looked brighter than glass, almost metallic in a sense but duller in another. It towered above the mountains for at least twenty stories and though it had no windows past the second story, if one looked at the very spire they could make out the top most room of it all. It had a violently sparking and crackling purple gemstone the size of a house set in five thick metal prongs and below that tip of the tower was a wide window and what seemed like it would be...a balcony.<br><br>Floating around the tower were more pieces of white marble that looked roughly the size of a large foundation block and these rotated around the tower silently, a rather creepy sight actually. At least a hundred of them were visible in the air around the magnificent structure and they stopped just above the second story of the tower itself. At least one didn't have to dodge them to enter. <br><br>The immediate diameter of the tower looked to be about thirty meters total, quite a tall and grand structure to be sure. Around it's base were several basic decorations; A stone path leading to the door and two small water fountains that sparkled gently as they flowed water down from what looked like a glass orb floating above each fountain. The water fell into a small basin just below the orb and then flowed downward from there in small streams that collected in a second basin below and then that water overflowed into the larger base.<br><br>The landscape around was the part that would have probably drawn the most attention. The ground around the tower's base was grassy and firm, but everything else was a amalgamation of landscapes and oddities. First, the area past the tower was practically made of sand and it looked as if it had taken the place of ground overnight. Pools of sparkling water laid across the sand in places but in others, tall fangs glacier ice stood with steam billowing off them in all directions creating a misty fog around some areas. The mountains near the tower looked as if they'd been repeatedly carved away at by things and water was flowing out of them, washing over parts of the landscape in a majestic fashion. And as Talitha would watch, she'd see a swarm of water globes about the size of a human head swoosh by her like meteors, curving up into the air dramatically before flying around the tower. The entire area reeked so strongly of magic that to a Mage like Talitha, it might actually be fairly difficult to take in.<br><br>And there was the door. The large oak and ashwood doors with the golden handles and knockers on them. The weather was somewhat clearer here than elsewhere and overall, it felt carved from a different time and space than the areas around...
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				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>PearlRuby</strong> on <strong>12-04-2011, 22:50:39</strong>
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				Upon first sight of the tower between the apex of two unsuspecting mountains, and after her initial awestruck, wide-mouthed gap; Talitha eventually plucked the courage to slowly ride up closer. Heels nudging against the horse's belly as she shock at the reigns still seated in her own, damp clothing. But that was all insignificant against the domineering sight of towering white marble and gemstone adorned spire. All quite overwhelming to the still gaping young woman, whose eyes beneath strenuously lifted brows, surely couldn't get any wider? Already, she assigned various thoughts and preconceptions to the mystery that was 'Fortuna'. Such display of magical design and architecture ascertained ample creativity and thinking 'outside the box,' as her illusions tutor often liked to say. That a true illusionist would inspire flabbergasted expressions upon the revelation of his art, even to the most practiced of Mages. It was safe to say that Fortuna already ticked that check box. Naturally, she also wondered how long it had taken him to erect such landscapes and scenery. To achieve the perfected placement of each item, and to maintain the constant stream of magic? Suffice to say, from the exterior of the tower alone, Talitha knew that she was about to meet a <em>very</em> powerful spell master. The realisation of her apprenticeship to such a Mage, brought a sudden erruption of butterflies in her belly.<br><br>Yet while she dealt with the sights considerably well, her horse meanwhile, did not. The mare, who had been reluctant to intrude too closely down the tower pathway, had already swished her tail in constant warning, and whinnied in protest to Talitha's calming attempts. Yet the sudden swoosh of a liquid globe above her head, almost touching the fine hairs of her ears, really was the final straw. Two steps backwards and lashing mane soon resulted in the back legs bucking entirely and despite her attempts to cling to the reigns, Talitha, being a light creature, was easily tossed from saddle. Fortunately, she gripped the straps of her bags as she fell, else the galloping hooves resonating against her eardrums as she lay momentarily stunned upon her no doubt bruised back, would also be the loss of her few possessions. <br><br>“Fan-bloody-<em>tastic</em>!” With a light groan, and the rub of her shoulder where she most definitely fell&nbsp; awkwardly upon, she slowly sat up. At leas the pain was centred to the buttocks that had for the most part, cushioned her most uncouth fall. With another groaned sigh, the apprentice fumbled her way back to her feet, dusted off her dirty palms, and then rubbed the sore spot of one rather bruised arse. “And should he ask <em>why</em> I wince or fear to sit, I shall say, why, I was character-building, m'Lord!” <br><br>One had to laugh at her own misfortune, and being able to realise the amusement of her situation so quickly, was probably one of Talitha's more refined traits. With one more, huffed breath, she tugged the bottom of her waistcoat down as she straightened her posture. One glance up at the tower balcony rested assured that no eyes had witnessed her embarrassing arrival. In doing so, she also remembered at least one misfortune she should amend before proceeding any further. Damp and muddy clothing really would not do for setting the best first impression. In fact, she could almost see the wagging finger of the rotund charms mistress, who also prided herself upon stressing the importance of elocution and fine etiquette to her students. 'Remember the code of conduct,' she would repeat, over and over. At least the phrase was by now implanted deeply within Talitha's skull.<br><br>“Siccus tergeo!” The vanity spell was cast in an instant with the oh-so-cool gesture of two clicks. The cotton fibres of tailored and fitted, tan-brown travel breeches felt drier against her cold skin, as did the white satin weave of a more lightweight and extravagant shirt, complete with thick neck tie. Simple, woollen grey and slightly mottled, hooded travelling cloak, merely felt lighter in weight upon her shoulders. As she stomped out her calf high, soft leather boots, the remains of caked mud crumbled away. It would do, as a quick fix, <em>right</em>? An unsure Talitha harshly bit down on her lower lip with tips of her front teeth. Surely he did not expect her to arrive in immaculately official robes? Especially not after journey by horseback, of all the archaic things!? Indeed, <em>quite</em>. The apprentice was sold on her firmly conclusive belief, and so without further adieu, hoisted one bag strap over her shoulder. The heavier was carried after the utterance of a 'be light as a feather' spell. Her mage staff of polished Rowan that gently jangled with silver bells and pretty ribbons in pink and lilac, acted more as a supportive walking stick, as she crossed the remainder of the cobbled path towards the great, tower door. <br><br>It took another moment of inhaling and exhaling deep breaths to calm her slightly shaky countenance, before Talitha could reach for the invitation of a heavy, golden knocker. Cold and dented metal thrice slamming against the ashen oak wood in perfectly spaced unison; announcing her arrival at long last. Letting her fingertips slip from the gold, she took a step back, and with the descent of her hood, made one last ditch attempt to smooth the flat of her palm over rebelliously dark hair. The almost straight strands had been gathered back into a quiffed ponytail, but even under the protection of her hood, some still found a way to escape the bonds of a leather thong to highlight to delicate point of her halfling ears. She was still fidgeting about with tucking the strands into a more organised mess behind her ears, when the creak of the slowly opening door, moaned against bronzed hinges...<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verse</strong> on <strong>13-04-2011, 00:01:24</strong>
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				The sound of the knocker coming from the door barely roused Fortuna from his thoughts enough to flick his hand at one of the strange sentinels lining the wall. It seemed to click and rock as it moved from simply observing Fortuna's experimentation to moving out the door. It's wooden 'feet' against the marble echoed for nearly a minute straight before it was faint and gone without trace into the room below. His work now soon to be interrupted, Fortuna stood up straight in front of mess of potions and alchemical ingredients lining the table so haphazardly. This mixture was stable enough to not need any sort of attention whilst he was gone, so he simply lifted one of his hands and made the soft incant of movement, sending the table gliding across the floor and against the wall neatly.<br><br>Reaching up to straighten his vest, Fortuna turned to the door leading downstairs, his feet tapping much faster on the marble than his servant had...<br><hr>The door's opening remained loud and quite ceremonious, until a shape drifted over both parts of the large door from the inside and without warning swept them open so fiercely that bits of sand behind Talitha were kicked up and rushed past her into the tower proper. The view was horribly obscured, however, by the golems.<br><br>The pair stood in front of the double doors, each one holding a door where they'd forced it open and looking down at Talitha. As they probably would have looked down at any normal creature on the planet. The white masks and hempen cloth hair did them no favors to appear more human and though they were hunched over, they still towers spectacularly over all but the doors they'd just opened. They stared at the young apprentice quietly for several seconds, each one of them shifting only slightly. The creek of wood echoed after nearly a minute of stares and they stepped aside, allowing Talitha to see into the parlor room.<br><br>The white marble that so decorated the outside of the tower carried into it as well and the floor, the walls and even the ceiling above was shining gently. The floor was decorated in the center by a large, circular black carpet that went out to only a foot from any of the walls and atop it was all manner of furniture. A coffee table with two small arm chairs in front of it to the left of the doorway and to the right was a large fireplace with it's flames crackling gently, though not roaring. The fireplace was set into the marble and a white iron gate ran over it. In front of the fire place were several small chairs and a large lounge couch as well as a table between it all. The walls of the room were decorated in all manner of cupboards: Some held plates and tea cups while others held small books or baubles of interest such as orbs, gems set in glass or figurines. And some contained large vials of warming liquor.<br><br>There were two smaller doors on the opposite wall of the entrance door, both of them made of black wood and directly across from the entrance hallway was the stairs up. They were set into the wall and sharply winded to the right as they went up, a small hand rail made of wood and gold running along the side. The doors into the side areas of the parlor were set on either side of this stairway. The ceiling of the room was perhaps twelve feet off the floor and a little more, considering that the creatures who'd opened the door for her didn't even come close to scraping it and they looked in excess of eight feet tall.<br><br>And the clapping of shoes on marble was what came next; a perfect framing for the man who stepped down them. He was like a glaring blight on the marble around him, the perfection and pristine white of it seeming to be bent around the colors and contour of his body. He was tall but not quite that of his servants, a little over six feet and even that may have been short for a drow. His body was something hovering between athletic and thin in terms of build, his features possessing the faint traces of once-elven heritage but much darker and more menacing. His eyes were narrow and his jaw slightly pointed but set. His nose was a bit soft looking but the lines on his face made even it look somewhat like it was a bit unhappy. And his lips were a color that was oddly purple compared to the rest of him.<br><br>His skin was the part that completely set him at odds with the marble. His skin was the color of charcoal and it's depth against the marble was spectacularly pronounced. His hair was a stark white color and pushed back over his head somewhat messily, though that seemed it's natural state...It looked stiff and somewhat frazzled as if he combed through it with something heated and this was the result he'd gotten. It only came down to around his ears on any part of his head. His eyes were the hardest part of him to figure out; They looked a color of slate blue now but after his feet hit the ground of the parlor, they seemed to bleed into a color of more granite than slate, now gray and cold looking.<br><br>His clothing was clearly not standard for the Guild, either. His pants and shirt were black and silken dress clothes of highest quality. Rolled cuffs around the ankles and wrists, the collar tucked into itself to form a stark V shape around his neck. His shirt was buttoned and his sleeves slightly pushed up to just under his elbow on either side, cuffs buttoned tightly. Over his shirt was a simple purple vest that covered from his chest down to his waist and was buttoned up tightly just under his neck. The clacking shoes were revealed to be slightly rounded dress shoes as they hit the marble and then disappeared into the carpet as he walked.<br><br>He stopped roughly in the middle of the room and he seemed to tuck his hands at his side impatiently, watching Talitha with a coyly curious look upon his face. She looked to be elven of some breed and he inwardly laughed at the Arch-Mage's twisted version of irony at this fact. He wondered for a moment if she would take the path of her kin and begin loathing him immediately or if she'd save that emotion for once she'd gotten to know him properly. Of course, he couldn't have asked Alandor for a more appealing student, visually...But he was already wondering what kind of student she was mentally. If she was good enough, perhaps he'd look past her heritage and instruct her properly instead of leaving her in the library for days on end.
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				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>PearlRuby</strong> on <strong>15-04-2011, 00:56:53</strong>
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				Talitha had to squint her eyes shut and wrinkle her nose as the grand doors were forced open. When the welcoming breeze swept past her fully, she cautiously peeped with one eye to the curious pair of butlers. The matching iris soon joined the other in hues of exotic wisteria, while she lightly tilted her head to the side with inquisitively fixed wonderment. <br><br>“Hello there, most curious of doormen.” The greeting was far too informally relaxed to belong to any normal human female. So it was clear without accessing her garb or the magic that flowed through her veins, that she did not think as any other normal being might. Or normal Mage, for that matter. When the creaking wood permitted her passage, she politely smiled with the impressed lifting of brows. Never before had she seen such works of magic; what were they called? Were they completely passive, or did they also possess more aggressive natures? It would be rude to ask them outright.... did they even <em>talk</em>? She guessed not, as they merely moved aside after slightly uncomfortable staring on both sides.<br><br>“I am the ... oh! Thank you very much.” Apparently she didn't need to introduce herself either, despite her own, inappropriately lengthy pause. Quickly, she bowed with both apology and gratitude rolled into one from the waist up, before slightly cautiously stepping between their towering forms. Soon, her footsteps were dulled by the thick spread of black carpet. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the varying levels of light bouncing from the pure white walls. Yet she was quick to home in on the décor, while her pointed ears eagerly picked up the sounds of one crackling fireplace. <br><br>“Oh, how wonderfully charming and quaint. This is lovely, really.” <em>Really</em>, it was nerves and anxiety that made her so chatter-some and complimentary. The melody of her sweetly pitched voice, forced with the contrived tones of the upper class, continued as she came to stand in the centre of the reception room. She realised then that the wooden golems had not followed, effectively meaning that she was talking aloud to herself alone. With a nervous little laugh at her own expense, at least the warmth of light embarrassment and general room temperature that immediately swelled around her were both greatly appreciated. Especially after the rather damp and miserable journey altogether. <br><br>“Hmm...” Approving eyes absorbed each little detail offered by the décor, which was setting a very homely atmosphere to her. Already, she could picture herself relaxing on the longer sofa completed by a good book, and a nice cup of Earl Grey tea with a slice of lemon. Stiffly fixed shoulders relaxed slightly while her gaze was drawn to the cupboards along the walls. It vaguely reminded her of her nana's pantry. Stepping closer, her fingertips sought one little teacup absent permission to touch. Already she was placing her imprints on Fortuna's possessions, as she twirled the porcelain cup in appreciation of the floral swirls. <em>Definitely</em> reminded her of nana's pantry. <br><br>Alas, the sudden echoes of approaching footsteps caused great fumbling. The cup clipped through buttery fingers with the most heinous of crashes by her feet. The apprentice sucked in one sharp breath, stunned for a moment in disbelief of her own clumsiness. “Drat!” She cursed under her breath, quickly stooping to gather the fragments in one pile and utter a 'renovo' spell. Time conspired against her as the quick tapping of spiralling footsteps above her came louder and louder. In the knick of time, she straightened and turned to greet the owner of the clapping soles. Hiding the fixed cup behind her back, she stood with perfectly straight posture as he descending the stairwell. A moment of silent staring ensured, examining the man from head to toe, and back again. Her gaze devouring each and every detail of his appearance; from dark skin contrasted by lighter hair, to the intricacies of his attire. Not what she had expected, at all. For, when Kalin had said 'old', Talitha had immediately imagine, well.... <em>old</em>. This couldn't be the spell-master, could it? Before she knew it, she was blurting out a most inappropriate greeting.<br><br>“<em>You're</em> Master Fortuna?” Furrowing her questioning brows, she quickly bit against the side of her lower lip with the pull of her front teeth. A chastising gesture against her silly tongue and the looseness of her pout to utter such uncouth words! Softly squared jaw tensed as she locked the joints a moment. The apprentice was swift to remember her manners with the definitely apologetic bowing of her head through to the waist. Hands still clasped behind her back, clutching the tea cup against the gentle swell of her rear. <br><br>“I mean! Oh dear... that's not to say that, I'm not at all honoured by... I...” With a pause, she straightened. Dark lashes fanning her gaze with a series of still baffled blinks. Unseen magics of the arcane variety frazzled around her in a transparent aura, reacting to her lack of control courtesy of nerves. Clearly she still wasn't sure who this man was, but she proceeded politely despite fearing already causing insult. “I am Apprentice Talitha Finnael, of the Loughgilly Guild.”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verse</strong> on <strong>15-04-2011, 01:32:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Though his features didn't initially reflect much, Fortuna's had heard the tinkling of his china and had reacted to it as any man who had about a million identical sets of such objects in a place where magic could repair anything, up to near death itself; He reacted by not saying anything and merely giving her an amused smile.<br><br>The creatures behind Talitha had waited until Fortuna's arrival to shut the door and true to the mage's thoughts, they had neither moved nor spoken a word to her. She had indeed been talking to empty space. The pair shut the door behind her with a dense thud of the wood against each other and latching that sounded like a cacophony of metal suddenly sliding against each other. Now she would see why it had taken so long after her knock to open the door; The back of the door was literally covered in strange pieces of clockwork and dials with it all ending in a series of metal bars that slid over the door from either side of the wall and locked into place. Quite a heavy lock for a mage, but it suited the tower nicely. Pretty on the outside and with layers beyond that were much less so.<br><br>Once she had her outburst, Fortuna's face held the mildly amused look as he stepped over the carpet and reached up to his chest, adjusting the collar of his shirt without a pause. He didn't even really wait for her to introduce herself as the drow stepped finally around the coffee table and moved to the small armchair on one side. It was obviously his preferred area for meeting company and despite his initially dour look he did finally smile after she introduced herself. He did not, however, greet her back until he had sat down in the chair and adjusting himself comfortably.<br><br>From a distance, she was a quaintly flustered woman with an appealing, if not outright beautiful visage. But it wasn't until he'd felt the traces of her uncontrolled magic flutter forth from her body that he understood why the Arch-Mage had insisted that she come here. There was quite a lot of power wrapped up inside her body. Enough to make even an Arch-Mage nervous that her powers might be too much for the staff to handle. There were only a few with more energy than he felt from her and most, if not all, of them were already War-Mages or various forms of 'No longer present at the Guild'.<br><br>"Let me guess." he said suddenly, his voice catching the tone of pleasant and calm. He spoke clearly with a common tongue that was dripped in a manner used to speaking something far darker and harder to pronounce. He had emphasis on the L in his word that was not a common thing to hear. He had his hands in his lap and one leg crossed over his knee plainly. "When you were told to report here, one of the instructors or Alendor told you that I was a 'very old and powerful Mage'," he said, his face suddenly taking the look of a stern one that was quite openly mocking the looks the seniors of the guild would give petulant students. "'And you should treat him with respect because this is a very grand honor you've been given'. Something like that?" he asked pleasantly, reaching one of his hands up to motion her to the seat in front of him.<br><br>"Well, in a sense they were right. I am old, I'm powerful though I prefer the term Sage and I only ask you treat me with as much respect as any instructor." he said once she'd been seated, watching her with his curiously colored eyes. He was sizing her up in his mind. Trying to pick at her wisdom and thoughts. "You were correct however. I am Fortuna. Fortuna Alcrest Guida, Master Sage and owner of Guida Tower." he said, though the introduction was far less serious than one would expect. Mages of any caliber in the guild usually introduced themselves in one of two ways: Talintha's way, which was very formal and almost subservient in a sense. Apprentices, normal mages introducing themselves to a superior or the more humble of Elders introduced themselves this way. Older mages, however, swept their words in a tone of flair and dramatics, pronouncing their titles with the aura of one who believed themselves gods among men. He spoke as if a normal conversation tone.<br><br>The pair of servants walked by in the time it took for Fortuna to seat and introduce himself. One stepped upstairs, his feet making that loud sound of wood on stone, while the other quietly opened one of the doors behind Fortuna. It revealed an extensive kitchen with a small dining table, but the door closed before Talitha would get to see much. "It is good to meet you Apprentice Finnael. Arch-Mage Alendor has told me much about you." Fortuna said as the door closed.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>PearlRuby</strong> on <strong>16-04-2011, 01:46:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As the Mage had quite rudely moved upon her introduction, Talitha had resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose in quick offence to what she mistook to be an arrogantly smug expression upon his charcoal features. Too many Mages of the Guild went on ego trips encouraged by the authority of their status; the class system was very much in tact. Rather than show her more common roots though, she quietly eyed his movements having said all she needed to. A slightly impatient twitch of her left eye as the Drow made himself comfortable at his own leisure. At least, his accent held a curiosity that persuaded the light flick of her ears. She knew of the Drow, but only by name and the fact that they were both rare and secluded from human society. She'd never felt the inclination to really read about them. Mostly because there was only one Drow in the guild; a proud female who was set to graduate from her Apprenticeship within the next month, give or take. Suffice to say, Talitha had never been paid any attention by the highly pompous creature. Her experience of Drow therefore, was limited, and though she tried not to judge, she couldn't help but make links through association. Maybe arrogance just ran in the bloodlines.<br><br>At least this Drow had a pleasantry to his exotic voice; his topic of conversation encouraging a warmer smile upon her peachy pout. The vague and gentle curve of the Cupid's bow corners lifting beneath the straight arrow of her long and lightly pointed nose. Slightly bashful eyes lowered, not wanting to give away her amusement or the fact that he spoke the truth, within her eyes. Talitha knew she was terrible at telling lies, especially when it came to following through with apt facial expressions. Fingertips fumbled at the porcelain in her grasp, turning the cup slowly upon her palms. Was this a trick? Was he trying to catch her out? Lips quickly pursed together while her jaw locked; it was probably wise to remain loyal to the Guild, and the only way she could manage that, was through subservient silence.<br><br>At the motion to move, caught by one of several stolen glances, the Apprentice hesitated slightly. Weighing up her options, she supposed if she wasn't going to answer his question, the least she could do was adhere to the simple request to sit. Beside, he was staring at her, and she felt most awkward standing stubbornly in the centre of the room. So as the Spell Master waited, her feet padded lightly across the black carpeting. Limbs dodged the coffee table with ease, and her lithe form rigidly descended upon the rather comfy cushions. The action slow and precise, being careful not to agitate the tender spots on her rear. Still, even the soft cushions caused her to briefly wince while knees, thighs and feet aligned together, and small shoulders remained square. She filled her tailored clothing well enough, but hadn't been graced by the voluptuous curves of other young twenty-something women. She'd heard that elves matured quicker, so had decided her shape was unlikely to change once she hit her twentieth birthday. Meanwhile, the little teacup came to rest a moment on her lap together with coy little grin. So much for hiding it. With a half-hearted little chuckle, she leaned towards and placed the object on the glass surface of the table with a quiet 'chink'. The look on her face was one of feigned innocence; as though he still might not notice the cup, even with it placed under his very nose. Sitting straight again, she clasped her hands upon her lap in a gesture of resignation to listen.<br><br>Nodding to the master Mage's requests, it was hard not to fidget or feel a lump in her throat, as his peculiar eyes observed her. In fact, it was almost impossible for her to make eye contact, and she found herself staring at his lips instead as they formed sounds. If anything, she was glad to have the distraction of the two servants moving past. One of which carrying her two luggage bags together with staff, which she supposed was being taken upstairs to her lodgings. At least he wasn't to put her in the basement then, if there even was one. The other she followed with the full sway of her body to the right slightly, until the closing door blocked her vision. The prospect of living in a tower had her feeling both awed, and the prospect of feeling bored. There were only so many things she could occupy herself with in such an isolated and enclosed building, she supposed. The thought, along with the denial of seeing further into the kitchen, brought a silent sigh to her lips, though shoulders gently lowered as fuller evidence of the action. Attention moving back to Fortuna, she perked up slightly with the gentle lift of her chin.<br><br>“Good things, I hope? Unfortunately, the Arch-Mage told me absolutely nothing of you, only that your offer is <em>quite</em> the rarity.” Mischief flickered in her more focused gaze, and at last she found herself more animated with the sudden slip of her leg over the other knee. Leaning forwards slightly, she cupped the raised knee with both hands. <br><br>“Well? Is it true? - That you never, <em>ever</em> had an Apprentice before?”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verse</strong> on <strong>16-04-2011, 21:41:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The tea cup brought an amused smile to the man's lips and it was only when she produced it that he leaned forward and reached out for it. It was one of the multiple droves of them he had in his home and often they went unused unless company was over. It was hard to find the the thought process to enjoy a cup of anything when he was practically living in his upper rooms and taking his meals there. Which usually consisted of whatever he could make in a few moments. It was no wonder he looked somewhat starved at times. He turned the teacup over only once before setting it back down. He could feel the lingering traces of the repair spell she had done on it and if he had particularly cared, he could have undone it and seen the damage. He did not, however, care to do so.<br><br>Instead, he set it down in front of him and then lifted his hand to the side of him, in the general direction of a cupboard above, while his new apprentice followed the creature into the kitchen with her eyes. He decided to avail her curiosity a little bit as he looked back to her, his hand pulling down and the cupboard opened quietly. A pair of plates and a second teacup slid free and seemed to follow his hand down to the table, stacking upon it without even the slightest clink of ceramics. He moved a finger and the cupboard shut again as he leaned forward, moving his hands to pick up the plates and set them down, then set down the cups atop them. "They're called Marionettes, if you were curious. Those particular two are my assistants. The rest of them are a bit more restrained...Some are guards, some are more like cleaners and some just maintain devices. Those two help me with experiments so they've got the most free will of anything." he explained quietly as he organized the china for them both.<br><br>Good things? Well, that depended on your opinion of most people, he supposed...Shifting a bit, Fortuna watched her as he leaned back in the chair and his eyes fell on her as she seemed so eager to hear the answer to her various questions. In truth, he was still sizing her up. From this distance, he was able to see that he had been a bit right and a bit wrong at the same time. She wasn't as plain as he had thought, but she certainly didn't look like the type who'd slept her way through the classes and instructors. He'd met some Mages in his day who had been that kind of student, though he'd avoided them like plagues. He was starting to get curious about Alendor's favor for her.<br><br>Deciding to answer her question, he looked back to her eyes now. "Well, let's see...He said you were a remarkably adaptive, intelligent woman. Powerful and quick to soak up knowledge. Just the kind of student I'd normally work with." he said now, his voice still that relaxed tone. "You're going to be both pleased and disappointed by the response to your question though. Technically, I have had pupils before. But I've never worked as closely with them as you'll be receiving. I used to be an Instructor at the guild. Advanced Magical Applications and Theories." he said, shifting a little. Memories of a few students flickered back behind his eyes now. "But I always worked with students there. Even when I left, anyone I taught I would visit three times a week at the Academy to simply instruct. I would have handled you in a similar way, except you had the good fortune of being brought to my attention when my own experiments don't allow me to leave the tower." he said. It was not a sharp barb or an insult, it was a statement. She had lucked out, incredibly so. "That isn't to say you're not welcome, of course. I've just never had an apprentice so it will be a learning experience for us both." and he grinned now. His smile was charming, though not in the typical way...It was more like his lips curled into a half smile that made him look, for a moment, like he was preparing some roguish action. It was charming because it simply was, but he looked like a man who'd just made his mark.<br><br>"Regardless. Do you have any questions? Concerns? In case you're curious, you haven't been assigned a Manager for this apprenticeship. You won't be graded or quizzed on anything from this place. The Arch-Mage and I have agreed that once I feel satisfied you've learned everything you need to know to become a full-fledged Mage he will honor my decision and graduate you at the Academy."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>PearlRuby</strong> on <strong>16-04-2011, 23:17:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The silence that followed her questioning had Talitha gradually tensing. The way that Fortuna had leaned back, staring directly with no disregard for visual boundaries, almost had her feeling the warmth of a blush upon her relatively flat cheeks. She could only avert her gaze to her hands upon her lap, in an attempt to remain calm and composed. Even if her loose tongue had failed her, again. Now, she couldn't help pondering what this Elder Mage might be thinking about her. What first impressions she had made, and even if he was conspiring to have her sent back to the Guild already. Few instructors viewed her seriously within the guild, and those that did, had taken a long time to warm to her eccentrically clumsy ways. Only when he graced her with his voice, did her gaze find his once more. An eagerness to listen, especially as he relayed complimentary words upon her. Eyes widened slightly between her up-brushed and thick, yet highly complimentary brows. This time, she really did feel her cheeks tinting with pale, coral pink heat. Like many females, she found it hard to take a direct compliment.<br><br><em>'Goodness me! The Archmage really said that?'</em> It was hard to believe, even more so than the fact that she actually managed to hold the thought from escaping her tongue. Alendor rarely bestowed praise, and even when he did, he would always follow with a quality to be improved. At least he kept the apprentice's egos in check. <br><br>As for the next answer, Fortuna had only been slightly right about Talitha's reaction. Infact, he prepared her for more disappointment than she would actually feel. Shoulders had slumped as she figured he was about to squash Kalin's exclamation. Instead, as the answer manifested into a more detailed explanation, her pout slowly parted into a gape. Good fortune indeed! The archmage had made it sound like she'd been chosen out of dozens for this position! Nostrils momentarily flared as she fought to keep her emotions in check. At least he was quick to sate any hard feelings over the matter, along with the instillation of pride swelling in her chest, when he finally answered her original question with the one thing she wanted to hear.<br><br>'<em>Yes!</em>' She mentally rejoiced while her front teeth grazed over her lower lip, trying to prevent her self-praising grin from getting any wider. Though it didn't help that he cast an undeniably charming smile at her, and she really didn't know what to think of the haughtyness there. Hence her victory was quite short lived, as she instead fidgeted with her own analysis, eventually re-asserting her upright pose. Talitha had, after all, thought the spell master was going to be old and grey. But the prospect of living with a man who had a smile like <em>that</em> was making her nerves feel frazzled. It was sure to be a recipe for disaster when she had such a stupidly soft spot for charm and the charismatic, silver lined tongues of Apollo's making. <br><br>“Questions? Erm... hmm. Well I.... hmmmm!” To be honest, she had thought of tons along her journey. Arriving at his Tower had spawned a dozen more, especially relating to his marionette servants. However, now that she was being given the chance to voice them, it seemed she had managed to cast a brain freeze charm upon her very self. Fortunately, he answered one curiosity that she hadn't really thought of. Graduation wasn't really something she was looking forward to. Really, she liked her status within the Guild. Being her own master was a little, daunting. Where would she go? What would she do? How would she make her legendary mark on the world? Physically, she wilted. Mentally, she conspired.<br><br>“Then, I suppose, out of <em>further</em> curiosity.” Her fingertips tapped across the back of her other hand&nbsp; while she tried to hold eye contact. There was something about the tone of her voice that suggested she was not being entirely honest, and yet it was sweetened by that of a daughter asking a favour from her father. <br><br>“What <em>are</em> your requirements for that... final decision? Will <em>you</em> be grading me? I should like to know, so that I might aspire to more than simply shadowing your.... tasks. Whatever they might be? And, <em>oh dear</em>... what if I don't please? Do I return to the Guild?” <br><br>Oh the shame! Her brows twisted into a suddenly more concerned frown while a stiffled gasp caught in her throat with the raise of her shoulders. She hadn't really thought of that one before. What if this, Fortuna, had been persuaded into expecting great things from her? All thanks to those overly kind words from the archmage. Indeed, Talitha believed all pleasant things came at a horrid price, compliments being one of them.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verse</strong> on <strong>17-04-2011, 16:49:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Alendor had been impressed with Talitha, that much Fortuna knew. She had made her mark upon the Archmage enough to be worth the effort to leave the guild just to visit Fortuna's tower and parley with the oft annoying Sage, so she was something more than usual even from the start. What he was starting to suspect was that Talitha's personality and skills were completely at odds however. Most young students of her caliber were upstart prats and ponces incapable of admitting fault or thinking of failure. The Instructors did well at breaking that mentality down, but in a world where the lust for knowledge or power might damn an entire town, they did <em>not</em> praise and raise up a person's self well. Watching her as she felt the weight of the compliments, he could understand the many facets behind Alendor's decision to send her here, even if it meant subjecting her to Fortuna.<br><br>Truth be told she was growing on him a bit already. It was not so simple as some immediate connection. She was charming in an offsetting and rather strange way, she had not commented upon his nature yet despite obviously being curious about so many things...It did not hurt that she was quite powerful and guaranteed to be a challenging, if not rewarding, apprentice. Of course there was her beauty to consider and her charms, though he did not consider them at depth for the moment. If he had really wanted to examine her, he could have done so casually but he did not feel much up to subjecting her to that. She seemed far from the type to be receptive to such advances.<br><br>Her reactions were all quite interesting and by the time she had gotten into talking, one of his marionettes had returned. This one stepped out of the kitchen as the door swung back open and it clunked it's way over to the coffee table. Despite it's lack of speed, it seemed capable of quite impressive feats of grace and dexterity for a construct. It held a tea tray in both hands and though it looked as if the decorative kettle was meant to resist idle spilling, there was nothing even jerking or sloshing on the tray. It then set it down in the middle of the table and Fortuna smiled as he leaned forward, picking up the tea kettle and pouring some into Talitha's cup first, then his own before setting the kettle back on the tray. A small pile of handkerchiefs was also present on the tray and on a small play were piled several sweets. Hard candies, honey rolls and even what looked like small pastries and frosting on them. Rather fresh looking too.<br><br>Though Fortuna picked up a napkin and a hard candy, he did look up at her when her question finally came to bear. Once more he saw at least the humility to contemplate failure and as he dropped one of the hard candies into his tea cup, he tilted his head a bit as he considered what best to answer with at first. It was clear she was thinking the worst and he wasn't going to be able to put her at absolute ease. He kept himself leaned forward at her and he cleared his throat, deciding to tackle things in reverse order. "If you fail, technically, it is up to me to decide what happens with you. I do have the option of sending you back to the Guild if I so desire, but so long as the Archmage is made aware of any extensions or special circumstances and of course your consent, I am allowed to keep you here so long as I feel you're capable of learning." he said, hoping that eased her mind just a bit more than being told he had her fate in her hands.<br><br>"As for how this will work, I'll explain it a bit simply. Essentially what we are going to do is start with the advanced levels of everything you've already been learning. My goal will be to have you at the level you would normally be considered for graduation in at least a majority of the areas, though I'd like to get you to the level of High Caster in some." he explained, reaching out now to pick up his tea cup and let her ponder the words. High Caster Classes were a subset of instructions that usually were only given to some of the most advanced and gifted students, though it might have been comforting for her to hear that he was not requiring it. "However, once you're at graduation level in at least everything, then my criteria begins." he said, his tone a bit sharp as he took a sip of the hot tea. It was light with a faint raspberry flavor and the candy only added to it.<br><br>Once he'd set the cup down, he looked at Talitha critically. "Alchemy. Abnormal Elements. Enchantment. Summoning. Battle Mage Training. Even areas of my own design and pioneering. That's what you will learn here that you couldn't learn at the Guild safely. I'll teach you everything you want to know from me. If you're satisfied simply being at the graduate or High Caster level in the Guild courses, then I will wisk you back to the guild and you may graduate and find your own road. How long you stay here after that is up to you. If you wish to learn from me for the next twenty years and graduate the Guild capable of taking over any position of instruction or importance you want I will teach you gladly so long." and he grinned again as he said this, though it was a bit more of a teasing one then his previous gaze.<br><br>"Any further questions or, whilst you are stumped by the idea that you've just been handed the opportunity to become an Archmage by the time you're in your late thirties, would you like me to escort you to your room?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>PearlRuby</strong> on <strong>18-04-2011, 02:59:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Letting her watchful gaze rest upon the marionette once her questioning ceased, Talitha was keen to observe each and every movement as minor as it may be. Though the sight of sweets and pastries soon had her stomach quietly groaning. The home made and hastily put together ham sandwich had hardly sated her hunger that morning. To conjure food out of thin air was to deprive another; something Talitha did not feel comfortable doing. So politely waiting a moment, she eyed Fortuna's wrist as he poured the tea, and curtly smiled. She supposed once she was settled, it would be her place to poor tea rather than be served upon. But for now she would show humble gratitude to such quaint hospitality, both to Fortuna and the marionette.<br><br>“Ah! How lovely - Thank you very much.” The pink liquid filling her cup told her it was fruit tea, but she was far more interested in those deliciously iced buns. It wasn't long until she could no longer deny her fidgeting fingers, and so at last she scooted forwards across the cushion. First the biggest iced bun her mitts could spot, then the napkin before she dropped any crumbs between the short journey back to her lap. Just one bite had her shoulders lifting to ears in clear approval. Suffice to say she had quite the sweet tooth, and would shortly after be adding at <em>least</em> two highly sugared candies to her teacup. <br><br>As she devoured the bun as slowly as she possibly could, attentive lilac hues would return to the spell master. The initial relief of the most worrying of questions had her relaxing, for the time being. With mind indeed eased, she picked at the icing a moment, forgetting her manners as she sucked one finger clean. It was all very intriguing, so much so that she zoned out to listen to his voice alone rather than the nagging of etiquette. Thank goodness the bun was no longer existent as he started to explain the details of her training, else she feared she may have chocked! A high level caster? Apprenticeship <em>beyond</em> graduation? Clearly the Archmage had sung her praises a little too high. As she feared, there were great expectations to be met, though the challenge of it all was actually quite attractive. <br><br>Reaching for both teacup and saucer as Fortuna put his down, Talitha sipped the sweetened raspberry concoction in a very business like manner. Pinky finger expertly lifted as she held the cup with refined grace. Further sips were granted as more specific subjects were read off, eventually resulting in a sharp slurp against her better judgement. The cup trembling against the saucer with little clatters. With widening eyes, she quickly laid the unstable objects to rest upon her lap, and smacked the flats of her fingertips to her lips in self-excusing. The dabbing of her napkin followed. To receive tuition to the level of Archmage was quite the offer. Enough to render her quite speechless as it all gradually sunk in. No wonder the Archmage Alendor had exuded the great honour of her summons, though clearly not enough either. <br><br>“I... yes.” She managed to squeak with relative vigour. Leaning forwards a moment, she placed&nbsp; the saucer upon the tray, followed by napkin. Then sat back with clasped hands on lap once more, though her poise far less rigid. “There is much for me to think upon. You have me quite at wits end! Indeed, I should very much like to unpack and, I suppose, it has been quite a long journey.”<br><br>Though after such exciting and overwhelming news, she doubted she would be able to nap. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verse</strong> on <strong>19-04-2011, 01:44:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Most welcome, Miss Finnael." came the response to her appreciation for the tea, though he didn't watch as she consumed the iced bun. Merely made a mental note that she would need a much more proper dinner at some point and he might have to cook, as he trusted the marionettes to perform tasks which were far less subtle than cooking. Not to mention that cooking tended to require facilities he could not accurately give wood and magic. Maybe he'd work on that some time...<br><br>Once he had finished his little description of her studies, he could see various facilities going off in her mind. Alendor had not exaggerated highly to him, that much he knew. The man rarely spoke praise while withholding fault and this time had been the only time in his life Fortuna remembered praise without some grand tempering of it in. He remembered the times the man had praised Fortuna's ability and even then, he had cut it with an area where improvement was needed.<br><br>Once she'd managed to find her voice he grinned at her gently and nodded to her, shifting in his seat to pull himself up out of it. The marionette had stepped behind Fortuna's chair once the serving had been set and as Fortuna stepped out of the chair, the marionette stepped around the other way and reached out to pick up Fortuna's plate and cup, setting them on the tray and if Talitha didn't take her cup or tray with her, he'd tray those as well. Talitha was left to follow Fortuna as he stepped around the couch and over the floor, moving closer to the stairway. The marionette stepped rather hastily towards the kitchen and Fortuna waited a bit himself, saying "Only a moment, we're waiting for- Ah." softly as the marionette came out of the kitchen holding Talitha's luggage instead, stepping behind Talitha as Fortuna led the way up the stairs.<br><br>The stairs winded a bit and were lit by small crystal orbs containing a bright fire in alcoves to the side, though reaching for one would find they emitted little heat, the glass itself just as cool as the marble in which it was set. The way the stairs wound had then entering a room from the opposite side they'd exited the last one. The second floor was quite similar to the first in overall appearance but the decoration varied significantly. The carpet was thick here as well, but the room was more decorative than functional. There were various wooden shelves lining the walls, all covered in a variety of decorative objects. Paintings of elven origin, fascinating stone and metal works probably from the hands of dwarves and even some distinctively goblin or troll pieces of craftsmanship. The bones and sharp rocks were a dead give away. The room was a bit wider seeming than the room downstairs. Six doors lined this room, spaced out evenly between both sides of the stairways in the room; The one they'd just come up and the stairs straight across from them. <br><br>Fortuna stopped briefly once they'd entered the room and considered the rooms, though he knew they were no different between them. This room and the one below were the least strange of the tower, he kept it that way to avoid too much magic in too spread out an area. The devices that kept the enchantments on his tower worked best if he maintained certain places without extraordinary feats of magic. <br><br>He decided to let her choose for the sake of curtsey, looking back at her as he waved his hand a little bit towards the doors. "You pick. They're all the same in the end, of course, but if you have some sort of significant wish to change them feel free to ask me or perhaps when you've grown more accomplished, help yourself." he said now, doing such a poor job at veiling his words. Eventually she would, if she persisted, gain the skills to craft and decorate entire rooms...<br><br>The rooms were about half the size of the inner rooms in the tower which by all accounts were about twenty feet in diameter, maybe more. Each one was furnished in noble colors; Reds, golds, blacks and purples were liberally spread over everything. The walls were covered in homely but not personal decor, most of them paintings and tapestries of various kinds. They depicted great mages and arch-mages, wonderful works of magic such as the Ice Crown or the sealed Volcano at Goral-Ti. The rooms were two part as well. The front part of the room was a table and bookshelves filled with tomes of knowledge or a wide range of subject matter, even a few story books and novels. There was a small dining table on top of a carpet and a fireplace in front of a lounge couch, as well as empty space that obviously would have contained any additions she wished.<br><br>The back part of the room was the bedroom. The right side held a large, four poster bed roughly capable of holding six people and still leaving stretching room. There were shelves and dressers for clothes in the middle of the room and instead of a normal window a glass sunroof was visible in the middle of the ceiling, down the center axis horizontal and vertical both. A thick curtain hung between both sides of the room, providing a wall of sorts while allowing the room to be easily expanded either way. Coat racks, vanities and other objects were visible and a single door in the back led to some kind of bathroom.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>PearlRuby</strong> on <strong>23-04-2011, 22:30:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				In another moment of forgetfulness over formalities, Talitha would rub her palms over her travel breeches, making double sure she didn't run the risk of leaving icing residue on the Magister's furniture. Then, as Fortuna would stand, so would she. One palm gaining leverage from the arm of the sofa, while the other pushed against the plus cushion. For a moment, she felt as though she might sink further into the chair. Possibly a weakness at the knees caused by all the information, and revelations, he had bestowed upon her. Watching the Marionette a moment, as soon as she found her feet steadily enough, she would lean forwards to place her cup and saucer on the tray. It only felt polite, even if she was a guest, for now.<br><br>Lilac hues would fixate themselves on the floor ahead of her feet; her chin lightly bowed as Talitha would follow mostly in silence behind the Magister. Of course, her brain was not so minimally focused. A plethora of thoughts and anxieties swarmed around her skull, hardly aided by the fact that the stairs winded round. <em>'An Archmage by thirty!'</em> It seemed almost too fanciful to be true. Perhaps she should pinch herself to be sure this wasn't some fantastical dream. That she wasn't still sleeping by a brook, with her mare grazing nearby. Regardless, Talitha would entertain the idea for a moment. She would muse to herself; a grin slowly forming upon her lips as her pride swelled to new, unprecedented depths. <em>'But... if I was an archmage...'</em> She would trail off, her nose wrinkling with such mischief. How delicious it would be to rub <em>that</em> in the nose of Kalin, not to mention all the fellow apprentices who had deemed her nothing more than a clumsy servant to nothing more than chance and good fortune. The type of person who managed to be in the right place at the right time, or coincidently, the wrong place and the right time, only to have that swing to her favour! <br><br>As such, the preoccupied young Apprentice almost did not realise that Fortuna had stopped, very nearly bumping into his back had her reflexes been a fraction less quick. She would quickly take a baby step back, and blink away her avid thought to focus on the now. Though it wasn't long until she was gaping in fascination once more. Already, her eyes were widening at the prospects he had alluded to; that she might one day she might be capable of transforming an entire room! Talitha quickly snapped her jaw shut and swallowed in fear her tongue might salivate too much. Diverting her eyes to the six doors, she found herself biting her lower lip. Was this a test of some sort? Some sort of, mental evaluation? <br><br>“Erm... very well.” She would utter before taking the necessary steps forward to the pair of middle doors. Number three or number four? Did it really matter? Her hand would reach for one door knob, only to switch to the other. Would he think number one would assume she thought of herself too highly, or was that number six? Oh the decisions! Talitha found herself biting down on her lower lip a little too hard. <em>'Three is a lucky number is it not?'</em> she would try to convince herself at last, and so finally the brass knob felt the touch of her palm, before fingers would encircle and twist to the right. <br><br>The shock of such noble colours were the first reason behind her re-gaping pout, followed closely by the fact that the room did not meet her expectations. Rather, it surpassed them. “I did not expect such luxury,” she would say out loud in an almost dreamy tone. The guild apprentice quarters were not only shared, but also so minimal. Therefore she had expected little more than a simple bed, chest of drawers, and perhaps a bookcase and table. En-suite if she was <em>really</em> lucky. This however, was quite overwhelming. She was yet again lost for further words, though inwardly she was warming quite quickly to her mage master. <em>'He certainly knows how to treat a woma - an apprentice!'</em> Cheeks coloured with rising warmth as she quickly corrected herself. She was not a woman to him. She was an apprentice. Best to get that clear before she got swept away with what might be confused as incredibly romantic notions. <br><br>“It is more than satisfactory, thank you.” Talitha would turn back to the spell master in an attempt to sound cool and grateful all at once. She would reach for the door knob again, only she would misjudge her reach and miss it entirely. “I... see no reason to change it.” Quickly she would reach again, finding the cold metal once more as she continued her small talk. “Though I also do not possess such skill, yet!”<br><br>A nervous chortle broke her flustered complexion. Though her skin possessed earthy hues of light olive, she was still pale enough to find it hard to hide the flush of pink or red. Feeling quite awkward in the doorway, but also wishing to explore the room without the master's watchful eyes upon her, she started to swing the door to and fro.<br><br>“Erm.... so! Wh-What am I to do after unpacking? Would you have me commence training immediately?”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verse</strong> on <strong>25-04-2011, 11:17:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The closeness that she stumbled into as Fortuna stopped to turn to her was not unnoticed, though perhaps a touch confused. He kept his eyes on her as he turned to her and observed her as she created space between them. For a moment, an interestingly contemplative moment, he thought she was embracing him so close did she come but much to his relief and further puzzlement she stepped back without a further word and instead moved to continue introducing her to her new room. He forced the proximity of her last motions to someplace in his mind more apt at handling such an embrace but soon he was swept up in just how Talitha seemed to handle her task.<br><br>It wasn't as if he didn't understand on some level, but part of him did so wish she would stop floundering under his gaze like...Well, an apprentice. It was the same mentality that he had held at a time though that was far from even remotely the same thing, considering their positions. Seeing her acting so confused and actively worried made his smile flicker a bit though he did his part and watched her dutifully, waiting until she'd finally made up her mind to give any sign of approval. They were all the same but sheer politeness dictated he -ask-...Giving her some control over her own fate and destiny was more then he supposed most would have allowed under these circumstances, but such gestures had profound effects on the mind. Something he knew first hand.<br><br>If Talitha were to look at Fortuna with him somehow unable to notice and adjust to that vision, she would see the 'spell-master' looking decidedly uncomfortable. He was not exactly used to waiting for someone else's mind to work and it made him anxious to get her settled in and for him to be free of her presence for a time. Not that he was particularly minding her, she seemed like a bright girl and for the time would be an acceptable apprentice. In time he hoped to change that in a good way. The best mages started off in a similar situation; Rarely did the arrogantly confident become anything worthy of their arrogance and yet, so rarely did the meek become giants. Humility was a needed component of this craft; Ego-less stumbling was not.<br><br>Still however his good humor returned when she spoke of the room and her satisfaction with it. He had hurriedly prepared the rooms eons ago and the Marionetts kept them clean, but really they had been until now for a semblance of show. Rarely did he have guests and even more rarely did he have the kind to stay overnight. When he did, the rooms were used only then. He'd only arranged them recently to accommodate Talitha.<br><br>He nodded at her as she spoke, though his eyes did notice the misjudged reach for the doorhandles...A little smile graced his lips that Talitha would notice as his eyes flicked back to hers and for a moment, his face assume a perfectly and almost poetic smirk. Lips quirked, one eyebrow raised and the other remained level as his slate gray eyes- No...They were a strange admixture of dark, neon blue now. The were deep with mirth. She was trying so very hard to impress him on even the smallest things involved in this that he was starting to look forward to dinner this evening. If this kept up he might overwhelm her even further. Still he responded to her. Nodding his head, when it came back up the humor was gone and replaced by simple, respectful grace. "I'm glad. If you have any things you require, do ask. Once I show you the rest of the Tower, you're welcome to make requests to have things placed in your room." he explained, reaching out to the Marionette and sweeping his hand to the room a little.<br><br>The spindly creature moved over to the door and, providing Talitha would step from it before he ducked under the door frame, he would carry her bags into the room for her and passing by the curtain, he'd set them near the dresser in the corner. It worked efficiently, setting the bags down and separating them out but not moving to open and unpack them. It seemed to understand such a thing was rude, or perhaps it was just not capable of such a thing.<br><br>Talitha's exclaimed call of what she should do after packing was met with a turn of Fortuna's head, he had been previously looking at the stairs upstairs and deep in thought as he wondered how far in the tower he should take her this evening...No higher than the sixth, at least. Shaken from his musings, he turned to her quickly and met her eyes with a smile. "Ah...Yes, well..." he started, gathering his thoughts.<br><br>"I didn't intend to thrust you into the more extreme avenues of training tonight. I thought I might first show you to the areas you'll be primarily studying in. After lunch of course. Once you've eaten and had your fill of the sights however, I will show you the course I've prepared for you? It will be intermediate and I do not expect you to pass it all or even want you to try and get a single subject flawless; I merely wish you to see where you are." he said, shifting back a bit as the Marionette climbed out of Talitha's room and stepped past him, heading upstairs.<br><br>Fortuna didn't hesitate after the thing had passed and turned back to the apprentice, eyes on her as he said "Three things however before I leave you to your unpacking. Firstly, I'll be back in about three hours with a hot lunch and drinks, but if for some reason you should need something before then, there is a bell on your nightstand. Ring it once for a Marionette to come. They understand verbal commands quite well. Secondly, You're welcome to explore the third floor on your own if you desire, but I must ask you go no higher than the third without me accompanying you..." he explained, hesitating at the ending a bit as the air hang...To explain them was complicated, but he had to do so simply to sate a curious mind. "...Suffice it to say that while nothing in the tower will outright harm you, the fourth floor and beyond are all enchanted and warded heavily to shield when we run our various courses and tests. I don't expect an adverse reaction, but such magic is chaotic at worst."<br><br>And then he took a bit of a breath, smiling at Talitha in a rather serene way. For once, he looked like a teacher as his expression softened. "And finally, Miss Finnael, I want to tell you that despite how aloof I may seem, it is really a pleasure to have you. I do not know what expectations you have for yourself or this, but I will tell you now that I expect you to live up to my expectations admirably," he said, though that <em>damned</em> rogue of a grin shot through his face as his eyes lit up in a way only reserved for the most searing of teases. "I expect you to worry your hair out horribly for the first few sessions, blow up a few objects of minor importance and more than once cause clothing to explode. I then expect you'll apologize, offer some terribly disheartened offer to cease the apprenticeship and then I expect to firmly reject it, drag you to the study room and make you repeat everything until you get it right or my hair turns red and combusts. At least for the first month."<br><br>His tone was like the cheekiest, smoothest thing one would ever hear and in relaxation, he sounded positively charming. "Do have a good afternoon and I hope you enjoy your stay." he said now as he turned, giving Talitha a small wave as he made his way up the stairs to begin his own work. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>PearlRuby</strong> on <strong>29-04-2011, 01:15:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Resuming a posture that spoke of obedience and attentive listening, Talitha would nod to each finale of Fortuna's sentences, expecting one of them to be an end to it all. <br><br>“Oh, no that's qui -” she would scarcely utter, breaking speech to step back as the Marionette moved past her. Before she could continue though, she was beaten to the chase. She had of course, inhaled the necessary breath to support her own little speech that consisted mostly of 'many thanks' and 'quite alrights', but it all got caught in her chest as she found herself staring at the spell-master once more. <br><br>Without fully realising, and clearly based on a habit that overpowered good manners; Talitha's fingertips would soon after start to fidget with the hemline of her waistcoat as she released her bated breath. Smooth pads rubbing over the simple embroidery in gold thread creating a straight, double border. The cause of it all was clearly Fortuna's response, which was far lengthier than she'd anticipated. It had her silenced to a gradual gaping, while brows ever attuned to the open book of her mood, rose over widening eyes. An expression he was no doubt already accustomed to witnessing, but he really was to blame for it too.... A bell by her night stand? Talitha had to swallow back, and with the tension of her throat muscles, tried to at least clear her canvas to show a more neutral portrait. Surely to be treated like Royalty was not going to continue past midnight? Of course, the mention of exploration had her brows twitching again. Naturally, Talitha's gaze flickered away a moment to stare up to the floors above her, as her tilting chin accommodated her teased curiosity. <br><br>Looking back to be met by Fortuna's pausing smile seemed to coax her own forced smile, mirroring his in an attempt to appear fully understanding and in total agreement to his overwhelming words. By now, she had quite forgotten what it was she'd wanted to say to him in the first place. Not that it mattered when he had another onslaught of words to leave her quite perplexed. A nervous little chortle escaped on a short breath as he grinned at her again, and she would dip one knee to rotate the toe of her left boot against the carpet. Lips parted, as though she had a response to his assured expectations of her. But in truth, she had nothing. Not the simplest iota. It was actually quite unsettling to be robbed of her own voice, and clearly a show of her lesser breeding, as the etiquette tutor had often said. 'A woman of higher class always possessed fine wit, even in the most difficult situations.' Pish posh to that high notion.<br><br>“Thank you,” she would manage to squeak at last, having swallowed back excess moisture and then cleared her throat for extra good measure. Still, her voice still didn't sound as strong or confident as she'd hoped for. <br><br>As soon as the blasted man's head was out of shot, Talitha would hurry clean through the doorway and press the door carefully shut. Her back then pressed against the solid wood, as she heaved the biggest sigh her lungs could muster. <em>'What the bloody hell was that you great big dolt!'</em> She mentally chided herself for acting so doe-eyed and unintelligent. Hands rose to cup her face, allowing fingertips to massage her forehead. “Argh!” The frustrated sound escaping in a muffle behind her palms. “Talitha, Talitha, Talitha; what <em>have</em> you gotten yourself into?” <br><br>With a groan, she slowly looked up with three bangs of her head against the wood. Granting herself the opportunity to absorb the finer details of the room rather than berate herself further, was a very fine distraction indeed. The young apprentice could hardly believe this room would now be hers; never before had she stayed in such luxury before! The house she grew in had really been a tiny cottage, and her bedroom had been a very small section of the attic. The apprentice quarters had seemed like luxury at first, despite being shared. Now, that life too felt like it belonged to a pauper. With overwhelmed glee written all over her face, she circled round the little dinning table, tracing her fingertips over the recently polished wood with a little giggle. The fireplace lit up with the immediate crackles of orange and pink flames as she passed it, sparking with her wild and emotionally unstable magic. In a blur, she passed through the adjoining archway, and her jaw managed to drop much lower as a loud, awe-stricken gasp filled the silence.<br><br>“Bloody Mary!” She cursed most profoundly, instantly slapping her palm to her lips straight afterwards. Her eyes remained wide though. How big could a bed be!? There was nothing else for it; with mischief glinting in her lilac eyes and a little squeal upon her lips, she ran forwards, and jumped. The soft, plush layers of bedding caught her fall, giving her plenty of reason to roll around with ecstatic laughter. Her arms grabbing at the nearest red and gold trimmed pillow and hugging it to her chest. If this was the life of a true Mage's apprentice, then she would be loathed to ever leave! Indeed, if only the others could see her now, living in the lap of such luxury. Lying upon her back, she heaved a heavy sigh. Yup, this was the life.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verse</strong> on <strong>06-05-2011, 01:41:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Leaving Talitha to her own devices as he strode up the stairs, Fortuna found the sparks of mischief ignited in his soul in a way that had not awoken in some time. Being a hermit had bred a quiet and contemplative man in the place of the unpredictable rogue that had terrorized his instructors and done as he pleased with his life; It was as if having his utter freedom had calmed him down so much more than confinement ever had. Having an outlet for all of it after so many years was almost uncomfortably releasing compared to how much he was bottling it up in the past few years.<br><br>The third floor was more or less the hub of things as far as Fortuna's movements were concerned. He had to go prepare things for the evening at some point but right now, he had some time to himself. Stepping into the circular room, Fortuna looked up towards the ceiling to check the large orb implanted there. A line of light connected that orb to one on a pedestal in the middle of the floor, which Fortuna ignored in favor of a desk also in the room that he now stepped over to and picked up a ledger book, flipping it open and examining it. He'd made sure to grab everything he needed to start instructing Talitha in the early levels of things a few nights ago so there was nothing he had to do in the outside world at the time. Which was a relief, because the only other things he had to do now were experiments he could do any time.<br><br>Shifting the book closed and stepping towards the orb on the floor, Fortuna casually reached out and touched it as he muttered a small incant and stepped towards the staircase on the other side of the room which led upstairs. The orb glowed briefly under his touch and the stairs shifted slightly, leading Fortuna directly to the floor he wanted instead of making him traverse the entire way to the sixth floor. He was going to get the books ready for Talitha before he made lunch.<br><br>It wasn't exactly the fastest process in the world to pull the books together for the lessons. His lesson planning skills had developed slowly and he was still unsure his process was the smartest or fastest but it worked for him. He would start her off on smaller strokes into varied subjects at first, using that to identify her weakest points and work from there. He wasn't teaching her how to be a Mage, he was teaching her how to be something far more and that only required getting her to a certain level before he threw her to the wolves of the next level, not proving how much she knew so he could show her off to other instructors.<br><br>By the time he'd gotten done preparing the course and the books for it, he had two paper cuts and a minor eye twitch developed from staring at illegible script of old codgers who'd thought that fancifully describing the reaction that magics had when mixed was a good idea. Fortuna's head was aching and he hadn't even gotten to teaching yet. Transcribing all this down onto a blank book for Talitha to read out of was also taking place, Fortuna's hand moving the quill over the page quietly as he switched between reading and checking his own writing. He made small notes and changes where possible, he corrected where possible and he put it all in nice, block print so that there would be no confusing chicken scratch to work with. It didn't take that incredibly long to do considering he was only working on a few basic lessons and within a few hours of work, he was done. He stood up out of the library desk and motioned his hand, the unneeded books now flying back towards their respective shelves as he let the book on the desk dry while he moved to the stairs.<br><br>Back downstairs didn't take quite so long and soon he was in the kitchen, pulling his sleeves up as he readied the food he was going to prepare. There wasn't exactly going to be a king's feast but he was sure she'd find it satisfactory.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: ''Opportune Levity''  (Pearlruby &amp; Verse)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>PearlRuby</strong> on <strong>11-05-2011, 00:02:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				After a content moment of staring up in awe at the stained glass sunroof projecting a rainbow of colours into the room, Talitha finally encouraged herself to get up and hoist her heavy suitcases up onto the bed rather than waste any more time with her nonchalantly dreamy thoughts. Only then, as she started to unload the contents of her cases, did she realise how little possessions she had to her name. In fact, the majority of items within the suitcase were clothes, which one by one were laid out upon the bed. Five spell books followed of varying sizes, one of which still on 'loan' from the Guild library. Then, one empty glass jar, and one filled with what appeared to be rather dried out soil. Finally, a single jewellery box rather elaborated crafted from cheap tin, but sealed shut by a pretty pink ribbon wrapping in parcel-ties over the lid. At least the wardrobe would not remain completely empty, yet neither would it feel completely stuffed. The rest though, was barely enough to make her true mark upon the rooms; but perhaps not allowing herself to feel too attached to the tower was a good thing? Surely it would make the day she would have to leave a far easier experience, even if that was several years down the line.<br><br>“Hmm...” the half Elfling pondering to herself with elbows bent and fingertips drumming against her pout. Now that both suitcases were unpacked, the cluttered bed was at least looking more like her dormitory back at the guild. “At least I'm hardly likely to be losing anything,” she tried to look on the bright side with a half-hearted smile. Realistically though, losing track of where she put things was still quite a high possibility. <br><br>For now, the Jewellery Box quickly found its home on the vanity desk, along with the two, curious jars. While her books and scrolls somehow managed to look quite out of place on the lowest shelf of the otherwise almost fully stacked bookcase. Stepping back to admire her work though with folded arms and teeth pulling at the side of her lower lip, Talitha reached out to trace her fingertips over the spines of the middle row of perfectly arranged books. Some held a coarse, leathery texture, while others were smoother, almost like silk. The majority of titled embossed in fanciful gold or silver writing against dark covers, until she stopped at the most awkward of the bunch. More awkward than her own bottom shelf selection combined. Sliding the book away from her neighbours with one finger guiding at the top of the spine, the velvet, deep aubergine, rather thin book, came into full view. The title <em>'Unrequited Sonnets'</em> lacing the front cover in bold silver that gave a little sparkle. Flicking to a random page; the paper holding a silky, thin texture against her skin, Talitha walked back through to the bedroom as she started to read the poetry aloud. <br><br>“Less than the cloud to the wind, Less than the foam to the sea, Less than the rose to the storm, Am I to thee. O! ” She didn't get far; a longing if not saddened sigh already escaping her lips while her steps came to a halt in the next room. “How beautiful!” Reading on, “More than the star to the night, More than the rain to the lea, More than heaven to earth, Art thou to me.” Her hand found her chest while she gaped at the final words. It no longer mattered that her bed was still covered in clothing; the comfortable mattress beaconed her weight upon it with a light bounce as she flopped down backwards, taking the book with her. Flicking the page, her serenely quiet voice started the next one.<br><br>“Love entered in my heart one day, A sad, unwelcome guest; But when he begged that he might stay, I let him wait and rest.... Who writes these works of art?” Turning the book round and round, alas, there appeared to be no author/s. Only a blur of many titles and verses as she flicked the pages quickly from start to end. <em>'Is it misplaced?'</em> Talitha more discreetly pondered as she bit down on her lower lip. It almost felt quite intrusive to be reading such intimate words caught on the silky pages, but the notion of turning the page again brought a seductive intrigue. <br><br>“No,” she scolded herself more firmly, snapping the book shut. But not to place it back where she found it. Oh no, hiding things was one of Talitha's habits and specialities, and so the book would find a new home under her pillow. Patting the plush cushion with a gleeful smirk, she hopped off the bed with all the intentions of getting ready for luncheon. One glance in the vanity mirror however, had her pulling a face at her own travel weary reflection. “Well that won't do,” she frowned. It seemed a quick bath was in order, if ever such a thing was possible, and then perhaps even a change of clothes.<br>
			</dd>
		</dl>
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