Lore: The ravages of summer

Vairah · Post by **Vairah** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 4:04 pm

((Huzzah for the most horrible thread title EVER.))

The glare off of the sand was intense. Her illusion may have presented herself as a normal human woman in her twenties, a brunette with normal human green eyes, but illusion could only do so much and Vairah's half-drow lineage made her painfully light-sensitive at times like this. Why had she come here, anyway? She hated beaches.

...Oh, right. She was "experiencing the world." Had she ever had a stupider idea? She doubted it. The sun was hot and seemed to be baking her brains out, and this wasn't helped by the fact that though her illusory self was as scantily clad as most deplorable (and, in this weather, entirely sensible) beachgoing whores, her actual clothes were made of a heavy material favored by those who lived underground in the coolness of shadow.

Then again, if her ill-defined "journey" had brought her here, she might as well make the best of it. The people here were bound to be as stupid as those anywhere else. She contemplated creating an illusion of a drowning, voluptuous maiden to lure some senseless male thinking only with his crotch away from his belongings. Then she could take them and pawn anything of value, and the day wouldn't be entirely without profit.

It was a good plan, she decided. If she didn't die of heat stroke first. She made her way to the nearest palm tree and attempted to fall limply in the shade with the most dignity possible. She didn't, quite, but once she'd gotten herself settled she felt sufficiently alive to begin working out her illusion. This was likely to take a good five minutes of solid concentration if she wanted her drowning girl to appear to interact realistically with the waves. Good. She liked a challenge.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 4:22 pm

An'thinal was sitting on a boulder fiddling with her violin. Today she wore a long strapeless top of golden color that flowed, and matching long skirt, and a sash of blue hues. Her long silvery hair was tied back in the heat of the day's sun. She was looking out into the ocean water while playing small, soothing tunes on her violin. She assumed no one was close enough to hear her, otherwise they would fall into the spell.

As she looked out in the water, it appeared to her as if something was taking shape. An'thinal knew enough of magic to know that this must be some sort of illusion being created. But by who, was the question? Everyone else looked too preoccupied--or unknowledgable--to be making the illusion. An'thinal kept staring in the illusion's direction, wondering what was going to happen next.

Vairah · Post by **Vairah** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 4:45 pm

Vairah was still wrangling with the problem of the waves. She had the girl's appearance all worked out - busty, blue-eyed, blonde, and wearing next to nothing. Creating and animating her would not be an issue. However, if she was going to look like she was drowning, the water had to actually be there. It couldn't pass through her or no one would buy it. But there was no way to make her solid. And if she created illusory waves to go with her, it would look unnatural and her prey would get out of the trap sooner. Not that she really expected anyone to pay as much attention to detail as she did. She was always most meticulous about it...

It seemed her only option was to watch the waves and make her adjustments in real-time. Good practice, no doubt, but she'd have to come up with a workaround someday. Maybe after she finished up here she could go somewhere cooler and get some study in. She opened her eyes and leaned forward, squinting into the dazzling expanse of water. The drowning girl took shape and began screaming for help. Almost immediately, heads snapped around all over the beach to look at her.

"Who wants to be a hero?" Vairah asked under her breath, smiling faintly.

Almost immediately a towheaded human youth charged out into the waves, ignoring the yells of his (probably jealous) female companion. Vairah scowled. It'd be more difficult for her to get his things with that girl watching over them. Then again, if she was distracted enough... She toyed with the idea of throwing in some kind of voracious sea monster, but decided she didn't want to waste that much power when just watching her lover charge off into danger would be enough of a distractor to most people.

She got up and walked - slowly, casually - towards the bag the kid had left behind. She looked at the yelling female for awhile, decided there was little threat, and picked up the bag before walking off again just as casually. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw that the boy had nearly reached her illusion, so she promptly sank the girl underwater, drowning what had never drawn breath. He'd be distraught and search for someone he thought had died for at least a few more minutes, and she could get off this blasted beach and wrangle with her new logistical problems. That was good enough for her.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 9:27 am

An'thinal looked on as the boy tried to save whatever illusion was there. Her grey eyes trailed back to where a girl was yelling and An'thinal realized that she had pinpointed the creator right behind the yelling girl. An'thinal smirked, 'Clever.' she thought and got down from the boulder. She figured anyone who could do illusions was worth talking to. An'thinal follwed the theif casually, not planning on making a scene and held her violin and bow behind her back as she walked.

Vairah · Post by **Vairah** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 9:42 am

Vairah had a sneaking suspicion she was being followed. She glanced quickly over her shoulder, under the pretense that her illusory self was flinging a chocolate-brown lock from her face. She might've maintained the illusion as looking straight ahead, but didn't feel like going to all the trouble, as the layers of illusion were directly superimposed on her.

It was a drow woman; a quick glimpse permitted her that much. She bristled, though the human-illusion continued walking with no change in expression or pose. Who is she? Do I know her? Did Erezia send her? The thought of her mother soured her mood even further. She resolved to get off the beach as soon as possible and confront the woman following her once out of people's line of sight, and accordingly walked faster.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 9:47 am

An'thinal wasn't that great with illusion magic, she couldn't called the theif's image bluff like she could the "drowning girl". She figured she could follow this woman casually until they were completely off the beach, then she could confront her.

An'thinal sighed to herself, had this woman been a man, she would've used her violin to get her answers. Not that she didn't use it on women too... she just preferred tricking men.

Vairah · Post by **Vairah** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 9:52 am

Vairah reached one house on stilts that was set further back from most of the rest, where the dunes began to give way to long, coarse grass. She was getting impatient; this would do well enough for now. She went directly towards it as if intending to enter it, but turned at the last moment and walked to the back side of the house. She stood in its shadow with her arms folded and waited for the dark elf to make an appearance.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 10:08 am

An'thinal followed her still, now humming to herself and wondering what she'd say to the girl when she finally got to her.

Vairah · Post by **Vairah** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 10:34 am

Humming? Humming? Vairah was now bordering on furious. A messenger of her mother's on some dire errand, nonchalant enough to hum. She could not wait any longer.

"Does the name Erezia d'Freyn ring any bells?" she asked. The low, acidic tone sounded odd coming from the lips of the bland-faced illusion, and she could not quite disguise a faint accent that screamed "this person has lived among drow for a significant portion of her life."

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 11:12 am

An'thinal stopped short, thought for a moment then replied, "No." This woman was sounded furious. An'thinal searched for her in the shadows, her skirt rustling softly. "My name is An'thinal Courdier..." she made a vain attempt to be polite. "I noticed you did some illusion magic..."

Vairah · Post by **Vairah** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 11:34 am

Was it possible? No. It was not possible, Vairah decided. There was no way she'd be randomly approached by one of her mother's kind simply because she'd been working an illusion. Not this close to Arken. Then again, she could not remember the name "Courdier" among the families with whom Erezia had cultivated alliances...

"Let's assume I believe you. I suppose if you saw the show out there, you already knew about this?" She dropped the illusion, revealing her true form - save for her slightly blunted ears, there was hardly a trace of her human lineage visible in her; she might have passed for a full-blooded dark elf among those who didn't know them. She was garbed as an academic of that race, as well. She arched an eyebrow, watching An'thinal's reaction.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 11:44 am

"Oh!" An'thinal exclaimed. "You're a Drow? But I thought you lived underground?" she stated like a scholar. She read about them when she stayed secluded in the town library. She pratically lived there. True, that a Dark Elf and Drow could get mixed up, if it wasn't for a Dark Elf's perpetually long ears like that of another normal Elf.

Vairah · Post by **Vairah** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 12:03 pm

"What?" Vairah was taken aback. "I'm not a drow. I thought you were." She began mentally cursing herself for the mistake. She was supposed to be more observant than that, even if the whole reason she'd been taught to pay attention to detail was so that Erezia could use her as a spy. Recovering her balance, she added quickly and a bit snidely, "I don't appear to be underground at the moment." That wasn't a very good comeback. She was afraid she was beginning to lose her edge.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 12:29 pm

An'thinal blinked. She had gotten that wrong?

"Wow, don't I feel stupid." A blush appeared on her dark cheeks as she quickly apologized. Just because she read a lot, didn't mean she was an expert.

Vairah · Post by **Vairah** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 1:56 pm

"Well, all right, I am. But only half," Vairah amended. "Then I take it you're a dark elf." She looked around behind An'thinal and saw the violin. "An'thinal, was it? This is a strange place to bring a fiddle."