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Post by Sable Rivien on Dec 15, 2022 19:15:52 GMT -5
Standing any other way than at attention when stationed at a post was never technically allowed, but it was a rule only ever enforced during inspections and when the captains were making their rounds to ensure things were kept orderly and by the letter. Members of the guard were expected to look professional, to conduct themselves in a manner that was worthy of respect and the emblem emboldened on their uniform, but it was... different from post to post.
When standing in close proximity to the castle, the noble districts, or the temple, appearances were everything. It was unbecoming to slouch or to loiter, to look as if you were not giving your full attention to the task of keeping watch and guard over the area. Not to mention that the people that either frequented or lived in those areas tended to have the loudest voices and the most grievances even if nothing was done against them, their critical words for all but themselves as they took offense with their ever-changing whims.
Sable detested the days when his duty found him there, where he had to leave Celeste in his room. More than capable of remaining rigid in his form, to look more than be an effective guard as he kept his gaze locked in a fixed direction to look uniform with the others that stood abreast of him, not having his drake companion with him was a source of constant worry and anxiety that he carried throughout the day. After all, if muddy boots to sully the area could be seen as an insult, a small drake would be a crime against the honorable citizens. Or a threat.
It was why he much preferred the days he was scheduled to patrol the housing district, to walk amongst the people that were going about their day. Some paid him no mind. Others would offer him kind hellos and the like as they passed. There were a few who knew him by name, having asked for his help with the mundane from time to time, which he had been more than willing to do... as was his duty. And want.
Celeste had enjoyed the fruits of such labor as she ate happily at the dried jerky Sable had torn pieces off and fed to her. There was an elderly woman, Ethril, who somehow always knew when Sable would be around, and always insisted that the various baked and dried foods were her way of repaying him for chasing off a suitor that would not leave her granddaughter alone. Today had been no different, her smile bright but gentle as she exclaimed his name and wandered over, scratching the icy drake on the chin before pressing something wrapped in cloth into Sable's hand, insisting in that way he had yet to create any sort of defense against.
She would remember him, was a morose thought that rested on his shoulders as he leaned against the wall of one of the buildings, his wintery gaze watching the people moving between homes and streets. Should something happen, Ethril would remember him, he knew. Just as he remembered Tallas, carrying him always within every nightmare and memory, every scar that littered his body. Always he would—
There was a flash of cold against his cheek, enough to have him recoiling a little to see a rather concerned Celeste with her icy breath still slipping between her teeth. Perched upon a stack of crates, she made a soft noise at him, one that had him realizing where his mind was going, that he was losing himself to winding thoughts and darkened feelings.
Releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, Sable reached out and ran a hand along the length of her spine, a whisper of a smile alighting his expression softly as she did that small shiver and shake as always. "...thank you, little one,"[1] he told her quietly, pulling back his hand with another deep breath and focusing once more on the comings and goings of the housing district.
[1] Language Used: Draconic (denoted by red)
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Post by silva on Dec 16, 2022 17:45:57 GMT -5
Now Silva wandered about a lot... but seeing Lin again reminded him of Moonglade and how long it had been since his last visit. Which of course reminded him of some friends he had there...
If he could remember where they in fact lived again.
His Mending, One Solar Sign bounced against his pack as he walked. He relished in the pretty sunlight of this area of Charon and looked at each house as he past. He had knocked on a few doors down the street of houses that seemed familiar only to be met by young elven children he definitely did not know or an annoyed gnome with a sooty apron that wasn't familiar at all. A few apologies and a story to placate the children about where he had come from yielded him no closer to his friend.
He sighed and walked back down the street to the other intersection he hadn't tried yet. They had long hair... dark. Lived in a house that was painted a purple at the time but... he couldn't rely on that still being the case. It had been years since he had last spent time in Moonglade. Small balcony somewhere on the home. That he remembered. Since he distinctly almost fell off of it and needed a hand to pull him back up with a beautiful laugh and a joke about him not paying attention.
He stopped in the road to smile to himself. So many friends he missed when something reminded him of a gesture or a memory with them. So many more friends he had come to realize were simply gone... between his musings and travels they ceased to be. It worried him... that he couldn't hold onto the memories of names or people. That they slipped out of his mind like sand through his fingers without him even knowing he needed to close his hands to grasp them. Another loud sigh as he looked up again with a forlorn expression on his face.
"Perhaps I should ask more people. Older ones..." He spotted a man standing there with a blue animal on his shoulder but garbed in the uniform of the guard. "Or! Someone whose job it is to know." Silva strode over, with his hands firmly clasped on his bag straps.
"Excuse me sir, I am looking for an old friend and I have seemed to have misplaced them."
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Post by Sable Rivien on Dec 19, 2022 20:02:31 GMT -5
Sable had wiped away the small bit of frost that lingered on his cheek from Celeste pulling him from his spiral into darkness. She was always better in tune with him than he was of himself, he had realized quickly when she first stumbled into his life, and Tallas... Tallas had always teased him about it, too. Whenever he needed to know what Sable was thinking, he'd always go to Celeste, the necklace Sable now wore around his neck allowing him to speak to her, his voice a melody as he inquired about the emotions of her chosen.
The small drake couldn't speak back, of course, it was beyond her, but over the course of Tallas being a part of his—of their lives, they had created something of a language between themselves. Certain tail flicks meant one thing or the other, which direction she cocked her head as she did so, whether she remained standing, sat down, or lowered herself onto her stomach; they could all indicate one thing or another, and Tallas... understood. He understood that strangeness that existed where he had to ask an ice drake what his partner was feeling because they were unable to convey it well themselves... or simply didn't wish to worry him over it.
Or because he wasn't sure himself of what he was feeling, a plague that had infected Sable at a young age, back when he had first learned of his family, when he thought that locking everything away was... better. Until it wasn't. Until now it all came crashing down and he was left holding the crumbled and broken pieces of a wall that had been crafted, that someone had managed to slip over and help remove, only to have it all destroyed when that person was no longer... there.
Gods, he was doing it again, the nip to his hand pulling him back out of those inky black waters before he drowned as Celeste then threw herself from the crates to his shoulders to dislodge him from those thoughts more thoroughly. "...sorry," he choked out much softer, his jaw clenched so tightly as he refused to show the way he felt like he was shattering and forced himself to focus.
Fate seemed to grant him a reprieve of sorts when a voice called out to him, granting him a distraction, something to truly focus on. Tensing a little, as he always did, Sable turned and saw a man with silver hair approaching him, straightening his posture just a touch. His eyes immediately flicked to the sign the other man wore, a bit of amusement and... warmth spreading at its sight. An innocent offer for so very little. Charitable kindness.
The choice in phrasing was interesting, though, and Sable canted his head ever so slightly. "...misplaced them, sir?" he asked. "Do you mean that they are... missing?" It was important to clarify that, even as the man wasn't acting frantic or concerned as one might if a friend could not be found. One would require a search; the other, just a bit of help.
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Post by silva on Dec 28, 2022 19:14:57 GMT -5
"Oh no! In fact if you really think about it I am the one always missing... I haven't stopped by in many years and I seem to have forgotten where my friend lives... or ah... their name?" A slight chuckle at himself, "You've be surprised how easy it is to forget someones name after a few years of travel."
His eyebrows then knit together as he took a good look at this guard.
"Actually she had a similar look to you. Dark hair. Brooding eyebrows. well formed chin." his expression turned thoughtful, "How many people around here have such dark hair? Maybe we start there! Oh... unless its been long enough her hair is different... people's hair does turn grey after a while..."
He was having that feeling again... like he should know something. That he was missing something important. He chewed a lip and then looked at the small drake with an interest. He had seen a few of her kind by the Pale City. A few drakes here and there, other dragon-like beings too. It was interesting to see one who liked ice so far away from the snowy tundra.
"Oh! Well now look at you!" He held a hand out to the drake for her to sniff at. "Oh! I think I have something she might like... if she enjoys snow? Nothing dangerous of course... just a little trick I received as a gift recently that could be fun for her. Its a bottle that makes little magic snow creatures... They are quite fun to let run about but they do melt a bit fast this far from home."
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Post by Sable Rivien on Jan 2, 2023 14:28:07 GMT -5
A single eyebrow rose as Sable listened to the man before him, taking in the many words he was saying. They were... easy to follow for the most part. Their friend wasn't missing, but it had been some time since the last time they had seen them, and in that time, they had somehow forgotten their friend's name in addition to where they lived.
That was the first thing he found odd, and there was a voice in the back of his head telling him that it wasn't normal. People didn't simply forget the names of those they considered a friend after just a few years. Not unless they were made to forget or something happened for them to lose something so important.
What the man said next had him going unnaturally still, though, his thoughts immediately turning to his family—to his mother whose resemblance he bore. She had never mentioned a man with silver hair who she considered a friend. Of course, she had never mentioned anyone as having such a relationship with her, but there had been a great deal she hadn't mentioned, enough to drive him away, and it was only in knowing that she had never called Eclipse City home that he was able to breathe, knowing that it couldn't possibly be her that he was talking about.
It was still strange, though.
"...you don't recall her name nor where she lives, but she looks similar to me, though her hair might be greyer now," Sable echoed back, ensuring he had the details straight. "Do you know... how long it has been since you've last seen her?"
Words that were clearly meant for her had Celeste had her perking up shortly after, a small chirp of some kind escaping her as she canted her head in curiosity. With a glance to Sable as her only bit of hesitation, she leaned down from her perch atop his shoulder to inspect the hand held out to her, but she kept enough distance so that the man couldn't touch her. People were peculiar , after all, and not all of them knew how to reach out to her without it being harmful or annoying.
The mention of snow did have her truly interested, though, something Sable could tell from the way she carried herself, her wings shuffled and resettled as if she had folded them uncomfortably. He'd be a liar himself to say that he wasn't also a bit curious about the snow creatures that could come from a bottle. No doubt, Celeste could keep them from melting with her breath for a little while. Should she be so inclined.
"...perhaps you could show her after we find your friend?" he suggested as something of a compromise. "If they are amenable, of course," he added as the daunting size of the task he was about to accept and give aid to started to loom over him.
"And is there nothing else you remember? The color of the house, what the roof looked like, if it was more north or south?" Sable paused for a moment, thinking over various places that served as landmarks. "Was it near the courtyard or gardens? Perhaps... the fountain?"
With the last suggestion, there was a distinct change in the way he said it. It was akin to hesitation, and in truth, Sable had avoided that area ever since...
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Post by silva on Feb 8, 2023 22:01:43 GMT -5
“Oh I really couldn’t say… Might have been a few decades perhaps?” He touched a finger to his lips. “I really hope it hasn’t been longer than a century… That would be quite embarrassing for me wouldn’t it? Forgetting a friend for that long.” He seemed to get lost in thought a little.
“Ah right of course, after all letting some loose here might be at the very least an annoyance for others on the street… I remember it wasn't far of a walk out of town. She would sort of walk me out when I left… staying behind when I crossed out onto the main road… Small balcony that had to be repaired while I was there because I remember falling off of it and the railing breaking.” Silva put a fist to his hip and rubbed his temple. “It's… all a bit blurry if I am completely honest, I only remembered her recently and I couldn't help but come back. I remember feeling calm around her… but that doesnt help us now.”
The more he spoke the more Silva felt that familiar feeling of dread. It had been longer hadn't it… Longer than he cared to think about and perhaps longer than his friend whose name he cannot remember and only a whisper of hair and a bright laugh that came from a hard to imagine outline. The feeling of an arm on his and his own lightness…
“Ah… I do remember we could see the fountain from the balcony. Not very well but… you know I think I might not be able to find her.” He smiled sadly at this lone guard listening to him ramble about someone who likely no longer existed. “But I did want to try to remember her at least.”
He pulled out the bottle of snowlings and fiddled with it, before pulling one out into his hand.
“The little snowlings are harmless. Since I pull them out of the bottle they do what I say and perform small tasks like carrying things and such.” he held the little wiggling snow creature in his hand that was just waving at him and happily moving. “No trouble though. Unless I end up making them trouble.”
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Post by Sable Rivien on Feb 17, 2023 19:15:19 GMT -5
It was only for a moment. One, single, almost painful moment, where Sable's expression faltered. What was normally calm and unreadable wavered at the mention of decades, of it hopefully not being more than a century, and his icy eyes widened as he was taken aback, a piece of himself revealed in that betraying bit of shock. If only for a fraction of a second.
As soon as it was there, though, it was gone, a flash and flicker that was washed away with a few blinks as Sable quickly recomposed himself. He did not wish for the gentleman before him—one whose growing confusion was proving to be a growing source of concern on his own end having offered to help them find their friend—to become distressed or disheartened. Not when the odds of finding the person they were looking for diminished greatly with that... prolonged length of time separating now from when they had last seen each other.
Hence why he remained silent, listening attentively and betraying nothing of himself any further.
...his thoughts were another matter entirely, though. They refused to quiet themselves, a glance turned critical not finding pointed ears to explain how they could consider a century so casually, as if it were a normal span of time that most could live beyond rather than simply getting lucky if they made it from one to another depending on when they were born within it. As one with elven blood might consider it given how long they could live, but the man before him appeared human, meaning that there was clearly more to them and what they were.
Perhaps the woman he was looking for was similar in that way, then? Ignorant of the passage of time to where they might also forget but remember as the years came and went?
Still, as he pulled out his notebooks and began writing down the descriptors he was given, Sable couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the other man. It was a heartbreaking thought, not being able to remember someone considered a friend, and by the way their voice trailed off a little, their expression softening in the search for more details only to sharpen into a frown when they discovered it was lost to them, it was something that they felt quite intimately. Not unlike a physical wound, if he had to guess at the pain such a thing could manage.
As their tone shifted to sadness, however, Sable stopped writing and looked up at the other man, his regard of them softening just a touch as he understood and felt that whisper of loneliness, even as it might be vastly different from his own. The tenderness that was even quieter within their words was far too familiar, though. That devastatingly gentle note of loss more so.
"...perhaps not," he said, voice quiet and a bit warmer than it had been thus far, "but you have given me enough information that I should be able to get us near to where she lived, and... perhaps in looking for her, you might better remember her? With the things that are familiar." ...and perhaps it was his own fear that he might forget Tallas in the same way, with years that stretched on past the few he had with his love, that Sable felt a... need to help this man on a search that would all but likely be in vain.
Sable fell quiet as the other man pulled out a bottle and... retrieved one of the little snow creatures from it. With the firm set of his lips quirking ever so slightly into the barest hint of a smile, he could admit that there was a certain charm to it as it waved, one that seemed to amuse Celeste, as well, the small drake shifting from where she had clambered onto his shoulder and now pitching herself forward to have a closer look.
As her intelligent gaze rested on the snowling, there was a shift in her presence. It was not unlike a flare of magic or a shimmer of illusion, but it was something that could only be seen by those who could perceive the world and the things within it the same as she did. It allowed her, for a moment, for no more than a few seconds, to appear as what she was, what her many years marked her as instead of the small drake perched upon Sable's shoulder, but only for one.
To even her companion, her ancient visage did not exist. She was simply Celeste, a drake that had never spoken in the ten years she was known to Sable, and she seemed to be youthfully entertained by the snowy creature, releasing a breath of ice to fall about it and the other man's hand as gentle flakes when exposed to the warm day.
"I... would not mind helping you try to find where she once lived, even if she... is no longer there," Sable said, oblivious to his companion's hidden self. "It would be no trouble."
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