Khailyn
Junior Member
"The night is my own, the cocoon in which I read and write..."
Posts: 55
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Post by Khailyn on Mar 3, 2007 22:13:03 GMT
Khailyn had been wandering the gardens for much of the day and found them to be oddly beautiful with its nocturnal flowers, varieties she had never seen before. Intoxicated by their fragrance and refreshed by the cool night air she was ready to return to her studying.
Khailyn makes her way briskly through the entrance hall and up the stairs, eager not to draw any attention from the Palace's inhabitants. She reaches the library, a room she had grown very fond of in last few weeks and spent most of her time within the confines of her ancient books and scrolls, learning all she could about the layers beyond her own, Earth. Not long after she is settled down at the table Khai notices the white cat, Merryl, come padding up to her affectionately. "Aww, hey there" She smiles, bending to stroke the unusual creature, her fur pleasantly soft, a rarity, Khai thought, in this cruel and hard domain that was Midian.
Khailyn turns back to her papers, checking them over to be sure she had them all sussed out...
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Orpheus
New Member
I'm an evil man who's also into cats
Posts: 48
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Post by Orpheus on Mar 3, 2007 22:21:30 GMT
Merryl enjoyed the affection, but felt a little patronised, so she yawned, jumping from chair to table in two graceful jumps.
She padded across the open books, uncaring to their state. "What are you learning now, book girl?" She questioned, not unfriendly exactly, but more of a challenge, for Merryl was aware of what this girl collected. Knowledge. That was dangerous, and some of it was about her Orpheus.
Her eyes looked up defiantly, such a small creature compared to the human, but proud, defiant and strong nonetheless.
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Khailyn
Junior Member
"The night is my own, the cocoon in which I read and write..."
Posts: 55
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Post by Khailyn on Mar 10, 2007 10:17:21 GMT
Khai could never help herself from being startled when the cat spoke, after all, it wasn't so often that domestic pets came walking all over your work only to ask what you were doing. She simply smiles and leans back in her chair, over-viewing the documents scattered out in front of her...
"I'm just browsing through these descriptions of the Sun real--- er, Layer" She corrects herself. Layers, realms it was all the same! But they were all fascinating to say the least. "Who knew that this one planet was utterly drenched in magic, concealing the layers from each other, remarkable!" She states, eyes unable to keep away from the text much longer...
After a few minutes Khai feels this may be a little impolite and so drags herself away from devouring her knowledge "Oh, I'm sorry Merryl, I can't help myself sometimes" She laughs, feeling a little awkward apologising to cat and wondering if Merryl really cared at all....
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Orpheus
New Member
I'm an evil man who's also into cats
Posts: 48
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Post by Orpheus on Mar 10, 2007 11:46:30 GMT
Merryl replied tartly, "I noticed." Before sitting right across the middle of the page that Khailyn was trying to read, as if to make a point. Sun layers, blah blah blah. It meant very little to her.
There was a moment of wonder; would the girl know how to complete the summons for her? She had not really told much to Orpheus about her true form, just claimed that she was more than a cat. She would have to teach Orpheus the spell, which Merryl certainly didn't know.
"You not latching onto Orpheus? I thought you loved him?" She questioned, before Merryl felt herself feeling quite woozy, her stomach tightening in fear. Orpheus? There was something wrong. She felt her hair prickling upwards, before the moment passed and Merryl felt quite normal again. So strange.
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Khailyn
Junior Member
"The night is my own, the cocoon in which I read and write..."
Posts: 55
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Post by Khailyn on Mar 10, 2007 22:14:30 GMT
Khailyn is at a loss of what to say. It was odd getting the third degree from a cat! "Ah. Yes. Well I'm over that now. No point pursuing what you can't obtain" She says with a laugh, fingers fiddling with her pony tail. This whole thing was threatening to turn into quite a mess. It was hard pretending to be in love, especially when she had no concept of the damned thing! However, this charade was less dangerous than the truth and Merryl's questions seemed to be scraping rather close to just that... "You're very curious for a cat, and you know what they say" She laughs, genuinely amused by her own joke... Oh dear, she hoped that hadn't offended....
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Orpheus
New Member
I'm an evil man who's also into cats
Posts: 48
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Post by Orpheus on Mar 11, 2007 12:01:51 GMT
Merryl returned the laugh, if slightly wan, and answered happily enough. She was liking the girl more now she didn't have an apparent love interest in Orpheo.
"I'm not a cat so it doesn't matter. Hey. Khailyn. What things do you know about magic? I want to find something out for Orpheo, so I can teach him."
There. There was no lying, and she hadn't inadvertently revealed her identity. Not that it probably mattered to this one, who looked about as harmless as a kitten herself.
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Khailyn
Junior Member
"The night is my own, the cocoon in which I read and write..."
Posts: 55
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Post by Khailyn on Mar 12, 2007 19:50:22 GMT
Not a cat? Khai wasn't sure what to make of that... She simply pets the poor thing with a sympathetic smile... How else do you console a talking cat with in an obvious identity crisis??! She begins to fold her papers away, it was getting late, or at least, she thought it was. Khai could never tell in the absence of sun light.
Merryl was asking something about magic, a topic that stopped Khai dead. "No, no I don't know anything... well, that is to say, I don't know how to do it. I mean, I know it exists, ha! How could it not? You only need to look around this place---" She continues on like this whilst stuffing papers into her satchel "Magic everywhere around here if you ask me, too much of it to be honest with you Merryl" The truth was, Khai didn't much like the idea of magic, having been condemned so many times for her strange abilities. They all tied in together and it was an area quite raw to Khailyn for many childhood reasons...
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Orpheus
New Member
I'm an evil man who's also into cats
Posts: 48
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Post by Orpheus on Mar 25, 2007 11:20:49 GMT
Merryl sighed, and realised she might have to tell Khailyn about who and what she was to make some progress.
"Look. Khailyn. I'm not a cat because I'm cursed, right? When Orpheus." She purred his name delightedly, before continuing at a more normal tone, "When he made me his familiar, he granted me speech. I'm looking to break a curse, what kind of magic do you use for that? Can you help me? I don't know what I can do in exchange, but I will help you as I can. I can even get Orpheus to do what you want."
She tilted her head at the question, her tail twitching a little with her nerves. Had she said too much? She only hoped that Khailyn might know something, or if she didn't, knew someone who did.
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Khailyn
Junior Member
"The night is my own, the cocoon in which I read and write..."
Posts: 55
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Post by Khailyn on Mar 25, 2007 13:10:21 GMT
Khailyn stares at the... cat? Utterly speechless. At last her brain kicks into gear and she is reminded that staring for such a long amount of time is quite rude. "Oh" Khai manages to say after a while. This was unusual news...
She musters a friendly smile, after all, Merryl's story was entirely plausible in a place like this. "Who turned you into a cat..? Why did they turn you into a cat???" She probes thoughtlessly, her curiosity shadowing any tact that might be necessary. But that was just Khai's nature, she never meant to offend.
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Orpheus
New Member
I'm an evil man who's also into cats
Posts: 48
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Post by Orpheus on Mar 25, 2007 13:24:54 GMT
Merryl muttered somewhat tersely, "Doesn't matter how it happened." Before frowning (as well as she could muster as a cat) and realising that Kahilyn probably meant little by it.
"I'm asking though, can you help me turn back? I'd be far more useful if I was in my true form!" She asked, sighing slightly.
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Khailyn
Junior Member
"The night is my own, the cocoon in which I read and write..."
Posts: 55
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Post by Khailyn on Mar 25, 2007 14:35:08 GMT
Khailyn nods appreciatively, annoyed at herself for getting carried away. When Merryl is finished she sighs herself, biting her lip thoughtfully. It was a strain not to pet the cat, but Khai thought this a little disrespectful now that she knew the truth...
After some time she places her hands on the table, as if about to negotiate a business deal, which wasn't far from the truth. "OK. So, you aren't a cat, and you would like me to help reverse the spell to return you to whatever previous form you might have been..?" She says this to herself to get the story right before again biting her lip with a nervous sort of frown... "I'll help. But I will need your help with something in return. I don't know if I'll be much use to you though. You see, Merryl, I can do things that a lot of humans can't... But I don't believe it is magic that I possess..."
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Orpheus
New Member
I'm an evil man who's also into cats
Posts: 48
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Post by Orpheus on Mar 25, 2007 14:54:55 GMT
Merryl tried to calm herself. For all her knowledge, Khailyn really didn'y have that much common sense! Merryl paced over the books and table, her white tail swishing as she calmed down.
"I'll do what I can." She assured, at last sitting and beginning to wash herself, for there was only so much one could ignore the animal within her.
She began to explain in a slow voice, "Orpheus can use magic, so if you teach him the right spell, he can do all the hard work. I'm sure one of these books has something, right?"
At that, she heard rapid footsteps, and the growing presence of Orpheus. The elf came tearing into the Library, before realisng where he was and slowing his step appropriately. He was looking worried, and had a hand on one of his swords.
"Merryl!" He exclaimed, and she ran into his arms, feeling the warmth of his body, purring at the touch.
Orpheus then realised that Khailyn was there, and immediately became more reserved, formal, letting Merryl sit on his shoulder and asking, "Khailyn. How are you?"
The white cat exaplained rapidly, "She's fine. We're looking at magic, something new to learn so you can make me work better for you."
Orpheus nodded slowly. "I can't cast at the moment... but I would like to learn... what are trying to find, Khailyn?"
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Khailyn
Junior Member
"The night is my own, the cocoon in which I read and write..."
Posts: 55
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Post by Khailyn on Mar 25, 2007 15:55:37 GMT
Khailyn blinks at the elf... The cat creature in his arms. He seemed flustered and panicky bursting through the doors like that, and into a Library of all places! But the Elf soon calms down, restoring his posture and reserve. Khai guessed that what ever had been worrying him was something he didn't want to share. Instead she simply smiles amiably to his greeting, trying to maintain it whilst Merryl answered for her and continued to explain the plan concerning talking cats and magic...
There were details left out, and Merryl's abrupt answer gives Khai the impression that Orpheus was to be kept in the dark about particular things... She looks at the parchments in front of her... surely one of them would hold the answer to Merryl's problem? "Just... basic elemental spells..." She replies to the Elf, having no clue of what she was expected to say...
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Post by Aryanni on Mar 25, 2007 16:09:58 GMT
Orpheus nodded uncertainly. He didn't really understand what was going on between his familar and Khailyn. Merryl seemed more oblique than usual - secretive at the best of times - and getting information out of her was like getting blood out of a stone.
He shifted through the parchments, recognising snippits of spells and incantations, but he was drained despite healing himself, and the idea of casting any magic gave him a dull headache.
Even with Merryl back with him, he could hardly contemplate it, and so just picked one at random. "What's this?" He questioned, handing it to Khailyn.
Merryl seemed content for the moment to be silent, watching with her twilight blue eyes.
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Khailyn
Junior Member
"The night is my own, the cocoon in which I read and write..."
Posts: 55
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Post by Khailyn on Mar 25, 2007 16:37:40 GMT
Khailyn groans inside her head. She really hadn't a clue about all this, these parchments containing spells and charms were simply amongst a few other more intreiguing, historical books. It was pure chance and luck that they were now present on the table to soldify Merryl's story...
"Err.." Khai reads the title of the parchment Orpheus holds up for her identify. The language was Sumerian, which she didn't know particularly well and hoped Orpheus wouldn't know at all... It was an incantaion for the God-king, Gilgamesh... "It... Conjours... Bravery, like that of a King... When faced with danger" Khailyn smiles, almost pleading the elf to accept that explanation... After all, the summonig of Gilgamesh probably wouldn't go down well as a potential spell for Merryl...
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