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everything about him was red
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 11:32 pm
by Urs Wardell
The Spinning Coin stank of overripe opportunity. That, and the bitter taste of broken hope.
Urs was nestled in a corner, away from the gambling and drunkards. This had always been the sort of place Mother had warned against. There’d been dozens of betting rings littered through the Midden. Each one was worse than the next, bartenders drowning their customers in cheap ale. The liquor loosened their wallets, and eventually, what else the liquor loosened was lost completely.
All sorts of spiders lurk, Mother would whisper, where the flies play.
The dark of Urs’ eyes cast the world’s reflection in silver. He threw his Seeing out through the gambling den. There, a pretty young woman wreathed in casual deceit. She played at being drunk, at being weak, and was quick to sneak coins from pocket or purse. There, a prettier young man pretended idiocy to lure another into a losing game.
None were the spider he’d asked after.
There weren’t many contacts he’d kept when he left for the Upside. When Mother was dying, she’d said that he and the Midden were done with each other. He’d shared a bit of his light and in return, the Midden taught him in its own way. And, when she’d died, he left and tried to cut his past loose - to go forward without weight of any kind.
He did, almost. He held on to a few friends. A few names. People that would help, without asking too many questions. In return for a promised favor, or two.
He’d recently spent a few favors to find a new name. Charlie. Supposedly charming enough to get into all sorts of places he wasn’t supposed to be - and, apparently, decent enough at finding out all sorts of things.
And, perhaps most importantly, this spider - if the rumors were to be believed - might have contacts in Zaichaer.
Re: everything about him was red
Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 9:42 pm
by Charlie
Charlie certainly didn't look much like a spider when he walked through the doors, all smiles. He had a disarming charm to him, an effortless confidence he exuded with each and every step. That in itself was not terribly uncommon, there were plenty of confident cutthroats or brigands in the Midden. No, Charlie was different in how friendly he was. He apologized when he needed to ease past obstinate and ornery patrons, and what was more confounding is that the drunken gambling rats actually reciprocated the kindness he extended. Chairs scooted out of his way, and there were even a few muttered apologies.
The kindness died away once Charlie was past them, and the way his eyes glowed in the dim light gave him away. He was using magic of some kind to play upon their emotions, and showed no small amount of skill besides.
Through the same friends Urs used to get his name, Charlie was in turn given his. Charlie's intents weren't nefarious though. He was far too kind for that. Charlie instead was intrigued by someone actually going out of their way to meet him. He was so used to needing to get his own foot in the door that he was already predisposed towards helping Urs because of the sole fact that Urs recognized his worth.
Those dazzling eyes scanned the room, and he was certain he found the man sitting alone away from the commotion. No one who wanted to be here would have placed themselves so far away from both the bar and the card tables. Charlie sat himself across from the man and leaned back to take his measure of him.
Then, with that kind, enthusiastic tone, Charlie spoke. "So! Heard you need a guy that knows a guy. How can I help?" He regarded the man with a mirthful, lopsided smile. Charlie had the opportunity to try using his magic on Urs, but decided against it for now. People were always so particular about having their emotions manipulated, though Charlie could never understand why. "Whatever you need, I'm your person."
No, Charlie was not the average spider, but perhaps he could be just as useful.
Re: everything about him was red
Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:36 am
by Urs Wardell
Ah, there.
Urs’ spell needled Charlie. It poked and prodded, cut and dissected. A dazzlingly blue that reeked of a delicate sort of confidence. That, and magic. His aura was scarred over his eyes, the aura sharper than it was in most places. Pins and needles racked Urs, ghost sensations, as his own magic investigated.
Mage or witchling, definitely. It wasn’t Semblance - Charlie wasn’t seeing. Whatever he was doing felt like knives. Intense and pointed, his magic was directed in a way Urs’ hadn’t Seen.
Mother told stories of all sorts of warlocks. Men who could conjure the light of dawn as weapons and those who might poison with a touch. There were rumors, in the Midden, of people who could sway and still with a thought. Mother said there were witches who knew words so sweet that they could make it so all you heard was honey.
He frowned. But that sort of magic should catch around the throat. The voice charmed, the eye saw.
“Yeah?” Urs asked, his spell still tugging at Charlie’s aura. He was thin and fit in the way most men were, a shaggy mop of blonde hair threatening to cover the bluest eyes Urs had ever seen. Strange.
“I’m looking for information about Zaichaer,” he started, the cold silver reflection held in his eyes all the more noticeable now. There’d been a decision there, in Charlie’s aura, a soft unthought thing that crystallized the moment he’d sat down. Something. “And I heard you might be the guy with some answers. Or, at least a good lead to point me towards.”
“I wanna hear about you, first. Tell me something. Doesn’t have to be anything important.”
Re: everything about him was red
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:56 pm
by Charlie
"Well, I can tell you all about Zaichaer," Charlie said confidently. "Grew up hearing stories about what a great place it had been generations upon generations ago. Ain't much to look at now, but the fashion?" Charlie's expression took on a look of appreciation. Charlie himself was clad in a more traditional Zaichaeri outfit. Black trousers, a black button down wool shirt, and a half length cape clasped with a silver chain. Far less colorful than the usual attire of these parts, though hardly dire enough to make people consider him a turncoat. "To die for. Suppose they have to be good at something though. They're so vile at nearly everything else that it must be a point of pride how they appear to others." Charlie spoke with easy disdain for the city, and that was perhaps the most normal thing about him so far.
When asked about himself, Charlie's expression lightened, and then turned to contemplation as he considered what would be appropriate to reveal about himself. Charlie was not used to people asking after him, at least not in any positive capacity, so the simple question left him momentarily on the backfoot. His face did not remain twisted in thought for long though, and soon Charlie was speaking once more. He leaned forward in his chair, tone an impression of a faux conspiratorial whisper, "Best to get this out of the way first then, I suppose. I'm a Mesmer. I would show you the rune, but I'd prefer to keep my shirt on, if it's all the same to you." He grinned good-naturedly and settled back in his chair again.
Many people kept their magic close to their chests, but not Charlie. "Suppose one answer deserves another, yeah?" He said after a moment. "What sort of information are you after? Might help me narrow down some of my usual haunts to find someone that can help."
Re: everything about him was red
Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2021 4:55 pm
by Urs Wardell
Mesmer. That’s what the Tower called it; in the Midden, the people whispered of bewitchings. Urs laid a weave of awareness, his spell stitching across the blue of Charlie’s aura. A ward, an alarm, to catch the spike of magic before anything was thrown at Urs. A small protection.
His magic wouldn’t do anything against Charlie’s - it couldn’t. His Sight, no matter how sharp, wasn’t a weapon - or a defense. The man wreathed in blue, however, might lay an enchantment or seed a thought with a single word. Urs’ warning might give him a moment or two to act, to run, but a warning was all it would give.
Urs smiled, “I’m after all sorts of information.”
He hadn’t known Zaichaer fashion. Strange, that the whole of a city might dress in black and cloaks with chains of silver. Here, the people dressed as birds. They tried to capture the haze of dawn in a dress or the vibrancy of a meadow in full bloom in a suit. Even in mourning, they preferred colors and brightness to anything else. At least, in the Upside, they did.
In the Midden, dyes were expensive and new material was rare. Mostly people repurposed old clothes into new ones until the thread eventually gave out and refused to hold shape again. “Your clothes are nice. But it isn’t the fashion I’m interested in.”
And now, the true test - more for himself, than Charlie. There were some things he needed to keep close, for now at least.
“I’m an apprentice at the Tower. I’ve recently found some information regarding the Covens of Zaichaer. Unfortunately, the Tower hasn’t any formal relationship with Zaichaer - or its Covens.”
There, a pause, to check the dazzling shine that was Charlie. Changes, however small, might lead to larger clues. He’d heard the Mesmer speak truly, and now, he could find that aurum glimmer easier. “I would like to establish contact with the Covens of Zaichaer.”