Welcoming Arrivals and Explaining the Three Gifts.

[Portafortuna.]

Kali smiled, and every time her escort glanced to her, she couldn’t help but to allow her smile to broaden a bit more. Blame it on the happy pills that they must’ve somehow crushed into the air system of the palace, but Kali felt as though she were floating just an inch of the floor from where she stood. However, she was not.

At the mention of Bale’s idea, Kali’s expression lit with excitement. How wonderful! What an idea! Her countenance would answer him simple and plain enough, and if that didn’t, then surely her surrendering of the shell to Bale’s possession would. After a moment, Kali found her words.

“What a wonderful idea, Bale! Thank you so much! Yes, yes, of course…wonderful, wonderful idea.” Oh, her head spun with her joy.

The shell Bale held in his grasp was not just any shell, mind you. Sure, it appeared ‘normal’, kind of like one of those average conk shells you might find strewn along the shores. They say, if you pick one up and hold it to your ear, you can hear the ocean! For Kali, this shell resembled simplicity and uncomplicated happiness, so for her it appeared as a normal conk shell. For Bale however, from what she gathered by his reaction, it seemed he received it as a brightly-colored shell, one of magnificent and elegant proportions. One could only imagine what feelings, thoughts, dreams, and wishes that it would bring for him; to him—because he didn’t say. One could also only imagine, and wonder, what the shell might manifest itself to the young girl as. What would it look like? How would it appear? Oh, she couldn’t wait to find out!

It was also at that time, amidst her curious wonderment, that Kali caught something Bale had simply…added, to his statement. Fingers? She’s lost her fingers?

Kali blinked away her starry-eyed haze of dreams and glitter and focused on Bale for the moment. “The poor girl…loses her fingers?”

[Baleron87]

As was required of him back in Xexoria, Baleron quickly realized his place when the nobles continued to offer their gifts to the girl. His mask hid the dark frown that etched his lips as he looked to Fifteen and Arethusa and their extraordinary presents. He couldn't understand how the island's effects had not taken them into its grasp yet, as the frown he had been trying so hard to keep turned up into a faint smile. He had never liked nobles from the first time he had met them. Too many of them plotted and planned, trying to create strong diplomatic ties for their own sake. It disgusted Baleron to think any creature could stoop to such a low.

Unfortunately for him, it was not the worst disgust he faced at that moment. As the girl happily skipped to the eye and begin to pry a piece from it, Baleron returned his attention to her. From how it looked from where he still kneeled, the scene in front of him reminded him of a young girl who was playing with some strange new toy for the first time. At least, until she popped the fresh eyeball piece into her mouth. With a sudden shock of mute terror and overwhelming fear that wasn't normal to him, he fell back from his kneeling position and landed on the floor. His mask, only until now being held to his head by a thin red thread, flew from his face and clattered defeated on the stone floor. The initial shock of falling back had turned his fear to pain, but the pain itself felt dulled, and somehow excited him. A look of surprise at so many things happening at once was hard to disappate.

Suddenly, as if he had forgotten altogether for moments, he realized where he was again, and he quickly moved to stand again, bowing deeply to the princess. "Ahh... I am truly sorry. I didn't mean to do that..." His eyes scanned the floor nearby, and caught a glimpse of his mask. He lowered his body down further at the legs, picking up the mask and looking at the face of it for a brief moment. Sighing, he turned the mask around and placed it against his face, drawing seemingly out of nowhere a few red threads that held the mask once again in place. He once again offered the box to Eroina, but he stayed completely silent otherwise. He was far too embarassed on too many unknown levels to chance speaking any further.

[supernal]

Fifteen was tickled pink that Eroina liked her gift as much as she did. Only after he had acted the part of the prodigal son, only after the voyage was completed and the eye lay festering in the center of the ship he had rented for the expedition, did he begin to think of cultural differences. Anyone in his society would have been ecstatic to receive a kraken’s eye, but he realized that not every being in the world held the same values. So yes, he was delighted that his gift sat so well with the lady; moreover, he was glad to see that Arethusa seemed to take a shining to the girl.

Once all was said and done, Fifteen whirled about and laid his eyes on the man that he had so unceremoniously intercepted. He couldn’t help but frown some when seeing the state of disarray that the stranger had found himself in and so, with a subtlety to his movement that made him seem almost snake-like, he sauntered to the man and stood shoulder to shoulder with him, looking to different directions.

“Square your shoulders up chap, its bad form. Sometimes presentation is half the gift.” Fifteen cleared his throat somewhat, adjusted the almost suffocating collar of his pressed shirt, and then spoke once more before leaving the matter to rest. “After you’re done, come find me.”

Fifteen was quick to let himself be swallowed up by the crowds. He mingled with the masses like a professional, stopping here and there to join in on frivolous conversation and add his own unique spin of dry wit and humor to a situation, before he’d be off to give other crowds a taste of the same medicine. Soon, the numerical nom de guerre was a ubiquitous him, frequently dripping from the lips of those he had affected.

Soon enough, however, he’d concern himself with food and drink. Drink alone, actually. His second glass of wine for the day, and he’d hold it close while surveying the room before him.

[nocturne]

Arethusa was surprised by the grateful embrace - one which she returned wholeheartedly - and even more startled that Eroina began drooling when she saw the eye. It pleased her when the little darling began to bite into it and declared how amazing it tasted. It wasn't only a recognition of the greatness of their gift, but the greatness of the society from which Arethusa and Fifteen both hailed. She wondered if Fifteen would ever expect from her a child.

"Oh, my," she looked down at Baleron with a scowl, which quickly dissipated. "Your subjects, Eroina, are so overwhelmed with love for you that they can't even stand up!" Whatever Arethusa's status, which she assumed was leagues above the rude former Captain, she was not cruel or entirely heartless because of it - or so her words played it. Indeed, she had seen Fifteen's eyes dart in his direction and decided to save all of them some future trouble and nobody wanted a bawling girl on their hands.

"Even my legs are shaking," Arethusa stated plainly as she motioned for one of her servants to bring her a plush, velvet chair from the banquet tables. She sank into it and watched as the rest of the crowd filed in and gave their gifts, and also surveyed the crowd in her own way from that unique vantage point as she sipped on some pure spirits and picked at passing hors d’œuvres.

[Nayt]

The princess for the day nearly jumped when a body hit the floor, followed by the body's mask. A guest of the party had been temporarily terrified by something she had done. Thankfully, she was unaware of this; Eroina would have otherwise felt terrible and become quickly saddenned.

Unlike Fifteen and Arethusa, who shunned that man--Baleron, Eroina was quite excited to talk to and meet this person. Another new person, amongst tons of other new people, who she could talk with and become friends with! The girl simply could not feel enmity towards anyone here. They were all there for her; the least she could do was be joyful when approached by any of them.

"H-hello~!" she chimed enthusiastically.

Baleron seemed quite embarrassed, though (but, fortunately for him, Eroina couldn't tell when other people were embarrassed just yet). He had brought a gift, too, and was holding it out towards her, which somewhat confounded her. Eroina couldn't see what was inside of the small box . . .

Eroina stared at it for a moment, her head cocked to the side. She wondered what was inside of the box, and didn't actually think (at first) to take it from Baleron and check for herself. That just seemed rude, even though he was holding it out to her. The last two gifts she had received were incidentally donned on her, neither requiring much more from her than cooperation; actions beyond this had been unnecessary. It took her awhile to realize that he was actually holding it out for her to take from him.

She was still hesitant, though. Every time she put her hands upon the small box, she pulled them away, then hesitantly put them back--all the while never lifting the box from Baleron's hand. The girl simply needed a little bit of reassurance, nothing more.

"I-is . . . this for me . . .?" she asked quietly, shyly.

[Baleron87]

Baleron wasn't someone who fully trusted anyone when first meeting them. The fact that the person who had sidled up to his side in such an eloquent and thieving manner was one of the nobles didn't put him at any ease either. As he was told to straighten up, his entire body seemed to tense, and although he was unable to see the noble due to his mask, he was prepared for any movement the noble might make towards Baleron. Although he was somewhat relieved when the man had said his peace and walked off, his final words seemed to linger in his head. A noble wanting to talk normally lead to coup de tats and murder. He hoped that if he ever by accident ran into the man, he would be asked to do neither.

The noble's wife, however, received more of his attention then the man had. Arethusa's comment, although pleasant to his ears, had the same poison touch that he had come to expect of noble women. Even since his first meeting with one of their kind, he had pictured a grand arena where every noble woman was placed, and told the last standing would be the king's wife. Baleron knew that even in his mind he wouldn't be capable of mimicking the amount of blood that would run through such an arena. It made him shudder just to try and picture it at all.

Thankfully, they were quick to leave after they had presented their presents to Eroina. He had stayed motionless, slightly bowed at the hips and holding the present out to the princess. Time continued to pass slowly by, and out of mute curiousity he inclined his head up to see what was happening, or if he had been simply forgotten off to the side. Instead, he looked straight into the princess' eyes. It was an odd feeling that came over him as he looked past the patchwork skin and into the little girl's soul. Slowly, his hand slid up and pulled his mask off to the left side of his head, letting it rest where only his right eye and smile were visible.

Little flashes of the girl eating the eyeball still played in his mind, but looking into her eyes made her seem different to him. It was a sign that she was truly alive, even if the way she looked denoted some darker intent. Unable to now keep himself from chuckling softly at her timid question, he pulled the box back and opened it up, pulling the ornate royal necklace from inside and holding it up to the girl. "This necklace once belonged to the Queen of Xexoria. It seems only right that a princess should receive a gift befitting true royalty." He smiled softly, unhooking the clasp and resting his forearms on her shoulders as he busily worked to put the necklace on her.

[Nayt]

The jewelry was marvelous; Eroina's eyes glistened as she stared at it. Not but a single necklace, but so well taken care of and designed, created for a regal presence; for anyone to wear it, even a poor lower class servant in a foreign country, would draw all eyes and attention, from the poor, the rich, and the royal alike. Three gifts so far, and every one of them had been truly marvelous!

"W-wow~!" Eroina gasped, "I-it's so beautiful!"

Despite the marks of stitches about her body, on her joins and across one of her cheeks (a potentially repaired Glasgow smile, but only on one side), and her willingness to eat almost anything so long as it was no longer living, her smile and voice had her looking and sounding as innocent as a normal girl her age very well should have been.

Something about it seemed to make her feel . . . slightly wrong, though--as if she shouldn't be taking this beautiful necklace from this man. Inquisitively, she stared up at his face as he set his forearms upon her shoulders and worked the clasp behind her neck. Eroina wasn't about to stop him just because of that bad feeling, though--such would have probably been rude. Nonetheless, it just seemed like something that should have had sentimental value to a person. Empathy . . . it was a strange feeling, one very new to her, much like everything else.

Xexoria . . . Xexoria . . . Eroina had to think deeply on that to try and remember. She was certain that she had learned something of the place, just as she had been taught much geography regarding the world before and after the calamity known as "the End." Pre-End geography was none but a glossed over discussion, however, which called for Eroina to think even deeper to try and recall. The word "Xexoria" had not come up during lectures and lessons of the geography of the world as it was, after all . . .

And then, she remembered: Xexoria did not exist anymore. The desert nation wasn't so much wiped off of the face of the planet as it was disconnected--ruined and flooded. If civilization continued to exist there, it was out of pure luck. The war-torn nation of Xexoria should very well have been no more. Remembering this, but only as a brief overview, Eroina didn't know if she should ask this man if he was certain about this gift, or if it she should spare any potential rudeness and accept it as a truly heartfelt present. It was the latter which she finally decided upon, but for reasons she could not fully explain. It was going to be some time before she could ever manage to explain empathy.

"Th-thank you . . ." Eroina whispered as she moved her arms, wrapping them around Baleron's shoulders, all the while leaning in for a soft, close, thankful embrace. This hug, however, was a bit longer than the previous embraces, perhaps because of that empathetic reaction she was feeling. Nonetheless, Baleron may very well have been the first outsider in the party to feel the strangest thing about Eroina: no matter how soft of skin she had, how mobile she may have been, or intelligent--when she hugged Baleron closely, he'd feel no heartbeat in her chest.

[supernal]

Fifteen had every intention of talking to that man, that man with the strong shoulders and rough hands and solid stance that all but screamed of a militant pass. The man that had presented the lady with a sparkling necklace, of which he had seen something similar floating around in the hands of a lady and could not wait to see how that played out, but he was getting bored.

Standing at a table, making pleasant but idle conversation with whomever gave him a glance that lasted three seconds too long, and drinking wine could only keep him entertained for so long. He wished to talk to that man, that captain of the guard, that Baleron fellow, but neither was he so interesting in that man’s conversation that he would spend his entire day waiting at the table. He had made his intentions clear in their first interaction, ‘When you’re done, come find me’. He vividly recalled this.

For the moment, he would busy himself. More often than not, he’d glance askance at Arethusa. She was beautiful, an undeniable fact, and even Fifteen was not free of his urges. When he was not ogling his own wife, then Fifteen busied himself with reveling in the sensations that ran through his veins. Some undoubtedly had to question as to whether he was affected at all, but there was no question to it. A noble such as him spent so much of his time hedonistically, that the dizzy feeling that one got from taking in the grandeur of the island was not something alien to him.

Moments passed and a native girl approached Fifteen, speaking to him in subtle whispers, gently questioning if he would be interested in joining her in one of the opium dens. If things continued as such, he likely would.

[Baleron87]

Baleron had only just managed to do the clasp up correctly before he was enveloped in Eroina's close embrace, He had hoped that he could finish quickly enough to escape the awkward stance he was in and return to a standing position in order to give his final farewells and let the other guests present their gifts to her, but the gentle hug came far too quickly for him to move away at all without seeming rude. Instead, a feeling that he hadn't felt since last seeing Caela unexpectedly popped up, and he let his arms encircle the girl, carefully hugging her for fear of tearing a stitch by accident. Even though it was with a complete stranger, and such an odd girl at that, he couldn't help but feel at peace with the closeness of it all. He partially blamed the air of the place, as a quiet but deep hunger for the longing of human flesh had been with him since arriving. He hoped he would not be drawn into a place where that hunger could be satiated, lest he fall into the whims of lust.

During their long hug, he noticed something even stranger about the young girl in front of him. As warm as her skin and touch seemed to be, no pulse radiated from her. His eyes closed as he concentrated on even the weakest of heartbeats, but he was rewarded with no such feeling. His own abilities had imparted to him that the girl had no circulatory system at all, and that if she did have blood coursing through any veins, he was unable to affect it in the same way he would be normally be able to affect blood. A creature that didn't have such a thing confounded and terrified him, for it meant that there was really someone in the world whom he had no control over. He wondered how any person could be considered living without a heart, and at that point he desperately wanted to know more about this girl who, in terms of how he thought of life, didn't exist.

Baleron was the first to break from the embrace, and he stepped back, bowing at the waist like he had when first introducing himself. His eyes stayed on hers for the longest time before he finally smiled. "There is another present I'd like to give to you, although perhaps not at this very moment. I imagine that you've not heard a lot of stories of the world before The End occured. Perhaps at a later time, I could be persuaded to tell you a few of my war stories from back when Xexoria was the peaceful and beautiful place I remember. I imagine the other guests want to give their gifts, but I'm sure to be around for a while longer, so you can try and get my attention then, if you like." He smiled, and turned to walk away before inclining his head back to her, a playful and happy grin stretched across his lips. "Have a happy re-birthday, princess. See ya later."

He continued off of the raised platform where the throne stood after his farewells, moving back down into the crowd and stepping through the throngs of people. He was somewhat unsure of what to do next in this grand place. He idly looked around the large room, hoping to catch a glimpse of his missing queen, but he didn't keep his hopes up, either. It was such a long shot that she would come here at all, and since he wanted to let the aura of the island envelop him, he didn't want to remain in a pessimistic mood if he could help it. Unfortunately, a break in the crowd showed to him the noble from before, and he met the man's gaze, his smile slipping away back behind his mask as he slid it back down over his face. Somewhat curious, but mostly wishing to tie up any loose ends here before moving on to explore, he walked calmly and quietly over to the noble, giving a slight incline of the head to him. "So... You wanted to speak to me?"

[supernal]

He had contemplated, and quite seriously, going with the strange and native woman to the opium dens, to lose himself in a thick haze of confusion and pleasure. He was no stranger to opiates, or a number of other drugs, as he found that it allowed him to bask in the beauty of nature and truly revel in the warm embrace of life in a way that his jaded eyes and tired mind could not do by themselves. Given a few more seconds of free thinking, Fifteen would have gladly abandoned the party to reach that above plateau of euphoria, but as luck would have it, Baleron positioned himself quite promptly.

Fifteen looked to the woman, smiled some while patting her on the shoulder, then whispered softly against her cheek.

“Run along now dear, I have business to discuss with this gentleman. I’ll see if I can’t join you in a few moments.”

When the native girl, blushing as furiously as could be expected, had finally turned to leave, Fifteen fixed his golden stare onto the man and erected his posture. He smiled to him some, nodded, and tipped his glass towards Baleron before finishing off the contents therein in a swift gulp.

“I did. I did want to speak to you. About various things, but my father told me that I must always begin at…well at the beginning. I was just curious as to two things. Your name and why a man with a sword arm like that resigns himself to carry something so sentimental as a shell necklace?”

[Shin]

Arc -

He looked back and forth to the two girls then to Edric. How can I not be nervous? He told himself. That man is a legend! He wondered if the girls knew what Arc did? Perhaps they did, and living with the King they had the chance to see his true nature. All Arc had to go by was the stories he had read or the tails his superiors had told him. He wondered how many of the stories were true?

It was said that a Bards powers were based around the mimicing of Edric's abilities, but to a much much lower extent. The ability to alter a persons mood was the basis of a Bards music, sometimes more forcefully then not. The idea was the same however and being on this island was a testement to that, the very air Arc breathed relaxed him. He had forgotten to take a breath in that long span he stared at the king.

"Sing? To him?" He looked to the girl like they were insane. "He doesn't want to hear that im sure." Arc shook his head, in truth his gift was going to be a song for the girl, but now he wasn' so sure about himself. He did have a plethora of things in his backpack, he was sure that something in there could suffice as a gift. He couldn't barely breath, how was he supposed to sing?

[Baleron87]

"A noble wishes to ask me such modest questions? I'm truly touched." Baleron was in fact far from it, and his tone held a hard-to-miss inflection that stated quite plainly his views of talking to the prim and proper man seated in front of him. A slight chuckle escaped from his lips, partly from the air, but mostly from a thought that nobles could never really get their point across without meaningless conversation beforehand. Still, considering he had taken his time to come over here in the first place, he decided to humor the noble with the answers he seeked.

"My name, since you weren't exactly paying attention up at the throne, is Baleron. I was appointed to leader of the guard in Xexoria by the queen of Rivenfelde City, and served as her personal bodyguard." His hand idly rested on the hilt of his sword, fingers gliding up and down the pommel and guard as he faintly remembered the day he had received the blade and his status. "As for why I had the necklace... Perhaps you didn't notice that the world as we all knew it ended just a little while ago? Things tend to change when something that flips the world over happens with the ferocity and destruction that we have all experienced in our own ways. Some of us still are tucked safely away, still able to hold onto their titles and ranks in a world that desperately needs order... And the rest of us lost our homes and charges, and have since been wandering. So, that being said, is it really so odd to see a swordsman with a memento of his past?"

His cold eyes stared out from behind his mask at the noble, and he shifted his weight slightly to stand more comfortably. He never felt right in the presense of nobles. So many of them were capable of evil deeds that could be so quickly carried out, and only the fact that others were around calmed his nerves. Even if this noble had some deed that he wanted accomplished for him, he would not so easily release the details of his plans out in the open. He knew nobles prefered the shadows to instigate their heinous acts. "I imagine you wouldn't have called me over for such a simplistic reason. And I'm really not one for small talk. So, is there something I can do for you, or is this conversation over?"

[supernal]

He could not help himself but to smile, a grin as easy as it was sinister, equal parts charismatic and malevolent, to instill in one’s mind the idea that this man was the embodiment of a honeyed poison. Fifteen said nothing, more than content to merely let the man ramble on about his philosophy of things abstract and real, of things long forgotten and things yet still to come, of ideals thrown away and trinkets held dear.

“I’ll rephrase your question.” He chimed in soothingly, a voice of liquid velvet. “Is it odd for a the type of man that has built up his entire life around murder, around taking the life of other men with nothing more than a sharpened piece of metal affixed to a handle, to find his melancholy in a necklace? Yes, yes it is.”

Fifteen broke away from the table, putting some distance between him and the hors d'oeuvre so that others may come and go freely, and taking with him no more than another glass of wine. He did so love his wine, and when accompanied by the constant euphoria of the island, the taste was nothing short of absolutely exquisite. He looked onto the warrior with those gleaming gold eyes of his and, where they were filled with the arrogance and haughtiness of his stature, they now reflected only pity.

“Yes actually, that’s precisely why I called you over. But you aren’t one for small talk. No, instead you’re one that clings to his past and can’t see his future, right? Well, I won’t keep you any longer, I mustn’t squander all of your oh so very important time. If that stick ever somehow dislodges itself from your ass, feel free to find me in the opium dens.”

A few gulps later and the wine glass was emptied and left trembling, on the table, in his wake. Fifteen shot a furtive glance at Arethusa, wordlessly inviting her to follow him if her fancy was the same as his, before walking the path that would lead him away from all of this.

[Nayt]

Though she possessed no heartbeat, the young girl was as alive and chipper as any innocent, outgoing child would have been during a surprise birthday party. The lack of a pulse just didn't seem to effect her much at all, but that was judging by all that had been seen so far. In truth, she did, in fact, have some complications from that, but it was highly unlikely that any of those were going to come up during the party.

After Baleron withdrew from her--and she from him, Eroina's interest was piqued yet again. Baleron had stories for her? Eroina loved hearing stories! Baleron seemed like such an interesting person, too, so he was bound to have some interesting stories to tell! All kinds of stories were great, too. Fiction, non-fiction, oral, and written alike--all greatly enjoyed by Eroina. The king had even recited a few for her before. Of course, sad stories always got to her and severely dropped her mood, but who didn't get at least a little depressed by a solemn tale?

"I will!" she exclaimed cheerily--that she would have a good re-birthday, and that she would seek him out later to hear some of his stories, which she was duly excited for. "Thank you again~"

Once Baleron was sufficiently a ways away, Eroina turned back towards the throne and began skipping towards it, merrily humming along the way, and paying to attention to where she was going. Rather, she was tugging up on the necklace a bit, allowing herself to see the piece better--to let her admire it and how regal it truly appeared. Eroina stopped in mid-skip once she passed the large eye, finding herself enticed again by the smell which, frankly, had most of the guests edging away from it over time. Walking backwards in intentional backtracking, she positioned herself beside of it again, all so she could pick another small bite off of it. Happily eating the ocular morsel, Eroina skipped back to the throne, where she intended to sit and rest her legs for a moment.

[Titan]

(Sorry for the length. Skip down to the double lines if you wish to read the most 'important' stuff.)

Where have I been? What have I done as I made past of those lands. It is hard to remember, like a haze or fog had settled itself over my mind like a suffocating blanket of ignorance. Flashes of awareness do I recall, occasional bouts of clarity that burst through the offending murkiness. As though sleep walking it was, drifting in and out of consciousness. I knew not where I was going yet had a destination all the same. First in mind is the forest:

I lay against the trunk of a large and thankfully shady tree, limbs casting off the light of the world to spare me its irritance whilst I relaxed. Must have been in this time that whatever travelled delivering it's message did leave with my meditating self the means to which I would venture to this land unknown to me. I opened my eyes. The invitation was lain carefully atop the pack into which I entrusted my belongings, fluttering delicately in the timid breeze that fanned my face. Even now I can't reminisce of what had been the importance nor message of the letter.

Though solid was the path beneath my feet as though shifting sands did it feel I walked upon. First saw I this side of the trail then the next, darkness reigning between each glimpse. To where was I headed? Soon upon me dawned the revelation that many a person had received such a summons as I. They all were setting to climbing aboard the ships bound for our destination. Thanks be to my cloak, for it served me well in taking little, or no, notice from the others readying for departure. I stepped first upon the loading ramp then sat amongs a gathering of barrels.

My next glance into this world was a display of blue, holding steadfast in the sky above and rippling across the land in undulating waves. My fragmented and disgruntled mind felt a gradual easing into peace, a soothing melody embracing my thoughts and putting to rest my vain attempts at struggling for full awareness. Before darkness settled more lastingly, I recall seeing a tall, masked man whose music it was that bade me quiet. Blessed was the dark sanctity of my cloak, into whose depths the chords of gaiety reached and resonated with sedating force.

People were leaving then, so I gathered as each moment my eyes perceived there were less and less people to behold. A young girl bid welcome these travelers, orchestrating a speech of not only greeting but information as well. She told those listening why it was that the invited had been suggested to bring gifts; I hadn't really been listening. I only know the child's voice settled what had begun to stir as the music man quieted respectfully for the girl. The island's inhabitants moved afterwards to take in the guests towards the main keep of Persistencia.

Longer must have been the dark period between my fits of consciousness, for when again the world swam into view the beach was deserted. I began to rise from where I had 'hidden' myself from view on our transportation. My steps carried me across the sands, though before the journey really seemed to commence did I find myself venturing in where the others had amassed. I aimlessly followed a trail of watery footprints that, unbeknownst to me, dissipated with each step I took..

It was not until a name mingled with the air and settled dimly across my senses that I finally became full aware of my environment. I found myself standing with blind hand outstretched to open a door that might grant me passage to a world where a sense of lust and pleasure had appealed to my baser nature.

"Eroina." I stood straight and rest my reaching arm by my side, realizing I'd whispered the name the very moment it touched my ears. A slow pivot on my heel turned me from my previous destination to watch this child of crafted flesh; at this moment I set down my pack by one of the various pillars ringing the room.

Yes.
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There was a special someone whom was to receive gifts on this day. Even as I lingered on the fact I'd not purchased, found nor stolen something unique to bestow upon the lucky girl, I couldn't help but feel... compelled, to reach into my pocket. Even as my fingers closed around a small, smooth object, my other hand enveloped the stone dangling from the small silver chain about my throat. Before my eyes, lain in the palm of my right, was a gem very similar to my Dreamstone. Of course, my own was half again as large as the foreign present.

I made my move only after the man and woman and Baleron had bestowed their gifts. I circled the room, following along behind the view obstructing pillars while keeping an eye on the girl who now had returned to the larger present first revealed. Meanwhile I rolled the odd stone betwixt my fingers in silent pondering of its origins.

Many had proclaimed the way in which I moved was more a fluid and graceful one as though a hovering wraith, rather than a person walking. This though was the first time I had actually felt a ghost traversing the floor towards Eroina and the throne into which she sat.

I possess a rather musical tone of voice granted of my Eldar heritage, which when mixed with my faint oriental accent produced a vocalization most said was romantic; men tended merely to find it arrogant and condescending. Another bi-product became evident as I spoke the patchwork female's name from just behind her, a soft 'd' sounding just after the first syllable.

"Eroina." From there I moved to stand by her right, looking down at her from the depths of my hood. I made sure if she tried to peer into it, we did not make eye contact. My reasons for preventing such were my own, but all the same I used the moment to take in her... assets.