it is always a fascinating twist of life when the place one has avoided for so long becomes one's destination the very next night.
this is how kiesah chose to view the current and necessary turn of events: a fascination. as an outsider from the mounds, nearly all events that she had witnessed on the earthen plane were nothing more than that. joyous or sad, miraculous or gruesome, no matter what befell the host of earthly creatures of this backwards land it was a mere entertainment, no more no less. so tonight the unseelie was determined to view her present circumstance as the same.
how amusing.
this is what she said to herself as the storefront she sought came into view. the one which held an abundance of books within, and more importantly…a wizard. how she detested wizards, pompous old windbags the lot of them. always thinking so very highly of themselves - look at me aren't i clever, look at me aren't i powerful, look at me aren't i everlasting.
look at you, aren't you dead. that is what kiesah always said, just after she put one of them in its proper place.
yet here the unseelie was. standing in front of a wizard's shop, with an aim to engage this particular wizard in a fashion that did not include an intention to lob off his swelled, egomaniacal head. had she ever spoken to this particular wizard? no. had they ever crossed paths? not directly. but she had heard of this one, oh yes, and more specifically she had heard talk of his oh so special gift.
the gift that would make him an invaluable ally. there was no question - she must have him on her side.
that was the only reason she would set foot inside this wizard's domain tonight, instead of waiting for him to leave the establishment and tailing him until they were on more neutral ground. entering the book shop was allowing him access to all the bits and baubles of the preparedness wizards were so known for, to the point where one could almost see the invisible energy of readiness dripping thick from ceiling to floor. he would have all of his resourceful little tricks at his disposal when she confronted him, and she considered this her way of extending a hand of peace.
well, perhaps peace wasn't quite the right word. but it surely was uncharacteristically magnanimous of her nonetheless.
the winter maiden who now walked into the establishment was even sans the scrubs that she donned so often. normally choosing the medical garb as her mantle to aid her potent glamours in dissuading suspicion and increasing trust, tonight she left that mask at home. for if this wizard was worth even half his salt, he would have seen through such costuming in a second. so on this humid night with a storm moist on the horizon, kiesah's attire was simple, feminine. a dress of silvery-grey color, made of the softest fabric one could find. it fit her shape well, and the skirt belled out to an end just above her knee. on her feet were sandals, winter white, with long straps that wound up her calves. she never wore anything but flats, as she was already taller than most mortal women, and such height did not need to be further emphasized. her white blonde hair was braided, in several flawlessly woven braids, each looped up and pinned with a silver clip. how youthful she looked in such adornments. how much like a living doll that had barely blushed into adulthood.
how deceiving. but appearances usually were.
moving straight to the counter with a fluidity that any dancer of ballet would murder for, kiesah's eyes landed on the small bell that sat upon it. with a twitch of fingers so faint it could scarcely be perceived, a brisk wind shot forth and its momentum caused a single clear ring.
for she would not touch anything in this damnable wizard's shop unless her survival depended on it.
The Store, wasn't much to look at, it was your typical book store.shelves filled to bursting with many many books, many from subjects not offered in mainstream book stores. and upstairs, guarded by several magical wards, where his rare books, books older then the country they where in mostly. and books that held incredible power in skilled hands. Decorating the room, where an uneven number of overstuffed comfy chairs, scattered sporadically around the store. There where also thirteen pillars, all hand carved with the epic tales of heores and deeds long past and seemingly scattered randomly around the store as well, though to the trained eye, they where all placed so that a circle could be brought up so long as he was standing close to one of them.
James was trudging up from the back door, wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans. the shirt fit close to his body, a swimmers build he had. something he worked a great deal on too. Wizards where physically mortal, and needed every edge they could get in a physical confrontation. such was the literal first lesson in the book for defensive magic.
the tattoos inked into both arms where visable fromt he elbow until the white fabric of the t-shirt covered them up, but even so the ink darked the fabric as it sat over his skin. he had alot of them, Mathematical symbols, a great long string of them coiling tightly around his arm, adn stretching over most of his upper back. he was presently wiping his hands off on a bit of cloth. and had appeared to have been doing some rough labor.
"I'll be right up presently!" he shouted on his way up from his downstairs safe room. the door was slammed behind him and he stepped out into the store proper. when he entered what he had often called his sanctum sacntorium, he felt another power in his presence. blue eyes scanned the room, eyes darting from place to place as calculation brought up potential avenues for attack. eyes befell the woman and he offered his best shopkeep smile, his mind still alive with the dialing up of math, summing the situation up into an equation."Hello there miss. Welcome, to a real page turner... are you looking for a nice book to curl up with?" his tone was that of the good shopkeep, as was his smile. but James was still on guard.
this was not her first dealing with one of his kind, not by a long shot. as such, kiesah had a trained eye and knew well what to look for within this little shop of his. she would play the charitable part by requesting this meeting in a place of power for him, but that did not mean she would do so without being prepared. any hints that she could spy with her ice blue eyes would allow her to form presumptions, and within those presumptions were tiny little things that could be used to her advantage - or at the very least make this a more level playing field than this wizard might expect.
she was fae, after all. and not the sort that bothered with guises of roses and rainbows.
when he finally came into view, the unseelie saw that the man was a hint all his own. she did not hide the fact that immediately her eyes dropped to study the ink that wound up his flesh, and considering just how piercing her glacial blue eyes were it was no wonder that with a slight narrowing of those eyes she was attempting to study what lay beneath the fabric as well. they were not symbols that were familiar to her, but they didn't need to be for her to know that a large part of his power was stored right there on his very skin.
how clever. it made her think of the saying about skinning a cat, which is why her lips twisted into a smile that was unmistakably macabre, and likely inappropriate for a simple patron in a book shop. such smiles from kiesah held a chill all of their own.
as did her body, and the air that surrounded her which many would call the aura. depending on how close he stood to her, he might feel it, a chill that was deeper than any mechanical air conditioner could fashion. many stood near to kiesah and found themselves thinking of december, snow storms, or numbing chill of ice. perhaps subconsciously they could smell the winter that was this unseelie maiden as well as feel it.
when he asked her if she was looking to curl up with a book, that darkling smile deepened to what was nearly a laugh, though none came. how amusing, she thought to herself, and this pleased her. the wizard was already fitting himself into that chosen theme for the day. "no," she replied simply, and she did not hide the cool lithe to her voice that she so often did when dealing with simple mortals. as she finished her reply, he might hear it - the distant chime of the mound played in a pitch that was enchanting, yet distinctly flat.
"i came here for you, wizard." and she was not one to beat around the bush. not when there was potentially a seelie storm on the distant horizon.
James Cooper tensed at her last words, and immidiately he began to reach for his power, this was his place. and he wouldnt be taken in his sanctum without a fight. he kept his smile on though, eyes watching the woman, he didnt look to any of his defenses he knew they where there, and if he looked at them she would as well. it was unfortunate that his gun was behind the counter, underneath the showcase. but she didnt need to know there was even a gun there.
still his tone was polite, he wasnt James the wizard yet, he was still James the shopkeep in his reply. "That's not at all a shock to me. Why did you come here for me?" he sounded genuinely curious with no hint of the apprihension he was feeling in his voice.
People often came to try and kill him, to be the one that breaks the streak, you'd be surprised how often it happens, already once since arriving here in new orleans. and perhaps here was a second.
oh how the unseelie wished she were here to kill him. if only, if only...the wizard had no idea how deep her thirst was to rid the earthen plane of another pompous windbag, after first luxuriating in a long and leisurely flirtation with various tortures of course. but this bothersome possibility of a pending seelie storm was currently interfering with kiesah's chilling desire to play.
when it came to sport, the sundry sidhe of the unseelie court tended to have a much different definition of frolic than most.
yet that was neither here nor there, as today the possibility of such impish gaiety had to be put aside. for sadly, oh so sadly, this wizard's talent made him far too invaluable to be killed. kiesah could feel said talent - or at least the raw power which applied the talent - percolating in the air, and it was no small amount of fuel. granted, this wizard was in his place of power and advantage, but even so. what he sought to do with not very successful subtly was no small matter.
nor was it his fault that his subtly was rather unsuccessful. after all, how could he know precisely what manner of creature was standing before him, and what said creature was capable of sensing? the unseelie's wintry eyes glistened with anticipation as she observed the manner in which he carried himself while his mind was no doubt proceeding with the delightful calculations that made this one special. his manners ever so different than the natives of this particular part of the earthen landscape.
she would share that observance with him, obvious to him as it may be. "you're a very long way from home."
eyes looked away from him then, gaze resting upon each of the quaint pillars and their homely renderings. very obviously scrutinizing them, one by one, allowing her facsimile of curiosity to take its good sweet time before her piercing blue eyes returned to him with a rather pointed gaze. as if to let him know, without vocalizing it, that she knew exactly what she stood within. and isn't it charitable of me, the fetching little tilt of her head seemed to add.
perhaps her words would clarify why. "as am i," she said finally. an impish little smile playing upon her oh so pale lips. "the mounds, well they're ages from here, aren't they? and it's not often that one of my kind cares to spend such ample time as i do in your provincial earthen realm." then the smile was gone, overtaken by a sobering cold that touched even her eyes. "but others intend to come. and their intention is not to play nice in this fair city."
the wizard knew well that fae could not lie, didn't he? so if kiesah could speak those words, they must be true. there simply were other words, other truths, that she chose not to speak as well.
Fae where powerful, very powerful. but they where also incredibly arrogant. Wizards where arrogant as a people too, as are most who have power over those lesser then they are. but just like with people as a whole, some wizards where not so stupid as to flaunt all of their power like it was their purpose to throw lightning, and bring death and destruction down upon their enemies. James Cooper was one such wizard, while his new guest thought she was smart, picking out the most overt of his defenses. there where others she had no way of knowing about, and many that not even his apprentice knew about. James adored the girl, and she was doing very well in her training, but there are things best left unknown when it came to keeping her safe. That was just as much his duty as it was to keep her educated.
The Wizard watched her as she moved, steely blue eyes unblinking, his mind racing with a million million calculations while he watched."This city is a confluence of energies, leylines converge here, just as they do below the Hidden Halls." that was the name of the white council's base of operations. "I'm doing just fine here. lovely weather in this city..." his tone was still pleasant, even conversational, his posture relaxed as he started to approach her."I can't imagine why not, It's my understanding that courts rather like exploring the wide world."
His eyes left her's then and he looked up she was in what could be a circle prison. one she wouldn't be able to free herself from if he willed it, but she wasn't causing trouble yet, and she was in his house, he had however put her further away from his counter and the shotgun he kept underneath it. while still having her in a potential magic circle should she decide to get squarely. he rose a brow then, and folded his arms over his chest when she spoke of more faeries coming to the city. " It never rains but it pours, ey?"
"Why are you Telling me this.?"enphasis on the 'me', james wasnt the most skill battle wizard. "I'm not a Warden, I get get in touch with them if you like.." he was genuinely curious, he wasn't much of anything, a stone in the ocean of the supernatural creatures in this city.
-- Edited by JAMES COOPER on Friday 15th of July 2011 12:55:00 PM
the unseelie did not make a show of noting his pillars to suggest to him how very clever she was. on the contrary, kiesah knew exactly where she stood, and more precisely how he could contain her as a result. which is exactly why she wanted him to know that she knew the precarious position she was putting herself in to thus extend a proverbial olive branch in the name of proposing an alliance. a branch that after today she'd likely never extend again, regardless of the outcome of this meeting. for even though he certainly had no reason to trust her, that door swung both ways.
she had no reason to trust him, either. who was to say that this vainglorious wizard wouldn't cage her simply because he could? if it wasn't for the impending seelie storm, the winter maiden would never take such a risk.
nor would she sit through idle nonsense chat about the weather. a faint color of impatience shaded her words as she folded her arms across her chest, trying to resist the urge to loft her eyes in a hearty roll. "much like humans go on holiday. sparingly, and for sport. but not this time. the seelie are not visiting your city of converging leylines to show their breasts and go home with beads."
the frost dropped from her demeanor, however, just as quickly as it had come. it was not often that a sensation like confusion or bewilderment could penetrate the cold constitution of the winter maiden, but it did now. for the wizard's question was not one she ever expected. to be grilled regarding the details of the coming seelie storm yes, to be asked the same questions three times so the wizard could test her truthfulness yes, but to have a wizard question his own involvement? never.
white blonde brows sank low over her arctic blue eyes as kiesah tilted her head titled slowly to the side, scanning the wizard's posturing as if it would give her some semblance of understanding. it did not. "but i've just told you a horde of ill-intentioned sidhe will soon descend upon your city…the endangerment of innocents is assured…" he would be able to hear the puzzlement within the dissonant music of her voice, which trailed off as she tried to reach into her knowledge banks of the earthen races to muster up an ending to her thought. "don't humans - especially pompously heroic wizards - care about the fate of…?"
as she abandoned the idea of trying to articulate her question in words, her pale and dainty hand lifted to gesture at the front door to his shop, as if to vaguely reference all the citizens bustling past. as a creation who lacked even a single drop of the humanity the earthen races seemed aflicted with, she had found their manner of caring so very quaint, perhaps even foolish, and undoubtedly amusing to watch.
so the winter maiden never expected to have to convince one to care about the safety of his fellows...
...how in the bloody hell was she supposed to do that?
He had had dealings with the fae before, not many, but enough to know they are not often perplexed, just as she wasnt expecting his response he wasnt really expecting her's.
He looked up in thought for a moment."Well, yes of course. but Pompously Heroic wizards are not Wizards who are pompously heroic for very long." he took a step towards her, easing up a bit. the situation was mathematically in his favor, and as such he relaxed a bit." While I do care, I am a very smart man, very smart men stay informed, and those who are informed stay alive."
He motioned to one of the overstuffed chairs. "Please, have a sit." words offered he lowered down into one first, maybe a gesture of good will, sitting down wasnt really a defensable position. at least not incredibly good of one." I'd like to know more about these visitors that come to this city of converging leylines for more then beads."
the unseelie had not moved. all this time, since the moment she stopped to ring the bell, her feet stayed rooted to her chosen spot. for she knew that anything in this damnable shop could have been enchanted by this wizard, and as such triggered by him to unleash any number of irritations upon her. it was why she'd rung the bell with an application of her cold wind when she'd first come inside - her goal during this meeting was to touch nothing, including him.
yet when he stepped closer, she did not step back. fae were creatures of colossal pride and vanity, the wizard was correct in his thinking. so regardless of whether they stood in his place of power or no, the sidhe was not about to back down or back away from this one.
hell would freeze over first. likely by her hand.
his new proximity meant he'd be able to feel her cold. much like standing in front of an industrial freezer, the chill that radiated from kiesah could serve as a reminder that even in the dead heat of summer, even in the most tropical of climates, the potential of winter was always on the horizon. but for the unseelie, there was only one season. for the cold did more than reside inside of her, it was her, as surely as her blood. she knew nothing else, and never would.
when he moved past her to sit and then offered her a seat in turn, kiesah remained standing and was as blunt as the frost. "you understand why i am not going to sit down. nor am i going to touch anything in your quaint little shop, including you, considering all of those markings inked upon your flesh." she referenced them with a small wave of her hand, and a leery purse of her lips. "i know your kind, wizard. that i'm standing inside of your infernal circle is generous enough." note she didn't ask whether or not it was generous enough. to the winter maiden it was. end of story.
"as for information, i quite agree." the brisk frost which had chilled her voice transformed here, to the more silken tone that sidhe were known to ooze as part of their otherworldly allure and charm. even when such music colored kiesah's words, the tone always hinted at a minor key or an instrument gone slightly flat. such was the effect of coldness on music. "to be informed is to be given something of value, and i do not give away things of value for nothing."
what fae did?
-- Edited by KIESAH LAUFEY on Saturday 16th of July 2011 12:34:07 PM
"If you know my kind you'd know them well enough to not throw the first punch in any fight." being reactionary was easier then the alternative but if it would help make hte situation more comfortable."You've my pledge that I will raise neither hand not will against you unless in self defense. Thrice a swear it, on my power."
Oaths where a big deal among the supernatural. especially amongst wizards. especially when they where sworn upon ones power. he also didnt specify how long the pact would go for. it could go forever, he didnt usually go seeking out fights, they tended to find him well enough as it was.
he grinned then, a sort of grin that suited him, even if he didnt wear it enough."Never had I expected a beautiful maiden of the winter, to offer me information without a price." it was meant to offer flattery to her he had heard it was polite to flatter a fae.
Looking up at her withs teely blue eyes. he asked curiously "What would you ask? keeping in mind that you came to me with this information." he was smart enought o observe that fact at least. she had come to him for a reason, and her information had somethignt o do with it
she cast her arctic blue eyes elsewhere, her petite and pale nose wrinkling at the wizard's first words. if he knew her kind, he should know well that the sidhe delighted in throwing first punches. and sometimes the urge ruled them even when it wasn't in their best interest. coming here to solicit this wizard for an alliance was an exercise in a level of self-control kiesah normally didn't bother to adopt.
damn the seelie for forcing her to curb her behavior. the day they came after her she'd make it plain just how vehemently rankled she was about their interferrence in her life.
but for now, she sighed. the release of arctic air from her lungs was formidable enough that it chilled this main room of his store for a few sweet, lingering seconds before the coldness faded away. the unseelie carried this potential to bring winter with her always.
so it was no wonder the seelie court wanted to put a stop to her.
the winter maiden crossed to the chair he had earlier indicated, her steps carrying a feminine fluidity and sway that was almost too perfect for mortal eyes to truly comprehend. otherworldly was certainly an appropriate word when dealing with a sidhe female, and despite her chill kiesah was no exception. as she sat, she folded her arms across her chest and cast a cool look at him, though the effect of his compliment did creep out in a wry curl to her oh so pale lips.
"i remember full well that it was i who came to you, thank you, your damned circle is a constant reminder." though her tone was seeped in silken nonchalance, there was something to the fact that she'd mentioned his circle again. likely to be within it, even when this wizard was not putting it to any specific purpose, was a discomfort to her in some way.
but she would answer his question, and plainly so. "i've come here seeking an alliance. i've heard tell of your special talent, wizard, and it's of use to me. i'll not speak in any more detail than i have unless it's with a sworn ally."
yes, oaths were a big deal in the supernatural world. no doubt of that.
"Technically, you're not in a circle just now... If that helps." because there wasn't any magic going to the circle, he could potentially create about both of them now. it was inert. the pillars where just pillars filled like magic batteries. he watched her carefully while she spoke, he had his fingers pressed up against each other like a steeple as he weighted her request.
She had said she heard of what he could do. it wasn't uncommon in the supernatural circles to have heard of James Cooper, the only man to beat back death. of course it wasn't death he could beat, it was entropy. but when the curses held an almost one hundred percent effectiveness ratio. it was hard to make the argument that it wasn't death itself that James could beat.
He was quiet for a long moment. watching her face, but never meeting her eyes. statistics and percentages rolling through his mind while he thought. most of them said that helping out the faerie was a bad idea, but James hadn't made a career out of saying no to people who asked him for help.
" I accept your alliance. on the condition that you will share all information you have on these fae coming to the city. and you under no circumstances raise a hand to me, or those under my protection." He had Trina to consider in working with the fae, he knew them to be wily, and always apt to getting one up on those they dealt with. At least, if she promised not to raise a hand to Trina, or even Katey. then it would be at least a bit safer for them.
was the man daft? regardless of what the pillars were in the present moment, they possessed the potential energy to become something altogether different in an instant. a blink. a snap of his pompous fingers. for this reason kiesah slowly arched her brow, tilting her head downward just enough that she was looking at the wizard dryly through her lashes. "no. technicalities are not the least bit helpful."
in the silence that followed, the sidhe watched the wizard watching her, with a wintery gaze that was piercing and relentless. that he didn't look her in the eyes didn't stop her from aiming her scrutiny directly at his. noting their color, their shape, their sheen. diving deep into these small details, as if she one day hoped to pick this wizard's eyes like a lock.
she was unseelie, after all. potential alliance or no, the fae still needed to dream her devilish dreams. drained of the quick of life but still full of magic, a wizard's heart was a delirium to digest. far more potent than any mushroom could hope to be.
and when he uttered the faithful words 'i accept', her smile grew like a snow flurry shifting into an outright blizzard. while this wizard may not have given her his heart, he did give her what she came for. in the form of a binding agreement.
and he gave it to her before he stated his conditions.
so if the winter maiden wished, she could disregard those conditions entirely. and there would be nothing the poor oath-giving man could do about it. never was it clearer to kiesah that she had hit the honey pot with this particular wizard. he obviously did not have many prior dealings with the sidhe, to leap into a bargain as he did without first negotiating all the conditions in fine detail. once upon a time, there was one wizard the unseelie had the great misfortune of negotiating with - a warden - who would turn bargains with the courts into heated arguments, barking his desires down to the very second of an alliance or the most minute detail of an exchange.
thank the moon and stars for this gift of an unseasoned wizard.
but she would not tell him of his mistake. to do so would ruin the fun of future occasions - who knows what else the winter maiden could hook him into should he agree before making his precious conditions previously known? so for now, with a smile as saccharine as it was snowy, she would humor his request. "you must name all persons you consider to be under your protection to me now, and at no other time, before i will agree to that condition. after all," here she leaned back in her chair, unfolding her arms to boast a lazy, languid stretch which reeked of predatory playfulness, "i can't have you gating off this whole city on me, now can i?" the mischief she made in the curvature of her smirk was unmistakalbe. regardless, at least she was playing the part of a good ally by humoring his conditions.
well. the second one at least. as for his first…time would tell, and the best part was that if she didn't confess all to him? he would a be none the wiser wizard.
he wasnt an expert on the Fae, he knew basic things to protect himself. as all wizards did . unfortunately though he was no Jamison LeFey; a man if not feared, then at least storied amongst the fae. James had thought his addition binding and assumed such with a hint of pride inside
he watched her carefully though, sitting casually in his chair. she wanted specific names, maybe he was hoping that she wasnt going to mention that. he thought for a moment. "There are two currently under my protection. My apprentice, Alastrina. and My Friend Kaitlyn." she didnt need last names. afterall she'd probably never meet Katie, and he only had one apprentice.
He didnt know that his heart would have gotten the fae woman obliterated. he had no way of knowing that. maybe it was something that the fae kept to themselves. he waited for a moment before he leaned onto a palm, propping it up on the arm of his chair.
"Now then, tell me more of this selee invasion of this city. " was a blunt way to put it. if she wanted him to defend this city, from what could be an army of selee fae, he'd need to know more about it.
of course she would mention that. considering her most favored pastimes, who she could and could not lay her frosty hands on was an issue of great interest for the winter maiden. and it was a dealing once upon a time with that odious warden lefey that had keisah bracing herself for a laundry list of every single person this shop keeping wizard had ever had contact with, directly and indirectly, including the one who literally did his laundry.
so when this wizard only named two people, the unseelie's brow rose sky high on her flawless forehead. what opportunity he'd just let slip through his fingers - for as a wizard who cared for his fellow man, he could have gone through the phone book and just started reading off the names there as those he protected, had he felt like it.
not that she would have agreed to such a lengthy list, and not that she was truly bound by their agreement to keep her hands off anyone considering his earlier mistake of placing his condition after his acceptance, but even so. given the unseelie's current quandary, this wizard could have weaseled a hands-off agreement out of her for more than two paltry people and had a marvelous chance of getting her compliance.
and new orleans would have been so much safer for it.
as it was, winter maiden's lips curled into a delightfully nasty little smirk as she elegantly rested her cheek against her hand, her arm propped up on the arm of the chair. "don't get a lot of customers, then, do you wizard." she didn't even bother to pose that as a question. the store was presently empty, after all, besides them.
when he requested more information she dropped her hand from her cheek, so that she could lift her shoulder in a demure little shrug. "i have little to tell. there is something here which holds their interest, and they plan on seizing it and ravaging it for their own purposes. i know not when, and i know not how." but she did know why. which is why she skipped over that 'know not' and segued directly into how this related to him. "how little i know is, in fact, why i am here. so that you might apply your talent into telling me the possibilities, and the odds."
the fae were not creatures of numbers. it was likely that with what little information kiesah presented to him, she expected the wizard to hand her a perfected and absolutely factual answer in return. and her icy blue eyes reflected her waiting.
"customers yes. I'm foriegn, people see my presence as a threat. I'm also a wizard, people think we're sneaky by nature... those that stick around for any extended period of time aren't all too common." Wizards lived pretty solitary lives. especially in his generation. growing up in an age where technology is advancing extremely fast and you're not able to interact with it at all. though his words where spoke with all of the British pride he could muster up.
James listened intently as she spoke, arms folded over his chest and a look of deep thought on his face, numbers rollign about in his head while she spoke. and even for a stretch of time after she spoke. before he himself spoke." There are over seventeen thousand specific reasons that one of the sidhe would want to come into this city, including any number of magical artifacts, spiritual bindings, leylines, and supernatural beings, and their various politics. and other reasons probably just as likely" he started, sounding very exact about that." Odds are very hard to give when you're talking about numbers that high, but if I where to narrow it down a bit. if you'll allow the assumtion... I'm going to assume that the seelee have little interest in magical doodads that may or may not be lost in this city. as well as supernatural politics. that narrows it down to just over a couple of thousand. Odds are still hard that scale. so I'm going to need a little more information."
he stopped to breath then and then asked." how did you find out they where coming? and how long do we have?"
kiesah elegantly lifted her arms to show her hands palms up, as if to hold off the wizard's quite comprehensive list of excuses, before she flicked her wrists primly to wave him off. "oh who am i to judge," she said with a scoff that was a little too agreeable to possibly be real, "all those many very good good reasons to be the last lonely tree before the forest officially withers into the tundra…" perhaps as a british man he would appreciate just how backhanded those flawlessly polite words were, the tone of which absolutely didn't match the impish, downright wicked quality of her grin.
for they had agreed to be allies, not friends. which is what made needling the wizard now so very much fun. she could at this point insult his dear sweet mother with the most vile slander possible, and even then he could not break the contract of their alliance without suffering great and dire consequence.
wizards were so fun to watch when they couldn't break things they desperately wanted broken. pompous windbags.
but unfortunately for her, this windbag's mathematical ability made him very smart. numbers didn't keep secrets, so he hit on the fact that the winter maiden left out that very important detail of motive right away. the unseelie tushed her tongue with a huff, folding her arms across her chest as she lofted her eyes upward in very put-out roll. "what's a couple thousand for you to sift through," she challenged defiantly, "i thought you were some sort of mathematical savant."
then the winter maiden looked away from him, tightening her arms as if she was hugging all her secrets closer to her body. a momentary sulk rolled over her. suddenly she looked somehow fragile, and young. kiesah was only sixty-six, and for the sidhe such was considered being no better than an earthen toddler. the fae could live to an ancient age, and as such had a difference sense of time, and trajectory of development, and all of that. "one of their own told me," she muttered quietly, picturing the radiant sun to her moon and remembering the sharp but sinfully divine pain which had come with the seelie's touch. "who has a personal stake in the matter which cannot let them succeed."
she looked back at the wizard, but only the briefest glance. the sulking was gone. "and she didn't say when. soon. but soon to the mounds could be a century in your time. or it could be a second."
and she still said nothing about the particular object of their desire.
-- Edited by KIESAH LAUFEY on Wednesday 27th of July 2011 10:20:00 PM
he gave her a look then, watching her carefully. his look neutral, it was a look jamison could do. maybe all wizards of talent. it was a look that was knowing. but gave none of that knowledge away. and alot of people hated seeing it. it may or may not have had the required effect on the fae, at least from this wizard.
"There's always one stubborn tree that refuses to give up though. and keeps the tundra from its desired perfection."
that was his little dig back to the one she gave him. but then he gave a little chuckle. "there are three hundred and sixty-two thousand, eight hundred and eight different combinations of the numbers one through nine. I am a mathematical genius. and you'll find no better master of probablity in the entire world. but not even the most advanced computer can give you more concrete information with that you'd given me." was his offer back to her. but he did give a nod.
"Soon, and the fact that one of their own told you is something I can work with." he lookled away adn appeared int hrought for a moment, lights dancing around the various inkings in his skin. each triggering justa little bit while he worked things out in his head." Alright... I/// I think I've got a few good leads... but I'll need some time to look into them some more, find out how right I am."
he paused and waited for a moment before he hadded."DO you have a phone? or something that I can use to call you when I find something out.?"
his look garnered a look back. a dry, nonplussed stare from the unseelie. if her expression could speak, it would be a chidingly spoken 'seriously?' shifting her arms to give a fresh hug over her chest, her voice was quiet, and flat. perhaps it even showed fatigue. "i'm not afraid of you, wizard," she informed him coolly, softly. "i don't trust you, i don't underestimate you, but i don't fear you. i haven't the time or energy to fear every single creature that wishes me dead or ill anymore."
the sulking raincloud slipped back over her demeanor. she looked away from him again, out the front windows of the shop, watching the bustle of people outside. not a single one of which mattered to her. it was just a place to put her eyes while the weight of her thoughts threatened to crack her icy poise.
why had she been cursed with a life where the simple act of survival was so all-encompassingly exhausting?
this was a thought that plagued her with increased frequency ever since the night the seelie sun had shone her light. but kiesah could not entertain it, not right now. as it was, the fact that she'd let her own self-pity have its rule over her had already caused the numbers he spoke to drift in one ear and out the other, not comprehended or digested in the least. "i don't trust computers..." she muttered distractedly, but it was really more a reflex response than anything else.
finally she turned her icy blue eyes towards him again, as she added, "and i didn't think wizards bothered with telephones." but it was more than that presumption which fed the unseelie's reluctance to give him such a precise, personal means of contacting her. it was that aforementioned distrust of him, as well.
so the winter maiden chose instead to cup her hands. the wizard would likely feel the focused release of a small bit of the blizzard within her, which gathered and came to shape between her cold hands. the emission was quick, and as natural for kiesah as a sigh. when the fae opened her hands, they sparkled with a sheen of frost. and seated on her hand of power was a small pyramid, its apex reaching three inches in height, the whole it made of ice so clear it was as transparent as the highest grade of quartz. glacial, enchanted perfection.
this she extended out to him, offering it for the taking on her flattened, alabaster palm. "this works just the same as your bell," the unseelie informed, giving a nod in the direction of the call bell on his counter. "should you touch its tip, i will know it. i suggest, however, that you think wisely about where you ring it. i'll not willingly step into your technically-not-a-circle-right-now again."
"because we are allies now," she reminded him petulantly. "so it wouldn't be fair of you to expect such. or polite." she muttered the addition like a child reminding a parent they'd negotiated a later bedtime. "you british are supposed to be so polite."
" Wish you neither of those things." he offered back. his tone calm. "I certainly know how it feels to waste time and energy non worrying about who wants me dead." if people where going to try and kill him they where going to do it. that was that.
"I've never been able to use one, and if I ever did, then I'm nore sure I'd trust them either." he offered with a grin."they can just do far too much." he'd noticed her looking outside and he did as well. watching the people walk by." There are some things that we wizard have to embrace in times of change, the telephone was one of them... the automobile is the other." he gave a shrug then. and rose a brow as she connjured up a little ringing bell to summon her.
"Facinating..." he offered, leaning forward to lift it up and examine it closely beofre he gave a nod of approval. "The sidhe always did have the tops as far as craftsmanship went." he offered woith a smile, placing it down on the table beside him.
"I'll not summon you within this building. I'll make sure it is in neutral ground. because we're alllies. and I'll make sure there will be refreshments, because I'm British, and like you said, if nothing else, we're a polite people." another smile offered before he stood. and offered his hand to her." I look forward to working with you..." a pause to think."what was your name?"
doubt was thick in her eyes as she cast her icy gaze upon him. "you are a wizard. i am of the darkling throng. of course you wish me those things. the only creatures who have a chance at seeing the kindness of a wizard are the humans." it was widely believed in the mounds that all wizards were out to do was exterminate any race that was other than their own, in order to assert their dominance over the magical energies. considering the superior air in which the white council conducted itself, it was not a hard to find evidence of that theory.
for wizards such as jamison lefey had left a very bad taste in this unseelie's mouth over the years. it was why she felt not the least bit sorry any time she killed one of them for their heart. they clearly weren't using it anyway.
she said nothing else about technology. it was a reality of the earthen realm and as such she had a general knowledge of it and interacted with it when she had no choice, but otherwise it was all virtual nonsense to her that she was convinced was invented for nefarious purposes.
but his compliment for her ice pyramid drew a smile out of her that was more genuine than the rest she'd given him during this meeting. instead of being filled with wickedness or cunning, the nature of the shape that curved kiesah's lips was one of wintry beauty, like a fresh snowfall on a quiet december day. if this unseelie had a love of anything, it was for snow, ice…winter. a season that most, especially in this part of the earthen realm, did not have a favorable outlook for. so it pleased her that he liked her icy gift. "then perhaps i shall make you something of greater use to you someday…" the uncharacteristically charitable and sincere offer was quickly interrupted by a narrowing of her eyes as she added, "should we get through this without you stabbing me in the back."
she didn't think that possibility likely.
as for the 'bell' (which was not a literal bell, the pyramid shaped ice sculpture would just work as one when its tip was tapped), it carried her power of winter within it, and as such would not melt so long as it was her will that it stayed intact. a convenient thing, because the winter maiden could by melting it cut off his means of contacting her anytime she wished.
when the wizard stood, the unseelie stood in the same instant. such little actions reflected what she so bluntly spoke - while she had sought an alliance with him, she did not trust him. "i do not like beer," she announced in response to his offer of refreshments. "or jaeger." the wizard could thank clark for the fact that the winter maiden now felt the need to detail these dislikes before anyone attempted to press a drink into her hand.
speaking of her hand, as she extended it out to him to reciprocate his gesture one would think the fae felt she was plunging her hand into a pit of vipers. a suspicious stink eye was added to the mix when he asked her for her name, and as she grabbed his hand no more than a second to shake she replied through gritted teeth, "kiesah."
it was the first time she'd uttered any part of her true name to anyone in this damnable city.
James scoffed."You know little and less about Wizards if that's what you truly believe..." It wasnt their mission or anything to exterminate. they where supposed to preserve, and protect those who couldnt protect themselves. and keep people from abusing magic, and going on killing sprees and stuff.
he shook his head then. " It is not my style to stab someone in the back... facing an opponant who underestimates you. is not the same as facing an opponant who has their back turned... Besides... I'm not much for fighting; I'm not a warden... your back is safe Kiesah" James tried to give her a smile and a nod, giving her hand a nice firm shake before withdrawing it.
whens he said she didnt like beer of jaeger he gave a chuckle. " I'll make sure not to bring any of either." he offered back with a nod, sliding his hands into hic pockets when he retrieved it from her own."My name is James..." he offered in that tone that showed he'd forgotten his manner for a moment an appologetic smile offered to the woman when he gave his name.
-- Edited by JAMES COOPER on Sunday 31st of July 2011 12:22:20 PM
the unseelie's cool gaze was unfaltering, and her return as confident as ever. "perhaps it's you who knows little and less about wizards. as you say, you are no warden." if there was one point on which the two throngs could agree, it was that wizards had an agenda which was driven by their desire to dominate under the guise of heroics.
her reasons for wanting to withdraw her hand so quickly, beyond her utter suspicion of this wizard and the markings inked into his flesh, was so he would not feel the extent of the cold within her. as far as the winter maiden was concerned, a brief touch of her icy hand would suffice. which is why the hint of a flinch crossed her features when he squeezed her hand. steely blue eyes watching those markings on his arm like a hawk.
distrust oozed out of every pore of kiesah, for everyone. until the day came when someone proved her wrong. she was not about to hold her breath.
"i hope you will find your taste for fighting come the arrival of the seelie storm, james cooper." piercing blue eyes held his for a brief moment longer before she turned from him, and left him to his shop. her final and pointedly frosted look was meant to serve as a reminder to the wizard that she had entered here knowing exactly who he was.
