curiosofthechasm

[curiosofthechasm]

Would Asova celebrate human holidays?

//She can't help herself. Humans fascinate her

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//In previous holiday seasons its been asked what Asova would look like as the Ghost of Christmas future but...

She'd almost certainly be Ghost of Christmas Present.

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Trinity's reaction didn't sting anywhere near as much as her comment. She tongued her fangs behind her lips out of habit. She could smell their flesh, however faintly. She could sense their warmth. She had nearly all the traits of her full blooded kin, just without most of the hunger.

"You... won't need to worry" she said solemnly, removing the rest of her equipment. Without looking up, she removed some of her dry jerky and her water skin. "I wouldn't want to intrude on your ringmaster.... I carry a noble title, but I am not welcome in the Imperial courts. I am merely a traveller caught in the rain..."

She sensed the tension in the room. Eppli wasn't yet ready to divulge her destination. After running her hands through her hair to seep free the rainwater, she spoke again. "Tell me of you two. You are... performers, I take it?"

Eppli Lamont stumbled into the camp as the rain poured. Soaked through her cloak, she saw warm light shining through many of the camp flaps. The tents were unusually colorful, and she quickly realized she was in a sort of entertainers camp.

She hesitated outside one of the smaller tents. The sun had set, her lamp candle was gone, everything she had was soaked and it didn’t look like the rain was going to stop anytime soon.

But half blood vampires didn’t usually garner sympathy from other travelers. She readied her pack, knowing she might have to run, then carefully lifted the flap on the nearest tent. “Hello? Is someone there? Could I inquire of your hospitality… perhaps?”

@songofsilentechoes

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The rain soaked archivist swallowed. This wasn't what she was expecting. She dripped in the doorway as she gazed upon the unusual pair. "I uh... well I... thank you." She removed her muddy boots and stepped inside. Her cloak came off next, and she knew there would be no hiding what she was. Her hood slipped free, revealing orange eyes and pale, bluish skin and pink gargoyleish nostrils.

"I didn't know... of any show" she said, trying to avoid their gaze. "I need shelter. Uh, from the rain. I-I can be on my way before sunrise... if that is acceptable." She swallowed again and looked around the tent. Whatever smells were present in here were magnified to her sensitive nose.

"I... I'm Lady Eppli Lemont, Imperial Archivist... previously. Now book keeper and scribe." She bowed politely.

Eppli Lamont stumbled into the camp as the rain poured. Soaked through her cloak, she saw warm light shining through many of the camp flaps. The tents were unusually colorful, and she quickly realized she was in a sort of entertainers camp.

She hesitated outside one of the smaller tents. The sun had set, her lamp candle was gone, everything she had was soaked and it didn’t look like the rain was going to stop anytime soon.

But half blood vampires didn’t usually garner sympathy from other travelers. She readied her pack, knowing she might have to run, then carefully lifted the flap on the nearest tent. “Hello? Is someone there? Could I inquire of your hospitality… perhaps?”

@songofsilentechoes

[curiosofthechasm]

Eppli Lamont stumbled into the camp as the rain poured. Soaked through her cloak, she saw warm light shining through many of the camp flaps. The tents were unusually colorful, and she quickly realized she was in a sort of entertainers camp.

She hesitated outside one of the smaller tents. The sun had set, her lamp candle was gone, everything she had was soaked and it didn’t look like the rain was going to stop anytime soon.

But half blood vampires didn’t usually garner sympathy from other travelers. She readied her pack, knowing she might have to run, then carefully lifted the flap on the nearest tent. “Hello? Is someone there? Could I inquire of your hospitality… perhaps?”

@songofsilentechoes

[curiosofthechasm]

The child’s eyes lit up as she floated very close to Noelle. “Hide and seek! Hide and seek! I’m good at that one- I want to seek! I want to seek! I’ll count to -VRRRPT- and start looking! You go hide!”

The door to the Chasm space reopened.

"Hi Noelle!" The child said with a smile, appearing beside Noelle between blinks. "Wow! A human? Are you a human? So Cool!" She poked Noelle's shoulder. "You should be my friend"

@songofsilentechoes

[curiosofthechasm]

Asova observed her fingers a little closer. “Manipulation… Oh! That answers so many questions about human stuff! These must work on doorknobs?”

Asova’s idea of a normal human room appeared around them. She hurried to a door and started opening and closing it repeatedly. “Wow!”

She appeared in front of Noelle. “I’m the only Asova! I like games! I never get to play games! But those can wait… I need to know more about human stuff! Like pain! Or- wait…” She moved closer, her eyes focused on Noelle’s chest. “Yours is… making pulses?”

Her own heart started beating in unison with Noelle’s as she scratched her head. “So weird! Humans are so different. What kind of games do you like to play human Noelle?”

"Hi Noelle!" The child said with a smile, appearing beside Noelle between blinks. "Wow! A human? Are you a human? So Cool!" She poked Noelle's shoulder. "You should be my friend"

@songofsilentechoes

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Young Asova pondered the things she was seeing. These creatures were strange. They interacted in weird ways that she didn’t understand. What is a “November”? What is hair and why do these creatures have it? What is a birthday? A P.O. Box? All very strange.

She rearranged molecules while she pondered.

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The void around them shifted to a space-like setting with an unseen floor. “Me? I’m Asova! This is where I stay!”

Sheets of tick marks and numerals appeared on the floor and in the space around Noelle. “Human Noelle- hey, I haven’t seen a human up close before- not really.” Her smile widened. “Are you a normal one? What do these do?” She wiggled her fingers. Then without even an ounce of reaction or obvious pain, she grabbed one of her index fingers and broke it, her expression puzzled.

“They’re so weird!” She laughed as it appeared to reform.

"Hi Noelle!" The child said with a smile, appearing beside Noelle between blinks. "Wow! A human? Are you a human? So Cool!" She poked Noelle's shoulder. "You should be my friend"

@songofsilentechoes

[curiosofthechasm]

"Hi Noelle!" The child said with a smile, appearing beside Noelle between blinks. "Wow! A human? Are you a human? So Cool!" She poked Noelle's shoulder. "You should be my friend"

@songofsilentechoes

[curiosofthechasm]

The child smiled, her yellow eyes shining behind spectacles that were too big for her. When she smiled, her predatory teeth caught the light and gleamed. Concerningly, the door no longer seemed to be behind you, replaced instead by a limitless space.

“Hello-“ she said quizzically. “Who are you!?”

[curiosofthechasm]

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean… today is just like any other!”

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Asova accepts the platinum pieces and gently places the shell in Fleer’s hands. “A pleasure doing business with you! Thank you for shopping a the Curios of the Chasm! Remember to think of us the next time you have life-extension needs!”

@runningskaven Fleer enters, aged and leaning on her cane. "Store goddess.... You you have elixers or potions to make make some one young again? A young young lady I used to baby sit is having a pup pup..... I want to help help raise them like I did did her.... Oh mighty store goddess, can can you help?"

It was strange how things didn’t change in the shop.

The shopkeeper smiled from where she perched behind the counter. Asova looked precisely the same as she had decades before. The items filling the shelves of the Curios of the Chasm changed constantly, but the dark, shadowed store itself remained the same. “Welcome to the Curios of the Chasm” she chimed, tilting her head inquisitively, causing the light to gleam across her spectacles.

The display along the front counter had all sorts of glowing vials and brews. Everything from obvious potions to beer cans to lab appropriate equipment. “You will find no shortage of age-defying drafts in our stock.” The shopkeeper grinned eerily as a vial of violet, glowing elixir appeared between her fingers.

“Take this, for example… Faux Death” she twirled the vial. The liquid shimmered within. “Distilled from the tears of mighty death herself… or so the manufacturer tells us” she snickered. “For the simple price of 256,400 gold pieces… even you could live forever.”

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Asova mouthed a word of understanding, then tossed the vial into the shadows. “Ah… a savvy mortal shopper. You always were one to know what you wanted.” She snickered as she turned her hand in air. A new item appeared in her fingers, an obsidian colored shell.

“A lot of these items have maddening side effects… but not this one. The Shell of the Eternal Nautilus… it’s made of crystallized spacetime. Just grind it up and sprinkle it on your favorite dish. Easy on the stomach, but kicks in another 30 years in humans… probably an easy 50 or 60 in your kind!”

She tapped a nearby fishbowl where a small nautilus with a similar shell swam about, looking eternal and timeless. “Don’t worry, he’s doing fine. Gives up his shell about once a millennia, so I can afford to part with this one for… three platinum pieces… or a trade of equal value.” She grinned.

@runningskaven Fleer enters, aged and leaning on her cane. "Store goddess.... You you have elixers or potions to make make some one young again? A young young lady I used to baby sit is having a pup pup..... I want to help help raise them like I did did her.... Oh mighty store goddess, can can you help?"

It was strange how things didn’t change in the shop.

The shopkeeper smiled from where she perched behind the counter. Asova looked precisely the same as she had decades before. The items filling the shelves of the Curios of the Chasm changed constantly, but the dark, shadowed store itself remained the same. “Welcome to the Curios of the Chasm” she chimed, tilting her head inquisitively, causing the light to gleam across her spectacles.

The display along the front counter had all sorts of glowing vials and brews. Everything from obvious potions to beer cans to lab appropriate equipment. “You will find no shortage of age-defying drafts in our stock.” The shopkeeper grinned eerily as a vial of violet, glowing elixir appeared between her fingers.

“Take this, for example… Faux Death” she twirled the vial. The liquid shimmered within. “Distilled from the tears of mighty death herself… or so the manufacturer tells us” she snickered. “For the simple price of 256,400 gold pieces… even you could live forever.”

[curiosofthechasm]

@runningskaven Fleer enters, aged and leaning on her cane. "Store goddess.... You you have elixers or potions to make make some one young again? A young young lady I used to baby sit is having a pup pup..... I want to help help raise them like I did did her.... Oh mighty store goddess, can can you help?"

It was strange how things didn’t change in the shop.

The shopkeeper smiled from where she perched behind the counter. Asova looked precisely the same as she had decades before. The items filling the shelves of the Curios of the Chasm changed constantly, but the dark, shadowed store itself remained the same. “Welcome to the Curios of the Chasm” she chimed, tilting her head inquisitively, causing the light to gleam across her spectacles.

The display along the front counter had all sorts of glowing vials and brews. Everything from obvious potions to beer cans to lab appropriate equipment. “You will find no shortage of age-defying drafts in our stock.” The shopkeeper grinned eerily as a vial of violet, glowing elixir appeared between her fingers.

“Take this, for example… Faux Death” she twirled the vial. The liquid shimmered within. “Distilled from the tears of mighty death herself… or so the manufacturer tells us” she snickered. “For the simple price of 256,400 gold pieces… even you could live forever.”

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Eppli crossed her arms. “You would… delay your time with your charges and… assist me?” She sounded surprised, like she hadn’t expected the oni to be so agreeable. “Even… for meager payment? I wasn’t kidding about the payment.” She pulled out a small purse and dumped several silver and a handful of copper pieces into one hand. “I had enough money left for a few nights at the inn… it can be yours, I suppose.”

She moved back to the yurt and rummaged through her things. “I believe I can find the tower ruins in just a few hours, though I suspect the snow won’t make the going very easy. It’s northeast from here, in the woodlands… the tome should be in the basement library. I suspect we will be gone at least a day… and we may have to wait out the night at the ruins.”

She was well aware, of course, that the snows during the night would be dangerous. She was likewise aware that, given the environmental circumstances, it was entirely likely that someone had taken up occupancy in those ruins.

“I would bring whatever weapons suit you. I will carry what I can. Just let me know when you are ready and…” she glanced at Aura. “And… thank you.”

"What do you think about that bard you found in the woods?" Aura asked. It seemed she was trying to figure out how to feel about Noelle, if she was a possible threat to her friends. (Aura @raging-soul-of-fire)

Asta smiled as she assisted Aura with washing their linens. “Miss Noelle? I think she means well. Do you see how she is skittish with us? I think she is lost like everyone here is. Hopefully we can help her stay on her feet, yes? After all, she is a bard! My sister and I find that bards are usually good people…” she giggled, being a bard herself.

“Do you have a feeling on the matter, miss Aura? You are better at seeing threats, I find.”

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Eppli walked down cobblestones, silently parading her way through the early morning streets. Few were out at this hour, which suited her. She carried her parasol, but the sun was so low on the horizon that she didn’t really need it.

She paused briefly at the alleyway where she had seen the Curios of the Chasm, but ultimately elected to move on.

She arrived at her bookshop to find another Sigil of Light painted on the door. She frowned, reaching out to touch it with a gloved finger. The burn feeling almost made its way through her glove. A small wisp of smoke rose from where she touched it. “That’s going to leave a mark on the window” she whispered to herself. Luckily it wasn’t on the doorknob.

She moved inside and turned the closed sign to open.