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Post by votive on Aug 29, 2009 4:13:02 GMT
Well. This was new.
Eoin, while a veteran of many of life's interesting twists and turns, had not encountered something like this. There was a whole new world besides that he had known. And apparently, not only was the world different, he was too.
The pointed ears had been a bit of a shock. He was an ELF?! What in the blazes had his mind contrived to make him something like that? The bow and arrow were just overkill. Although he certainly felt a bit safer with them close, given the strange creatures he was seeing roam this unconventional new landscape.
Still, he crossed his arms over his chest, casting his gaze to see what was going on.
Which, in his limited reckoning, wasn't too much. A small sigh escaped his lips. This world, which wasn't so different from the one he was in now, might not be so different in other ways. It seemed to be rather boring.
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Post by Tetroneaque Tailchaser on Aug 29, 2009 4:24:02 GMT
Tetroneaque had been perched on a nearby building like some sort of fuzzy gargoyle. He'd contented himself with watching the populace of Demens go about their business as usual, as he was getting ready to take a nap. It was a nice day for a rooftop nap. At least that had been the plan, until a new scent came up to his attention.
"Oh ho? What is this scent? It has the faint tinge of that other world to it... perhaps another dream form?" He asked aloud to himself. The scent seemed to be coming from ground level, directly below him. The masked kitsune hopped his way down the side of the building, using the window sills, ledges, and decorative masonry as handholds when needed. Soon he was just above the being he sought. He hooked his feet into a small nook and then flipped over the edge, dangling upside down just in front of the elf like being he'd smelled.
"Hi there." He said in a friendly manner as he dangled right in front of the newcomer. Tetroneaque's masked face was mere inches away from that of the elf.
"What'cha doin?"
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Post by votive on Aug 29, 2009 4:32:36 GMT
Eoin wasn't entirely fond of 'unwelcome' visitors. And strange, masked furry things that dangled in front of his face?
Certainly making the list of 'unwelcome' visitors, right up there with Jehovah's witnesses and door-to-door salespersons.
So after jumping back in an admittedly surprised reaction of "AUGH!", Eoin more or less composed himself, and thought to answer the thing.
"Looking around." He put it succinctly, but he couldn't keep a bit of wonder from his voice. "It's. . . different."
"Where on earth am I? I remember falling asleep, but. . . This is a bit too much to be a dream."
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Post by Tetroneaque Tailchaser on Aug 29, 2009 4:36:30 GMT
"This is Demens. It's the biggest, smallest, and only city in the Dream World!" Tetroneaque stated as if it were the most common of knowledge. It was always fun to mess with newbie dream forms and it looked like Tetroneaque had found a first timer! He couldn't help but let out a snicker at this great luck. With a little wiggle, Tetroneaque freed his feed, did a small flip in mid air, and landed on both feet in front of the elf.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Tetroneaque Swiftpaw Tailchaser. Who might you be?" He asked politely after introducing himself.
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Post by votive on Aug 29, 2009 4:42:42 GMT
"Well, you're a jumpy one." Eoin noted, glancing down at the figure with a small grin. Demens. Dream World.
Did he step into a fantasy world, or was he just going psychotic? The second seemed more plausible. But given that he doubted even HE could have thought up a masked, purple kitsune, he was inclined to believe the former. "I'm Eoin Carey." He answered, sketching a shallow, but still respectful, bow for the being.
"And what, pray tell, do you find so humorous?" The elfin boy's silver eyes glittered, and perhaps through the unconscious influence of the Erlkoenig dream form, or simply because Eoin knew they were there, his hands reached slowly for the unstrung bow and the quiver of arrows that occupied his back.
Of course, using them in the Dream World was probably slightly different than using them in real life. But Eoin had no idea, and he imagined that shooting, like much of this place, would be similar to the real world.
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Post by Tetroneaque Tailchaser on Aug 29, 2009 4:51:25 GMT
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance Eoin." Tetroneaque stated, and sounded quite sincere while doing it. He tilted his head to one side and looked Eoin up and down. He let out another snicker.
"You certainly have a certain flair to your clothes. My compliments to your tailor." He actually did rather like the black and silver clothes that Eoin was wearing. They were different, interesting, and actually similar to something Tetroneaque's himself might wear if it provided space for his three tails to move freely.
"So, first time here eh? Don't be surprised, it's kind of easy to tell now. I tend to meet a lot of you people from that other world. You all have a certain... scent to you. I'm constantly amused at all the different forms you all take. So far you're the most fashionable." Tetroneaque said with another chuckle. The kitsune was actually being down right chummy with Eoin. All thoughts of stealing a memory or two from the easy prey had totally left his fuzzy head at this point.
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Post by votive on Aug 29, 2009 4:58:52 GMT
"Fashionable?" He queried. Truth be told, he hadn't even glanced down at his own clothes to see what he was wearing. He might have been nude, except for the lack of a draft round the nethers. He was pleasantly surprised when he saw the black tunic and trousers, chased with silver throughout. Classy, almost something a nobleman would wear in the Middle Ages or another medieval period.
He was curious, though about this place. And he couldn't abide not knowing at least something. "So, Demens. This seems like a rather quiet little place. Is the rest of this. . . Dream World. . . as calm?" He queried. He seriously doubted it. Chaos seemed to be a norm, wherever you went. And as far as Eoin was concerned, it was damn well what you had to put up with. A hint of orderliness and calm were wonderful at times, but the rest of the time, you might want to put up some walls and ride out the storm of life.
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Post by Tetroneaque Tailchaser on Aug 29, 2009 5:08:21 GMT
"Well things were fun for the first thousand or so years, but after that things tend to get dreadfully dull around here." The kitsune was talking from personal experience. He'd been messing around for well past that and he'd become quite bored with most of the dream world.
"Of course every now and then something unusual happens so I don't die of boredom. Though sometimes I sort of have to start my own fun. Heh, in fact the other day I took some little trinket from this crazy bird-legged lady. Man was she ever pissed! She basically wrecked the whole market chasing me." Tetroneaque let out a hearty laugh that sounded more like barking than anything else as he recalled that little episode.
"That was one fun afternoon. Though I wish I had caught old Turkey Legs' real name. She flew off before I could ask her though after I used the trinket to buy some kabobs. Those were some good kabobs though..." He was getting off topic at this point, but he didn't really seem to care. He was having fun simply talking to Eoin.
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Post by votive on Aug 31, 2009 17:39:19 GMT
A thousand years. . . Eoin shook his head. Amazing, it seemed. Lifespans like that only occurred in fantasy books, with dragons, elves, and other unlikely and mythological creatures. Then again, kitsunes were technically a mythological species. Why not include them in the long-lived section of myth?
A mythologist would have a complete mind-fuck if they came here, Eoin thought. An elf and a kitsune talking during somebody's dream. About somebody called . . . Turkey Legs? Was that a name or a nickname? Given that this being had the surname 'Tailchaser,' everything seemed possible. And then the purple kitsune mentioned 'Turkey Legs' real name.' Aha! So it WAS just a nickname!
"So which did you find more enjoyable? The theft, or the chase?" He asked frankly. And as he looked around, he noticed that there was no damage that he could notice. Perhaps this realm was self-repairing? Since it apparently was created from dreams, such a thing seemed perfectly possible. His hands, perhaps to Tetroneaque's relief, fell again to his sides, away from the hunting articles of the bow and quiver. His silver eyes gleamed with interest, as he began to truly examine the world around him.
An avid reader of fantasy, science fiction, and all things unlikely and fleeting, Eoin finally found himself in a world like something he'd have read about. Nothing quite so dramatic as flinging fireballs or slaying dragons yet, but certainly something interesting and worth exploring. He would have to return!
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Post by Tetroneaque Tailchaser on Aug 31, 2009 22:42:31 GMT
"The chase of course! That's always the fun part! Easy thefts are never fun, it's the the really well guarded stuff that's fun to take." Tetroneaque stated in an amused tone. It didn't mean he ever let an easy score go though, he did have a reputation to keep up after all.
"I have to admit that it's rare that I get chased by a flying opponent. That certainly spiced things up! Good times, good times." His eyes seemed to sparkle as he recalled the event fondly. He never seemed upset when people were trying to kill him, instead just enjoying the moment.
"So, tell me a bit about your world since I told you a bit about this one. I don't meet people from it as often as I'd like, and often they don't even remember that they came from that other world."
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Post by votive on Sept 1, 2009 17:25:34 GMT
"All right then." Eoin chuckled. One arm came up to cross his chest, while the other came to the back of his head, scratching in an attempt to wrack his brain. "Well. . ." And in that one word, the Irish accent became even more pronounced, with a drawn out 'ell.' "Far as I can tell, our world looks a bit like this one. Thefts are common, but chases? Not as common, as I've seen. Most people steal money, but they try extremely 'clever,'" and here Eoin did the stereotypical 'quote fingers,' "ways to get around the laws. We've also got planes, cars, hotels, indoor plumbing, schools, police, armies, and guns." These last came all out in a rush, as if he were trying to introduce to Tetroneaque everything he could think of that came from the Real World.
And in truth, he was. Not very well explaining it, truthfully. But he was randomly spouting information and tidbits. Rapid-fire, just to get everything out there. He could, after all, explain later.
Unless he woke up.
He hadn't entirely figured how waking up would play into this scenario. Would he just 'poof' and appear back in himself, or would he be both here AND awake simultaneously?
And while the second had certainly some appeal, he had no desire to spend an entire day acting like a schizophrenic, talking to the kitsune AND going to classes. It would be rather. . . awkward.
"Feel free to ask questions, I realize I'm not entirely giving you detailed notes on what everything I'm saying is."
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Post by Tetroneaque Tailchaser on Sept 2, 2009 0:17:21 GMT
Tetroneaque nodded his head as he listened to his new chum. He was always glad to hear anything he could about the other world, even if he didn't quite understand everything that was said at once. His ears twitched a few times as other noises tried to gain his attention but he ignored them, concentrating only on Eoin's words.
"Interesting. What kind of beings inhabit this other world? I've heard it's only humans, but surely that can't be right... can it?" He asked. He leaned in a little closed toward Eoin, as if that would make the answer any more interesting to hear. He was quite curious as to the answer.
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Post by votive on Sept 2, 2009 3:23:55 GMT
"Well, I suppose that depends on your definition of the word 'being.'" He said, wishing he had something to do with his hands. Not quite nervous, but certainly anxious, he was accustomed to having a folding knife or Zippo to open or close, or even a pencil to twirl in his fingers. It wasn't quite a calming activity; more like a nervous twitch, something to burn away unwanted or unneeded energy. But here, he couldn't find anything like that. So he was forced to clasp his hands behind his head, one meeting the other as it ceased scratching.
"Humans are certainly the 'dominant' species, or at least we like to think of ourselves that way. And, while species like kitsunes and faeries make appearances in books. . . There aren't any in the world, or at least, none that've shown themselves." He smiled as he thought of this, and added as an aside, "I don't blame them."
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Post by Tetroneaque Tailchaser on Sept 2, 2009 9:16:45 GMT
Tetroneaque's ears visibly drooped as he listened. There were no kitsune in that other world either. Tetroneaque knew he had to have come from somewhere, and he had a vague recollection of being with others of his kind. Yet try as he might he hadn't come across another kitsune in all his time in the Dream World. He wished he could just remember how he came to be in the Dream World himself.
He noticed that he was sort of staring at Eoin now without blinking, and shook his head to clear his mind.
"Sorry, my thoughts sort of drifted off for a moment there." He let out a sigh as he suddenly found himself depressed and feeling alone.
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Post by votive on Sept 3, 2009 20:11:27 GMT
"Quite all right." Eoin assured the creature. Actually, Eoin was surprised. He normally was less talkative, preferring to let expressions, silence, and sometimes his fists be more eloquent than his tongue. But the more he thought this over, he began to realize that the kitsune was the object of his interest.
A being totally of another world. Little to no experience of the Real World, which was what had finally spurred Eoin's full interest. Like he was a stranger to this realm, Tetroneaque was a stranger to the real world. And he was, at least, educating Tetroneaque. He wondered, though, if the creature was pulling his leg. A thousand years of life, and he'd never heard of another world? Maybe it was just the overly skeptical part of him talking, but Eoin found it odd that he'd never been told of anything.
Then again, he chided himself, perhaps the kitsune HAD heard of the Real World, but only bits and pieces. Tidbits like the ones Eoin had just fed him. Should he try and pump this fox-like being for information about the Dream World?
Why not, he figured.
But as he glanced at the figure, his gift for spotting nuance came into play. The kitsune was rather anthropomorphic, and while Eoin did have trouble reading the expression, it became clearer and clearer that Tetroneaque was upset with something.
And so Eoin peered a bit closer, querying, "You all right?"
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Post by Tetroneaque Tailchaser on Sept 4, 2009 20:39:16 GMT
"Oh, I suppose I'm fine." Tetroneaque stated bleakly. He certainly didn't feel fine. He was tired of feeling so alone. He was the only kitsune he'd seen in over a thousand years, and he didn't really have any being he would actually call a friend. It was quite depressing when it all suddenly dawned on him.
"I need a drink. Want to come? My treat." It was a sincere offer, as Tetroneaque desperately needed some sort of companionship at the moment. The drink wouldn't really help anything, since Tetroneaque found no matter how much he drank he could never actually become intoxicated. Just another quirk for an altogether quirky fuzzball.
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Post by votive on Sept 7, 2009 1:14:29 GMT
"A drink? Sounds like a great suggestion." He answered, still perplexed as to what was vexing Tetroneaque. "Can kitsunes get drunk?" He wondered aloud, not at all sure about anything concerning the species. After all, they didn't exist in the Real World. And he'd only received the basic education in mythology, nothing fancy like the Eastern mythos.
"I don't suppose they serve Guinness here, do they." He mused, a small smile playing across his face. Always partial to an pint from his homeland, he was. Glancing around the town, he spotted something that MIGHT have been a tavern. But, as with anything in this strange place, he couldn't be sure. This was new territory; it was better to be skeptical than gullible, he thought.
As he looked around, he found himself humming a tune, a classical one he'd heard only a few days before. Strange, he thought. He'd always like the Goethe poem "The Erlkoenig," but why would he be humming the Schubert song using the poem as lyrics? Oh, well. He chuckled. Another quirk of this place, perhaps.
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Post by Tetroneaque Tailchaser on Sept 7, 2009 1:43:46 GMT
"If I can get drunk, I've never reached that threshold. Certainly not for lack of trying though." Tetroneaque replied with a chuckle. The kitsune led his new acquaintance toward the tavern. It was the only one in Demens after all.
As they entered Tetroneaque went right toward the bar and sat down on an unoccupied stool, making sure to choose one with another open one next to it. As he waited for Eoin to take a seat he tapped on the bar.
"Bartender, get me one Purple Punisher." He stated, ordering what might very well be the strongest drink in all of creation. Most beings would probably die from alcohol poisoning if they drank one. Tetroneaque on the other hand was simply starting out and intended to drink a great many of them tonight.
"Take a seat Eoin and order something. They have a surprisingly diverse selection to choose from." He said, making a vast understatement.
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Post by votive on Sept 11, 2009 22:45:52 GMT
Following Tetroneaque's suggestion, Eoin glanced at the drink the kitsune had ordered. And after a small whiff of the stuff, he decided that his liver, even if he was simply dreaming, would probably keel over if he took a sip. "A wide selection, you say. . ." Eoin grinned, glancing at the mirrored wall that normally accompanied bars, holding the shelves of liquor.
And what a selection! Remy Martin, Louis XIII, Maker's Mark. . . Enough hard liquor for an Irish wake, and more. And Eoin easily spotted what he was lusting after. Guinness. A stout, good dark beer. "One draught of Guinness." He ordered, glancing at the mirrored surface and gazing at. . . That couldn't be his reflection. What instead was shot back at him was an elf-shaped form made of words. . . What were they, Eoin wondered. Glancing closer and squinting his silver eyes, the words resolved themselves into coherence, and Eoin laughed.
Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind?
Es ist der Vater mit seinem Kind;
Er hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm,
Er faßt ihn sicher, er hält ihn warm.
The first stanza only, but Eoin recognized the poem. One of his favorites, and also the song he had been humming earlier. As he read the lines, they disappeared, replaced instead with his silver-haired, alabaster skinned form. And it clicked; The Erlkoenig was his dream form.
Good to know.
When he spoke next, his voice contained a hint of darkness that might have been there all along, and a hint of fey. Apparently, at least with Eoin, the realization of his dream form subtly altered him, at least in this world.
"A Purple Punisher. Certainly something we don't have in the real world." Were his next words, as he turned his gaze back to the kitsune. "And might one ask. . . If you can't get drunk, why bother with alcohol?" Eoin's curiosity was, for the moment, unsatisfied. Tetroneaque was an intriguing creature. And Eoin wanted to know more.
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Post by Tetroneaque Tailchaser on Sept 12, 2009 5:46:52 GMT
Tetroneaque downed the drink like it was a simple shot, licking his chomps afterward. He slammed the empty glass on the counter and ordered another before turning toward Eoin to answer the question.
"That is a very good question." He stated pointing one furry finger at Eoin. There was a smile back on Tetroneaque's face though and he seemed to have gotten over his earlier depression.
"I suppose I simply like the taste, and even though I can't get drunk or even a buzz... it does tend to take the edge off a bit. Also there are the drinking games." Tetroneaque started giggling at that. The bartender set another Purple Punisher in front of the kitsune, which Tetroneaque promptly demolished as easily as he had the first. He slammed the empty glass and ordered a third.
"It's a fun way to spend an evening, drinking anyone and everyone under the table. You'd be surprised how much more fun most people are when they're stinking drunk." He said with a smirk.
Especially the ladies. I just wish there were a few more 'foxy' ones around. He added mentally to himself.
"Speaking of being intoxicated... why do you beings that can actually get drunk do it? I mean it seems to impair all motor skills, decrease intelligence, and most of the time yall don't even remember the events that happened while drunk. I mean its usually funny as hell to watch, but why do it?"
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Post by votive on Sept 19, 2009 1:10:29 GMT
Eoin chuckled as Tetroneaque pointed out that it was amusing to watch others get drunk. It was, to be true. "For people? Loss of control, loss of inhibitions. . . I guess. I prefer to watch others. But if I'm alone, I'll admit, I'll be more likely to be plastered."
A second chuckle, this one a bit quieter than the first. "They say that's the first sign you have a problem, when you start drinking alone." The words were as quiet as the chuckle, almost a whisper in the gravelly voice of the elven dreamer. However, the pall of that thought was lifted when Eoin slammed the empty Guinness bottle against the counter, asking politely for another.
And then it occurred to him to ask: "What passes for currency around here? I mean, there has to be some sort of economy, otherwise you wouldn't know if anything was valuable enough to steal." A good question, he thought. Besides, he needed to know if he was going to be picking up the tab for his own drinks.
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Post by Tetroneaque Tailchaser on Sept 20, 2009 5:26:42 GMT
"Meh." Tetroneaque stated with a shrug at the question. "I guess it depends on who you're dealing with actually. Some Dream Beings prefer certain types of items as their currency. Most simply barter for what they want or need. The usual stuff like gold, silver, and jewels are usually welcome as payment for most. There are some that simply like colorful or shiny objects. Really, it simply depends on who you're dealing with in the end. I actually like memories as my favorite objects to collect. Gold, silver, precious gems... I have so many tucked away now that I don't even care about them anymore. Memories though, now those are something special."
It was an unusually in depth response from the kitsune. He cast a grin toward Eoin after giving the explanation, his green eyes sparkling.
"Don't worry about money though. Like I said earlier, these drinks are on me." He downed another Purple Punisher as if it were water. He pulled a small silver lighter from one of his robes many pockets at this point. Just for kicks he let out a long breath and set it alight with the lighter, basically breathing out a long gout of fire into the air. Several other patrons in the place looked on in awe for a few moments and then went back to drinking.
He let out an amused laugh, easily amused by his own antics.
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Post by votive on Oct 5, 2009 3:19:33 GMT
"Ah. So there's. . . not really an economy." He finished lamely, accepting another Guinness from the bartender with a nod of thanks. The silver-eyed elf watched the fireball with passing amusement. While pyromania was certainly not one of his vices, he could still appreciate the trick.
"Memories?" He asked. "Memories of what?" Tetroneaque had been forthcoming so far with information. No reason why he shouldn't answer THIS question.
Not to mention, the kitsune was drinking. Even though he never really got drunk, perhaps the being got tipsy. And let loose more than he should have.
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Post by Tetroneaque Tailchaser on Oct 7, 2009 6:01:51 GMT
Tetroneaque let out another chuckle at the question. It was easy enough to answer, and he didn't see any harm by being free with the information. Yet, simply explaining it seemed boring. Instead, a little demonstration would be better. Tetroneaque's left hand slid into his robe and grasped the amulet that he always wore. Then he swivled on his bar stool and looked around. He didn't have to search for long, as the patron next to him was passed out drunk. It was a strange horse faced fellow with what looked like a conquistador's metal breastplate. It didn't matter who or what this other being was, Tetroneaque had a demonstration to give.
"Allow me to show you what I mean about memories." He stated. With his free hand he reached toward the unconscious bar patron. As the kitsune's hand reached the others head, a slight glow formed near the target's ear. Then with a barely audible 'pop' noise a small orb of light came out. Tetroneaque held the small glowing sphere in his hand and brought it closer toward Eoin's face.
"See? A memory. Go ahead, take a look." He said with a grin. If one looked carefully they could see movement inside the orb as a scene played. It was like looking into a little crystal ball.
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