Topic: The Hallowed Manor

Fiona ONeill

Date: 2015-05-21 07:38 EST
Fiona worked from a modest office on the ground floor of Eternal House. Over the past year, it had become her main workplace.

She had started her tenure at Bristle Crios several years ago in Demon House, acting as an advisor for the House and helping to take care of the general upkeep of the grounds. Once she married, she moved her permanent residence to Eternal House to be with her husband, who served as an advisor for Eternal House. She maintained her own role as an advisor for Demon House, as well as her old room and office there, though both were mostly used as storage now.

Seated in an executive chair behind a large desk in the middle of the room, she was in the habit of facing the door, which was cracked open about a hand's width. Preferring to keep her door open, she liked to instill the sense that she was happy to accept visitors and guests.

The sunlight shone through the translucent curtains on the windows behind her; it carried the rays through her hair, giving light strawberry blonde undertones to the normally deep red strands. With the light to her back, the shade provided by her form gave a darker hue to her muted blue gray top. The paperwork on the desk in front of her was also in her shadow. As a result, although the room was light and airy, but it seemed the space around her had become dark.

She stared at the documents, appearing to be reading intently, deep in thought, but her thoughts were far from the papers in front of her.

Seeking guidance, she had just returned from church. A small silver cross was suspended on a thin chain around her neck. She had been unconsciously playing with it, rubbing each of its individual arms between her thumb and forefinger.

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2015-05-22 04:09 EST
The calm would not serve to last too long, as the armor's perceivable measure of inherent murderous intent and potency would be sure to rouse her as it neared the grounds, the various wards having since given away as was par for the course with Zynisch. Apparently, with their souls linked as they were, Yakumo was able to meander freely as though it were his right as much as his host's. Thankfully, his calming presence was enough to deter the potentiality that any magicked defensive measures he and the other residents had erected set off a grounds-wide alarm. The warmth of the morning sun leisurely passed over the alabaster alloy, bathing the imposing figure in an almost ethereal sheen. Unfortunately, this wasn't a visit devoted to frivolity, and the faceless warrior kept this in mind as he ascended upon the gale of a rather grand leap onto the roof of Eternal House. Nearly crashing into the greenhouse's glass-laden structuring, he would temporarily mute his form to slip right through and leave the both of them without a scrape.

"This is it, to be certain....So, this is the Hallowed Manor that was etched into his memory' With him being inert as he is, it's difficult to draw conclusive details from his unconscious thoughts....So very....unfocused." Materializing once again into the realm of the living, his heavy body would settle upon the flooring allotted by the greenery. 'Twas truly awe-inspiring to be able to glimpse the fruits of one's labors, magically nurtured or otherwise. Nonetheless, he'd work to do, and the first task on his proverbial to-do-list was to locate his charge's wayward siblings. He'd only mentioned Arthour in the spoken word; however, he knew of Crowe given their deepened connection as well....this revelation would prompt him to glance around his surroundings. The very notion that Arthour or Crowe would be in this particular partition of the Coven was bordering on ludicrous.

"Hmn....This Chazore fellow is a member of Mage House....I don't see him regularly venturing over here without a prior motive....Perhaps it'd be best to consider other locations over this one....Thorne wouldn't seem to frequently seek this place out, either." Before he could recount another memory, his memory would faintly resonate with the presence someone else....She was not by any means as impactful as someone on their level of familiarity, but she and her shared heart had admitted the brothers, offering them additional lodging to suit their efforts.

"That one is not far off from here....Hnn..."

Fiona ONeill

Date: 2015-05-25 00:27 EST
Fiona could feel a slight chill rush over her. It was deeper, sinister. She could feel a deadly presence on the grounds. It was unlike the feeling she got from her fellow undead and immortal members. Dropping the necklace she had been playing with, she turned to look out the window. She watched as a raven flew down, landed on a yellow flowering tree not far outside of her office, and proceeded to make its shrill call.

Caw, caw.

She felt as though something was amiss, but with all of the nightmares and startling daydreams she had been having recently, she could not tell if her uneasiness was due to the chaos going on inside her own mind. She had even been blacking out for extended periods and finding herself in terrible scenes of death and destruction. Maybe the murderous intention she had felt was simply caused by the residual anxiety from one of her waking nightmares.

She got up from her seat and walked to the window. Pulling the sheer curtain to the side, she could only see the raven though she could now hear another.

Caww, caww.

If someone was here with malicious motivations, Fiona hoped the various protective spells and defensive measures throughout the grounds would act to ensure everyone's safety. If they proved unsuccessful in offering of a preemptive warning, she knew she would be called upon. She was simply an alarm, a siren? a banshee, ready to wail a warning at the first sigh of trouble. But she was not the only one.

She would stay at the window for awhile, watching and listening outside. Positioned half facing the door in her peripheral, she remained wary of her surroundings in the room.

Waiting, she listened to the birds talk amongst themselves.

Caww, caww.

Caw.

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2015-05-26 14:40 EST
In time, the wrathful spirit of the armor had managed to curtail its malicious, otherworldly force as a means of potentially calming the one with whom he was intending to effect an audience. Ere long, his heavy footfalls could be heard echoing through the various hallways of the manor. He was by no means aimless, as he could intrinsically sense the presence of other more 'transcendent' beings; however, with his other resting as he was, he was finding it difficult to navigate the various winding paths that could lead him to the one he was desperate to see.

"This building is something of a nuisance....As large as it is, it seems to be even more spacious than the foundations should permit. It has quite the impossible air about it," he murmured, regaling the thought as little more than a means of elapsing the time it took to traverse the expanse of extravagance. Mythological beings certainly seemed enamored with the extraneously lavish. The very consideration of being made to stay here was like to bore him to tears, by contrast. Nonetheless, he'd stay the course, and sure enough, he would weave his way through enough of the corridors to happen upon the half-creased doorway in question. Therein, his quarry was, no doubt awaiting the arrival of the aberration that was his being there. He could glean her anxiety over his arrival purely through the staggered flow he felt in her spiritual energy.

"Do not be alarmed....There is something I wish to speak with you about. The Instructor Lucis suggested I pay you a visit....Miss Fiona." With his words came a summary coaxing of the door to allow him entry into the room. He'd assumed she was alone, as the only presence he could perceive was her own amidst a number of avian fauna. Fortunately, their advent wasn't a cause for concern with him. The featureless helm-piece peered into the dimly lit room, its confines gradually becoming brighter with the approach of the morning sun from o'er yonder hills. All in all, he was quite the imposing fellow: tall, visually enigmatic, and passively radiating with a power yet unknown. Additionally, it seemed as though he was able to stifle much of the hateful energy that had previously clouded his nature as a sword saint. The peaceful, mystical sheen of the mail was enough to reassure most that hadn't attempted to draw aggression from him that he was a kind soul with an inordinately fierce desire to mete out his personal view of justice. He was not the type to bow or entertain the notion of frivolous niceties; although he would offer a nod of whatever semblance of a head that conjoined helm had been in extended greetings.

"I am called Yakumo....It is a pleasure to finally be able to convene with you, face to face."

Fiona ONeill

Date: 2015-06-05 08:22 EST
Fiona wondered if this was the man that had caused her to feel uneasy. This did not deter her speaking with him, though. Over her lifetimes, she had learned better than to judge someone without first attempting to know and understand them. Although she would not be quick to judge, she was always wary to trust.

Under normal circumstances, she would present a friendly smile and kind eyes to guests, welcoming them with proverbial open arms. As she could not yet truly gauge him or his intentions, she would be hesitant to show the same warm kindness. If he wanted to make a grand entrance to gain her attention, he certainly achieved that goal, though it was probably not the type of attention he wished to receive.

She stared at him, void of emotion, as he spoke Lucis's name then her own. She made a mental note to ask Lucis about this individual later in order to verify if he was citing his name with his permission. In her experiences, people who came in wishing to make a name for themselves in some grand measure, quickly identifying they knew more than they should, enjoyed making people squirm. She continued to stare at him a moment, looking towards where she expected his eyes to be beneath his helm. She wished to make it painfully obvious that she was unwilling to squirm.

Fiona drew back the thin curtain before walking to her chair, allowing the light to spread further over the room. Her sudden display at the window disturbed the raven outside, who quickly shook his head and ruffled his feathers. She motioned to the man with an open upturned palm towards the chair across from her desk, inviting him to sit. She would stand behind her own unless he sat. Even though he currently gave off a peaceful aura about him, it was clear from her harsh gaze and defensive body language that she did not trust him.

She did not enjoy playing games and hoped he would make his point soon.

Fiona spoke gently, with a hint of kindness that was in her nature, "Please continue, Mr. Yakumo."

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2015-06-18 02:51 EST
The same could be spoken of the armor. Its consciousness was not the type known for its fondness of frivolity for its own sake. Steeping forward, he would come to rest before her; although, her offer for him to be seated was refused. Sitting down, given his state of being, was virtually pointless, after all. He was, and would remain, an animate suit of armor. He didn't truly tire in the same sense that a living, fleshy being would. In any case, so long as she permitted him to speak, that was all that mattered.

"Tell me, then....Do you know something of reforging a body to house a wayward soul?" Straight to the point, was he" Nevertheless, the inquiry was a tad quirky, for lack of a better term. Just what had he meant by 'a wayward soul'" Oh no. Had Zynisch been injured in such a manner that he no longer had a body to call his own"!

Of his own volition, the academic would phase through the confines of the armor and take up a suitable, ultimately non-corporeal form all his own. Placing his palms over one another, he would offer a gracious bow in greeting to the founder of the Academy. It had been quite some time since they had properly spoken on matters central to him. Truth be told, he was something of a recluse, so he didn't travel far from where he needed to be in order to facilitate his....erm....studies.

"We meet once again, Milady Fiona. I trust you are well. Were this impromptu assembly on more fortunate terms, I would offer an embrace to you. Alas, the matter my guardian has thus presented takes precedence." So, he'd become a ghost outside of his combative arts, then? That would have rung humorous to the both of them were it not for the fact that his condition had proven somewhat terminal. "So, have you any knowledge in regards to human transmutation' I'm afraid I'm nearly out of options until a new solution reveals itself."

Fiona ONeill

Date: 2015-06-18 12:04 EST
Fiona was unsure of the relationship between Zynisch and the armor that had held him. Was it one of symbiosis, that both would benefit, or was Zynisch being used and manipulated by the metal contraption' As he spoke to her, he did not seem to be in distress, so she would help as she was able.

"Transmutation' Reforging a body?" She repeated to herself, as if trying to figure out a way.

She offered, "Miranda and Kruger excel in the forging of metals. Both have their own forges, as well as their own specialties. They might be able to assist you with this suit, if you would like to personalize it to your needs. But transmutation' The only person I would consider to assist with that level of specialty would be Ammy Spiritor, though the Academy may have other specialists that I am unaware."

Fiona knew her skills and abilities were limited in the areas he needed. She was no enchantress, no blacksmith, no alchemist. She wouldn't even know how to begin to perform such acts. She could understand that he seemed to want an alternative form. From his request of "human transmutation' it seemed as though he wanted another physical, living, breathing form. All that came to her mind would be possession, but she would refuse to help with anything that drastic.

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2015-06-25 05:33 EST
"Is that so...?" As he was wont to, the callousness in the armor's vocals made his intent more than apparent. Pressing his heels back against the delicately tiled flooring, he would make to depart from the room, noting the names she'd mentioned and inwardly scrawling them down on his mental list of would-be abettors. Though Zynisch would follow suit, he would offer her a moment of reprieve from his armored comrade's less-than-savory candor.

"It is my hope that you will one day forgive him for the way he is, Lady Fiona. He hails from an admittedly different time, and his nature as a spirit is somewhat....different from mine own. In any case, neither of us seek to disturb this place. We'll leave you to your devices. It was a pleasure speaking with you again~" Rather than literally following him, the veritable phantom merely faded from visible space, likely withdrawing into the safe haven that was the armor so that he might not have to endure any potential ill effects from the extended separation from his improvised vessel.

So....Yakumo and Zynisch....Twin spirits with a cursed destiny. Their meeting must not have been by chance for their union to be so very intrinsic. Was it Fate that governed their commiseration or was Destiny offering the latter a chance at redemption for his past crimes" Who knew? All Fiona had to concern herself with was the ease of not having a monstrous presence like that faceless knight's frantically flicking her proverbial distress switch on and off.

Fiona ONeill

Date: 2015-06-26 03:20 EST
Fiona simply nodded in response.

Still standing behind her chair, she watched Zynisch fade and Yakumo depart. Once they took their leave, she walked to the door and gently closed it. She then returned to her desk, knowing she would need to send word to those she mentioned to Zynisch in order to prepare them if the twin spirits should arrive seeking their aid based on her recommendation.

Beginning to regret giving their names to Yakumo, she was at least content to offer their services to Zynisch. She was still unsure of the relationship between host and soul. If Zynisch was truly trying to get out of the armored form, she believed in Miranda, Kruger, and Ammy's skills and abilities. They were all experts in their fields of metalsmithing and alchemy, and thus, if anyone could free him, they could.

Feeling uneasy about sending Yakumo to her peer's doors unannounced, she decided to explain to each of them the concerns she felt about the wrathful spirit of the armor. She would also tell her husband of the encounter.

As she made her phone calls and wrote her notes, she listened for the ravens that had been outside her window. It was oddly silent. Maybe they left her as well.

Fiona got up from her seat and pushed passed the loose curtain. The raven sitting outside on the yellow blooming tree still sat in its place. With its head darting around at the wind's movement of leaves, it seemed to be on a watchful vigil. She wondered where the other had been, the one that called to it earlier. It didn't matter much. She felt at peace with it there, close to her.