|
Post by Azula on May 12, 2009 17:54:06 GMT -5
Azula, Crown Princess in Exile of the Fire Nation and third-best Firebender her world currently knew, was wandering through the bowels of the Paris Opera House basement, draped in a cloak with the hood down, one hand held up. A blue flame danced over her palm, bathing the moldering props of yesteryear in the azule light, rats fleeing from this intruder into their darkness.
(Tag Erik, lol!)
|
|
|
Post by Erik on May 12, 2009 18:01:57 GMT -5
Erik had seen many things in his cellars over the years. Many kinds of people, some of them demons or gods. He'd seen other versions of himself. He had yet to see blue lights, and that was enough, even if the general alarm of "intruder" was not, to follow.
Blast it, another girl, he thought. Girls were always more trouble. It was so much more difficult to kill them, after all.
"You're disturbing my rats," he intoned solemnly, his voice coming from various walls. They weren't, in the strictest sense, his rats, but Julian would not mind sharing for effect.
|
|
|
Post by Azula on May 12, 2009 18:12:16 GMT -5
Azula paused, golden eyes narrowing to slits, expression a guarded mask of stoicism. Okay, so there *was* something to this 'Phantom of the Opera' superstion she'd been hearing about... One step closer to getting Chant a target to analyze if she could get the info out in decent quantity.
"Your rats?" she called, boosting her flame to illuminate more of the darkness around her, tone confident yet respectful, "I wasn't aware anyone owned vermin in this city."
|
|
|
Post by Erik on May 12, 2009 18:14:32 GMT -5
No matter how much brighter her flame got--and how was she doing that?--she would not see him. Darkness was a friend to Erik, but he did not rely on it solely. Now he could see her eyes, and they disconcerted him. He thought he was the only one.
"Only the ones under the Opera," he said, not without humor. Though it was buried under quiet menace.
|
|
|
Post by Azula on May 12, 2009 18:29:30 GMT -5
Azula was used to quiet menace, her bread and butter for most of her fifteen year-long life. "I see," she replied softly, senses alert for any signs the well-concealed speaker might go on the offensive, "I would like to ask a few questions regarding the reputation of your... territory. Nothing more, nothing less, and I shall leave you in peace nor shall I return."
|
|
|
Post by Erik on May 13, 2009 10:36:47 GMT -5
The voice moved to her other side, floating about five feet to her left for the moment.
"Forgive me if the word of a sneak is not entirely reassuring," the voice said. "There is nothing to know; you are an intruder, and I do not permit intruders."
|
|
|
Post by Azula on May 13, 2009 10:51:22 GMT -5
Azula frowned inside, her free hand dropping to hang loosely at her side under the cloak, fingertips extended to channel flame so she could maintain her light source. She did not want to face this... spector in the dark, hard as it was to keep track of his voice in the light.
"And what if I say no? What if my need to learn more about the nature of this world so I could save my own means that I refuse to run at the first threat I encounter even if I was the kind of person to run at such threats?" she replied, a hint of defiance in her gaze, "Or do you resort to violence simply because of courage?"
|
|
|
Post by Erik on May 13, 2009 10:56:13 GMT -5
"I resort to violence," the voice said, in a black tone that perfectly illustrated his words, "to protect my own. And there is nothing here that will give you an understanding of your world, whatever it is." The voice shifted again, nestling now against her ear though the intimacy was not of the pleasant sort, even if the voice was painfully beautiful. "This world is mine alone. As others before you have learned to their short-lived dismay."
|
|
|
Post by Azula on May 13, 2009 11:09:42 GMT -5
(Oooooh... Bravo.)
It took every ounce of deceptive prowess that Azula possessed to keep from showing the flush of fear that saturated her frame at the unatural swiftness of the voice or from acting on the anger which urged her to fire off a blind shot in the hope of hitting *something*. That would have suicidal against a concealed foe of her own nature, and this... Phantom was clearing something quite different and very dangerous in his own right.
How in Agni's name was he moving around like that anyway!?!
"Interesting. So I take it you consider these tunnels, if not the whole Opera, your protectorate," she managed to whisper flatly, "A sanctum none may enter."
|
|
|
Post by Erik on May 13, 2009 11:39:30 GMT -5
Brave the girl might be, but that did not mean Erik could not know her fear. Fear was the rational response, after all. And while he did not feel threatened, he knew there was something unusual about her. And one could simply not let anyone waltz into his domain.
"The upper levels are open to the public, or any who can pay for a ticket," he said dismissively. "That does not concern me. As to the lower levels--yes. They are my sanctum. Who may enter or not, besides you, is none of your concern."
|
|
|
Post by Azula on May 13, 2009 14:26:50 GMT -5
Ah. So there WERE those welcome to the lower depths of the Opera House. All she'd have to do was find them and extract an answer or three.
This thought was a fragile hope buried beneath the swiftly spinning currents of self-presevation filling her mind, pride keeping her expression nuetrally defiant. "And the toll for those who enter your world and agree to leave after facing you peacefully?" she inquired, keeping still save for the faint rise and fall of her chest as she maintained her chi-fueled torch.
|
|
|
Post by Erik on May 13, 2009 15:43:29 GMT -5
Erik chuckled, the sound reverberating around the girl. It was not a laugh which invited others to similar mirth.
"You tell me, brave one," he said. "You have a tongue of your own: what will you give, to go free?"
He had no plans to kill her--there was little point, and it would not entertain him much--but it was sometimes interesting to know what people considered of value.
|
|
|
Post by Azula on May 13, 2009 16:15:05 GMT -5
A glimmer of fear showed in her eyes for a few heartbeats, flame flickering as her breath caught. Oh, Agni. Another monster like her Father and herself, one who liked to play with his victims. If he was anything like she had been... Bid too low and she'd die for the insult; bid too high and she'd die for her weakness.
"I'll owe you a Favor," she breathed, restoring the flame, "One task that it must be possible to do without dying by a human being in the time between one sunrise and one sunset, the nature of which is to be decided by you when you need it done."
|
|
|
Post by Erik on May 13, 2009 16:46:21 GMT -5
Erik blinked, unseen. Well. That was more than he'd hoped for--he'd expected something pitiful, which he'd reject, and then show mercy anyway. But this... this was interesting. And dangerous, for her.
He let the silence stretch between them for a moment, as if considering.
"Very well," he said finally, his tone its own form of vow. "But I think you are capable of things most humans are not."
|
|
|
Post by Azula on May 13, 2009 17:07:04 GMT -5
Azula relaxed by inches, imediate fear of destruction replaced with a far more manageable fear of the debt this placed on her. This gave her time. And options. Only the first move in a dangerous game.
"I would hope that's obvious, at least for this planet," Azula replied quietly, "But so are you, whatever you are, and I was raised to respect prowess. Pick a favor within the terms and I will do my best to keep up my end of the bargain."
|
|