Avarras -Old Version

[ShadowWolfSBI]

((Characters start in Orchrios. This post is opening narration, though.))

As night falls over Pathos, a darkly clad figure approaches the estate built outside of the city of Orchrios. The figure seems dress in all black, in a fashion that makes him resemble a gunslinger from Earth's past, including a wide brimmed hat shadowing his face. The only color in his clothes is a red bandana that masks the lower half of his face.

Designed to resemble a castle, the estate has an Oriental flair to it. The only truly out of place feature is the covered bridge over the courtyard. Inside the entry hall sits the owner of the estate, an aging human named Koike Shiraishi. Sitting as if waiting someone, he glances over some papers on a nearby table.

The dark figure approaches Shiraishi silently, although the latter looks up to see his approach. "It is done. If this works, we'll have a safe haven for now."

The older man nods, then responds quietly. "If it does, we'll need to keep our ears open, so we can be ready."

The dark figure nods, and fluidly transitions the motion into a bow, before striding out.

((The bridge between the gate and the "porch" resembles something from Rivendell.))

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Avarras

As the pair reached the estate, the first thing that would catch Bell's attention is the lack of an obvious path leading to it. Anthony clearly knows the way, however, so there's no lost time.

Another thing that might catch her attention is that archway in front seems to be somewhat unusual. However, it's not until the pair reaches the entry hall that there's any sign of habitation.

The entry hall itself is somewhat empty. Two doors directly across from each other mark the middle of the hall, and two more doors sit towards the end. At the very end is a small pit-style fireplace, sitting in a small depression. An almost throne-like chair sits just in front of the depression, facing the entrance. A small table sits to the right hand of whoever is in the chair...

...Who, in this case, is an older human male. He's wearing a green coat, and has black pants and a white shirt on. The trim on the pants and coat bears gold-like appearance. The man's almost knee-high boots appear to be plain black leather. Slightly unkempt gray hair frames his face, and pale green eyes watch the entrance carefully. A sheathed sword rests in a notch on the left arm of the chair. It's the same style as the sword Cross used in the dream, but it's not the same sword.

The man sitting in the chair doesn't seem to be moving, and Bell might not realize at first that it isn't a statue there.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Avarras

"Huh, I guess it isn't that creepy, though why they put that guy there, is he supposed to be a butler, or what?" She asks curiously, as she notices the sword sitting there. "Or would that be him, whoops. Can he hear us from all the way over here? He does seem kind of old and..." realizing that if he could hear them, then she's just digging herself deeper, she chooses to just remain silent for now.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Avarras

The man doesn't seem to react to Bell's comments...Although she thinks that his left eyebrow may have raised. Anthony simply begins walking towards the man, although Bell might catch an amused look on his face.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Avarras

Gah! Males! Bell thinks to herself as she followed Anthony up to the guy quietly.

Sure, let me talk your ear off and then don't even answer a simple question!

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Avarras

"If you're worried about offending me, don't. I've gotten to where little bothers me any more," The man spoke as they neared. "Anthony. Any particular reason for bringing a guest?"

Anthony shrugged, then replied, "She insisted on coming. Night before last, she apparently had a dream in which she saw the last fight I had with Vincent."

The man nodded, then turned to Bell. "I see...As you already guessed, from the sound of it, I am Koike Shiraishi."

Koike's voice is extremely calm. This close, Bell can see that he seems younger than he initially did...Although his voice does carry an aged tone to it.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Avarras

"Huh. Well hi then, I'm Bell. Any ideas what's going on?" She asks plainly, unsure what to think just yet.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Avarras

"Mhm...Not yet, at any rate. First off, though...Anthony. There's a new shop opened up in the city. I've put in an order for something from it. Retrieve it."

Anthony nodded at Shiraishi's request, and left, heading back into the city. Shiraishi himself gestured to Bell. "Would you mind telling me the contents of this dream you've apparently had? Anthony has been known to jump to conclusions before."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Avarras

Bell would relate her dream to Shiraishi, pretty much exactly as she had told Anthony, and wait hesitantly for his response.


((bah, loser post, ah well))

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Avarras

Shiraishi leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "Hm...Right off-hand, I can't offer any answers. I can, however, confirm that your dream matches Anthony's description of that event."

He paused for a moment, then stood. "I will check my library, to see if there's some clue as to what's going on. In the meantime, feel free to explore my home, if you wish. Or, there is a practice area set up in the yard, if that is your preference. Just don't try running the obstacle course without either myself or Anthony around. You may find it a bit overwhelming."

That said, he strode down the entry hall to the door that had been on Bell's left side when she had entered.

((The obstacle course is basically the one from Kung-Fu Panda.))

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Avarras

Bell just looks at him as he walks off with a stunned expression on her face, not saying anything until almost ten seconds after the door closes behind him.

"Right, well. Guess I'll wander around then." She says, then does exactly that, choosing a door at random and exploring.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Avarras

Bell doesn't find much of interest...Until she nears the kitchen. One of the rooms appears to have been built around a hot springs.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Avarras

"Ooh!" Bell says excitedly, looking around for bath accoutrements.

((Towel mostly))

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Avarras

There are towels and other assorted things there.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Avarras

A smile crosses Bell's face as she looks around for anybody watching. Not seeing anybody, she quickly strips down to her underwear, grabs a towel, and settles herself into the hot springs with a sigh. She puts on some calming music on her wristband, settling it on the towel just out of the spring, and hummed along quietly with it as she soaked, laid back and eyes closed.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Avarras

When Anthony returns, with Jack in toe, he makes a beeline for the library. Once inside, he tells Shiraishi, "There's at least one other that has had that dream."

Shiraishi looks up from his book, and glances over at Jack. "Another one? I must consider this...It may mean that something major is about to happen. Resume your training. As for our latest guest...Show him the yard, and see what his skill is. He interests me."

Anthony bows, and heads out into the training yard, motioning that Jack should follow.



Back in the hot springs, Bell briefly caught some kind of movement out of the corner of her eye.

((Sent the boys out to the yard, so Bell wouldn't have to worry about one of the other PCs interrupting her. There will be something that will draw her out there in a bit.))

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Avarras

((Meh, she's effectively in skimpy bathing suit, they can walk in if they want, see Anthony stumble over himself again ))

Bell had spent the last while carelessly examining the ceiling, her head leant back on the towel. When she caught the motion, she spins around and ducks down to the point where its just her head peering over the lip of the pool. "Who's there?" She asks calmly.

 

[SiphonTalvesh]

Re: Avarras

Something Major about to happen? Jack definitely didn't like the sounds of that, nor did he like the uneasy feeling he had that something was going to seriously go wrong and soon. Still, despite wanting to know something NOW, he bit his tongue and followed Cross out to the yard, admittedly curious as to why they wanted to check skill level, and what kind.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Avarras

Anthony sets his guitar bag on a stand next to what appears to be a rack of various sized and shaped training swords. He grabbed one, stepped to the size, and gestured to the rack. "Grab one that suits you, and familiarize yourself."

Once that's said, Anthony moved off to one size of the training yard, away from both the training dummies, and the obstacle course, and began stretching, apparently.



As for the motion Bell saw...The head of a oddly proportioned brownish bear pokes out over one of the rock decorations in the room. It seems intrigued, but upon seeing Bell, its eyes narrow and it ducks back behind the rock. A small poof-like noise can be heard.

 

[SiphonTalvesh]

Re: Avarras

Jack raised an eyebrow. "If I'd known I was going to be using a sword I'd have brought my own, though if it's for merely training mine is a bit.... too heavy for it."

He then proceeded to pull one out, seemingly at random to an untrained observer, but for a trained one, they would notice he had glanced it over very carefully before selecting it from several others that seemed similar. He lightly began to test it's movements with semi swinging motions, eyebrow raising as it apparently moved in a way he approved of.