(no subject)

[tothelight]

Who: Relevant persons
Where: Cepheus, Pavo
When: King's Year 196-199
What: Things That Happened, an eventual saga

Comments

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[roadtothesky.insanejournal.com]

[Yep.

At least there's plenty to choose from. How about this nice looking blonde lady over here? The one with the cleavage. Who's looking at you. Appraising, one might say. Like a mason presented with a very nice block of limestone.]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[tothelight]

[ ......

looks to the left.

looks to the right.

...well, it's not as if it's really more apparent who the stewards or guards or frontmen of this place... are.

....

Heads for the lady in question. ]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[roadtothesky.insanejournal.com]

[There don't actually seem to be any. At least none identified in any normal way.

She smiles.]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[tothelight]

[ ...and there's that vaguely familiar ominous feeling at the back of his neck. ]



[ swallows and steels himself. ]

Pardon me, madam, I'd like to enquire if...

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[sabra-la-au.insanejournal.com]

[And just like that, her smile vanishes.]

'Madam'?

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[tothelight]

[ --a faux pas?? --oh light damn it. ]

---milady. My.... apologies. I meant no disrespect.

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[sabra-la-au.insanejournal.com]

The girls of Cepheus must age well for you to make a mistake like that. Should I be jealous, I wonder~

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[tothelight]

...

I'd like to enquire as to the whereabouts of one of the Designers, should she be present today.

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[sabra-la-au.insanejournal.com]

You've come all the way to the palace without knowing if she's here?

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[tothelight]

[ --ngrk. folds his arms. ]

...I chanced to be in the vicinity. For other business.

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[sabra-la-au.insanejournal.com]

Eleventh floor. East spire.

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[tothelight]

[ blinks... and nods, after a moment. ]

Tha-- ...my thanks.

[ makes a perfunctory bow before he turns to walk away. ]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[sabra-la-au.insanejournal.com]

Mmhmm~

[There's the spine-tingling feel of eyes, possibly even appreciative eyes travelling down his back and back up again as he walks toward . . .

. . . toward . . .

. . . well there has to be a way up somewhere.]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[tothelight]

[ ....a most chilling tingle indeed.





...

In theory. In theory, if one just kept to that wall to one's left, eventually there had to be some variety of staircase or ladder or whatever in the hells these people deigned to install for going to the upper floors...

...it wouldn't be necessary to go back and ask. Or anything like that. At all. ]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[roadtothesky.insanejournal.com]

[In theory.

In actuality, there might, eventually, be a delicate-looking staircase tucked behind an ornate filigree wall, curving up along the very outside wall of the tower.

Unlike most places thus far, it's all but empty. Possibly because the grade is so gentle that it looks to be a long walk up a single floor, let alone up eleven.]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[tothelight]

[ ...up this way, or keep going internally and risk making a complete round....

...well, if all one needs is stamina for an otherwise quiet route.


...tests the strength of the stairs with a foot, first, before advancing upwards. ]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[roadtothesky.insanejournal.com]

[As if Pavo would build anything less perfect, even if it does look like he's walking on nothing but twisted wire.

It is, however, a long, long walk.]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[tothelight]

[ it might have been a little more daunting for someone with a healthy sense of acrophobia. Or who spent less time on their legs in general.

....as it stands, impatience builds up much, much faster than exhaustion.

He breaks into a jog, then a loping run, occasionally glancing aside at the view of the ground below. ]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[roadtothesky.insanejournal.com]

[Below, there's the gilt of stars, and stairs . . . and as he ascends, more stairs. But together, viewed from above, each layer of curling twists resolves into a pattern of leaves, the trunk of a tree . . . the curve of a bird's wing, frozen in mid flight.

A three-dimensional forest scene, outlined in fading gold.]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[tothelight]

[ ...you would think discoveries like these wouldn't be as surprising anymore.

pauses at around the time he catches sight of the last one, leaning one arm against the wall-- just for a breather. That's all it is. And it's not like there's little better to look at in the meantime. While he's at it. ]

.....can't believe this....

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[roadtothesky.insanejournal.com]

[Even as he moves that last foot, the scene seems to shift, the bird's wings beating once before stilling again.]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[tothelight]

[ ...

and if he were to casually shift that foot back a pace... ]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[roadtothesky.insanejournal.com]

So long as he's facing forward, the bird's wing flaps in reverse. It's if he starts to turn around . . . if he were heading down the stairs, from that angle it isn't a bird's wing at all, but the curve of an ant's mandible, reaching up for a fresh leaf.]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[tothelight]

[ ...and there's something about this reminiscent of certain moments from That Incident with Feramis and his (blasted, lightdamned) leaves.


stops squinting to rub at his eyes, briefly, before getting back to running. ]

Re: [ The Spiraling City, King's Year 197, midautumn ]

[roadtothesky.insanejournal.com]

[Up and up, past halls to floors bustling with activity, and to some where not a soul is to be seen at all.

And below his feet, the scenery shifts from forest to glade, to rocky mountainside . . . and the archway to the eleventh floor finally comes into view.]