Eleven (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bearshermark) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
westwhere2021-08-15 02:22 pm
bearshermark) wrote in westwhere2021-08-15 02:22 pm
I'm unable to breathe amongst the crowds of frozen people
WHO: Eleven & OPEN
WHEN: possibly the whole arc?
WHERE: Taravast, various
WHAT: A catch-all!
WARNINGS: Will be added!
1. Of The People
Eleven took swiftly to formal meditation. It was a bit like prayer, he reasoned, just with more inward focus and for considerably longer. The only problem being an inability to easily drown out any variety of distracting noise.
But during one of his many walks through the city, he came across a small, modest garden almost hidden behind a block of crammed buildings. It was little more than an arrangement of green shrubs, scant patches of grass, and a swath of overgrown vines creeping over the far wall toward a thin strip of canal on the other side. Squashed between two lines of buildings as it was, the garden found itself shaded over for most of the day, but for a few short hours.
And for those precious hours of sun, it was perfect. The hidden oasis feel of it let him shed his mask and local wear, stuffing the garments into the charmed bag Lily had given him and free to sit in the grass comfortably in his own clothes. Bare face tipped toward the sun and the grass warm beneath him, he breathed and peace reigned so exquisitely that falling into that quiet focus was nearly effortless. It only took visualizing the sun's gentle warmth and the breath of life in the grass soaking into him to banish those lingering, wayward thoughts.
After an untold amount of time that was surely more than the requisite hour, Eleven found himself relaxed enough to lounge back in the grass, very nearly dozing. Probably, he shouldn't nap here. He was due at court soon enough, but.. surely, it wouldn't hurt to close his eyes for a short spell..
2. Court
The masks, Eleven decided, were off-putting. It was difficult enough to recognize the people he knew through them, and made conversation twice as difficult. People's expressions hidden, the tone or inflection of their voice distorted by full masks.. as though he weren't already out of his depth.
Although his spiritual healing classes meant a little less time spent around court than most, it was still exhausting. Surrounded by people he didn't know and roped into hollow conversations while attempting to feign interest in a political cause he could care less about.. All for the sake of maintaining an image that he was beginning to suspect wasn't unique to just their group. Everyone was hiding; everyone wanted something.
Half-heard conversations washed over him, strung together with words that either meant absolutely nothing or were inlaid with a meaning that could only be divined with enough context. For the first time, Eleven found himself grateful for his conversations with Lan Wangji- at least he could discern that much. And, having adopted a basic level of formal functioning as the Luminary, he only hoped it would be enough to endure.
Presently, Eleven found himself harried by a handful of men peppering him with questions about horses, then having heated debates about his answers. It took some time to understand they only cared because of some bets they'd placed on a race. He'd attempted to dissuade further questions by insisting he wasn't an expert in all things horse-related, but it only served to conjure up debates about whether or not he was right, or how sure he was about things.
"Forgive me," he interjected with some emphasis once he'd finally drummed up the courage to recite the rehearsed line. "There's someone I need to speak to before we convene for the day."
Which, as far as excuses go, he hoped it wasn't terribly obvious that it was a complete lie. Wary of eyes following him, Eleven attempted to look like he knew exactly where he was going, increasingly desperate to find someone in his line of sight that looked even vaguely like they might be expecting him.
3. Library
On gloomy days, Eleven took his studies to the palace library, attempting to commit the information on the papers in front of him to memory. But surrounded by bookshelves holding what promised to be far less dry material, he inevitably found himself perusing the shelves and indulging his newfound ability to read anything and everything over his actual work.
Titles of various books pulled from the shelves often had some apparent link to religion, mystical flora, or life and death. And sometimes, they were simply memoirs of someone that sounded vaguely interesting. It felt like being at the Sniflheim Royal Library, but without the threat of monsters.
Pleased with his current selection, Eleven wandered back over to a desk, then paused to find someone else sitting there.
"Ah... mind if I join you?"
4. Courtyard
On pleasant days, the palace courtyard served well enough. Unwilling to bring any books outside, Eleven made considerably more progress in reading through his lesson material. He compromised with a half-mask to appease any locals drifting through as he sat quietly on a bench, half-lounging and only intermittently distracted by his surroundings.
That was of course, until an unexpected wind took the few sheets set beside him and scattered them a short distance away.
With a gasp, Eleven pursued them, snatching the sheets before they could drift too far away- or Goddess-forbid, fall into the fountain- then watched as one landed at a person's feet. He followed their figure up to a mask, feeling sheepish and not quite bold enough to reach for it despite his outstretched hand.
"..Sorry to bother you, but ah, that's my paper on poultices.."
5. Gondola by Night
Dressed down in a familiar coat only his former companions would recognize with a purple half-mask to match, Eleven rowed sedately through dark waters reflecting the night sky.
The gondolas were larger and the water deeper than what he remembered from Gondolia, but he took to his perceived role as a ferryman with far more comfort than he had the cloak of nobility. He'd even become reasonably good at it, and while he had coin enough, the tips came as a nice bonus.
Eleven glanced up as a passenger dismounted and caught sight of someone standing near the edge of the canal.
"Can I take you across the water?"
6. City Offerings
It wouldn't be a proper visit to a new city without trying out the various restaurants and bars on offer. And once he had two masks and accidentally acquisitioned something like a second identity, it was less stressful to talk to people without as much concern for reputation. The place he'd chosen tonight was busy, and tables were swiftly filling to the point of even pairing strangers together. Just as well; the bar was full and eating on his own was far less enjoyable.
Certainly, it would have been nice if he could easily enjoy the company of those he'd befriended despite political affiliation, but Eleven buried such concerns beneath a drink or two and focused on enjoying a delightful meal and buoyant atmosphere.
He raised his mug in a friendly salute to the person forced to join him.
"Hope you're having a pleasant night so far."
7. Wildcard??
[ooc: feel free to hit me up with anything adjacent to these prompts, or if you'd like to work out something specific, Eleven's plotting post is here!
Happy to adapt to action tags or prose!]
WHEN: possibly the whole arc?
WHERE: Taravast, various
WHAT: A catch-all!
WARNINGS: Will be added!
1. Of The People
Eleven took swiftly to formal meditation. It was a bit like prayer, he reasoned, just with more inward focus and for considerably longer. The only problem being an inability to easily drown out any variety of distracting noise.
But during one of his many walks through the city, he came across a small, modest garden almost hidden behind a block of crammed buildings. It was little more than an arrangement of green shrubs, scant patches of grass, and a swath of overgrown vines creeping over the far wall toward a thin strip of canal on the other side. Squashed between two lines of buildings as it was, the garden found itself shaded over for most of the day, but for a few short hours.
And for those precious hours of sun, it was perfect. The hidden oasis feel of it let him shed his mask and local wear, stuffing the garments into the charmed bag Lily had given him and free to sit in the grass comfortably in his own clothes. Bare face tipped toward the sun and the grass warm beneath him, he breathed and peace reigned so exquisitely that falling into that quiet focus was nearly effortless. It only took visualizing the sun's gentle warmth and the breath of life in the grass soaking into him to banish those lingering, wayward thoughts.
After an untold amount of time that was surely more than the requisite hour, Eleven found himself relaxed enough to lounge back in the grass, very nearly dozing. Probably, he shouldn't nap here. He was due at court soon enough, but.. surely, it wouldn't hurt to close his eyes for a short spell..
2. Court
The masks, Eleven decided, were off-putting. It was difficult enough to recognize the people he knew through them, and made conversation twice as difficult. People's expressions hidden, the tone or inflection of their voice distorted by full masks.. as though he weren't already out of his depth.
Although his spiritual healing classes meant a little less time spent around court than most, it was still exhausting. Surrounded by people he didn't know and roped into hollow conversations while attempting to feign interest in a political cause he could care less about.. All for the sake of maintaining an image that he was beginning to suspect wasn't unique to just their group. Everyone was hiding; everyone wanted something.
Half-heard conversations washed over him, strung together with words that either meant absolutely nothing or were inlaid with a meaning that could only be divined with enough context. For the first time, Eleven found himself grateful for his conversations with Lan Wangji- at least he could discern that much. And, having adopted a basic level of formal functioning as the Luminary, he only hoped it would be enough to endure.
Presently, Eleven found himself harried by a handful of men peppering him with questions about horses, then having heated debates about his answers. It took some time to understand they only cared because of some bets they'd placed on a race. He'd attempted to dissuade further questions by insisting he wasn't an expert in all things horse-related, but it only served to conjure up debates about whether or not he was right, or how sure he was about things.
"Forgive me," he interjected with some emphasis once he'd finally drummed up the courage to recite the rehearsed line. "There's someone I need to speak to before we convene for the day."
Which, as far as excuses go, he hoped it wasn't terribly obvious that it was a complete lie. Wary of eyes following him, Eleven attempted to look like he knew exactly where he was going, increasingly desperate to find someone in his line of sight that looked even vaguely like they might be expecting him.
3. Library
On gloomy days, Eleven took his studies to the palace library, attempting to commit the information on the papers in front of him to memory. But surrounded by bookshelves holding what promised to be far less dry material, he inevitably found himself perusing the shelves and indulging his newfound ability to read anything and everything over his actual work.
Titles of various books pulled from the shelves often had some apparent link to religion, mystical flora, or life and death. And sometimes, they were simply memoirs of someone that sounded vaguely interesting. It felt like being at the Sniflheim Royal Library, but without the threat of monsters.
Pleased with his current selection, Eleven wandered back over to a desk, then paused to find someone else sitting there.
"Ah... mind if I join you?"
4. Courtyard
On pleasant days, the palace courtyard served well enough. Unwilling to bring any books outside, Eleven made considerably more progress in reading through his lesson material. He compromised with a half-mask to appease any locals drifting through as he sat quietly on a bench, half-lounging and only intermittently distracted by his surroundings.
That was of course, until an unexpected wind took the few sheets set beside him and scattered them a short distance away.
With a gasp, Eleven pursued them, snatching the sheets before they could drift too far away- or Goddess-forbid, fall into the fountain- then watched as one landed at a person's feet. He followed their figure up to a mask, feeling sheepish and not quite bold enough to reach for it despite his outstretched hand.
"..Sorry to bother you, but ah, that's my paper on poultices.."
5. Gondola by Night
Dressed down in a familiar coat only his former companions would recognize with a purple half-mask to match, Eleven rowed sedately through dark waters reflecting the night sky.
The gondolas were larger and the water deeper than what he remembered from Gondolia, but he took to his perceived role as a ferryman with far more comfort than he had the cloak of nobility. He'd even become reasonably good at it, and while he had coin enough, the tips came as a nice bonus.
Eleven glanced up as a passenger dismounted and caught sight of someone standing near the edge of the canal.
"Can I take you across the water?"
6. City Offerings
It wouldn't be a proper visit to a new city without trying out the various restaurants and bars on offer. And once he had two masks and accidentally acquisitioned something like a second identity, it was less stressful to talk to people without as much concern for reputation. The place he'd chosen tonight was busy, and tables were swiftly filling to the point of even pairing strangers together. Just as well; the bar was full and eating on his own was far less enjoyable.
Certainly, it would have been nice if he could easily enjoy the company of those he'd befriended despite political affiliation, but Eleven buried such concerns beneath a drink or two and focused on enjoying a delightful meal and buoyant atmosphere.
He raised his mug in a friendly salute to the person forced to join him.
"Hope you're having a pleasant night so far."
7. Wildcard??
[ooc: feel free to hit me up with anything adjacent to these prompts, or if you'd like to work out something specific, Eleven's plotting post is here!
Happy to adapt to action tags or prose!]
no subject
"I like it," he confessed, content to wait. "This sort of place is what I'm used to. Gondoliers are just workers in the end."
Unlike the nobles they had to pretend to be at court or around the palace, but he didn't have to say that for Lily to understand what he meant. "I think the people live more vibrantly without costumes."
no subject
Spotting the woman who'd met them when they entered making her way back in their direction Lily straightened as she approached, eyeing the massive drumsticks the woman carried on her tray.
"This is definitely a better way to spend the evening."
no subject
"I agree," he said heartily, with a cheerful well of pride. He offloaded their order from the serving woman with thanks and Lily's help, then rifled through his pocket and came up with what he expected would be coin enough to cover the cost- with a little extra for the inconvenience.
Just beneath his nose, he could agree with Lily's sentiment that the food smelled heavenly.
"Goddess, let's get to the boat before I'm tempted to stand here instead."
no subject
Quickly stepping back into the street, ale in one hand, and the giant leg of meat in the other Lily hastily made her way back towards where Eleven left his gondola. "This was a brilliant idea El." All of it had been rather brilliant, but finally getting her hands on food that was not tiny and meant to be nibbled in courtly surroundings was the most brilliant part of all.
no subject
"It was," he agreed with no small amount of beaming pride, and followed along after a quick draught of ale to avoid spilling while they moved swiftly for the canal.
Easing into the gondola with full hands proved a task, but with Lily's help, managed to settle in as Eleven eased them out into the water. In the middle of the canal, he slowed them to a gentle, inert drift and finally settled down with his meal.
Eleven wasted little time in tearing off a strip of meat with his teeth and a gratified hum just as soon as the salty grease hit his tongue.
"This is proper food."
no subject
After balancing her ale at the bow of the gondola Lily retrieved the wine from the pocket she'd stashed it and set it down between them, making good on her part of the bargain to share.
"How often do you drift around like this? It's rather lovely, isn't it?" A flush spread across her cheeks that she was sure was a product of alcohol and the joy of finding proper meat, though for whatever reason, calling this lovely had made her feel unexpectedly awkward.
no subject
The gentle wind on the water, spread black beneath them and reflecting the city lights certainly made for an excellent atmosphere- things he enjoyed usually, now made better.
"It's perfect," he said, breathing contentment. "Usually call it a night when I get hungry, but if ever you want to again sometime, I'd be happy to."
no subject
After taking the final bite of the drumstick, Lily drew her wand before dropping the bone into the canal, changing it into a fish with a quick motion. "We'll absolutely have to do this again," Lily said, looking back to him with a smile before she used her wand to clean up from the meat.
no subject
The food left him pleasantly satiated, and the alcohol doing wonders to help him relax. He was even too content to fluster too much over remark- simply drained the rest of his ale and smacked satisfaction. The leg bone found a new home in the empty pint.
Eleven stretched, then looked back to her with a languid smile. "It feels like a luxury to be able to do things like this. I could happily be a common man for the rest of my life."
no subject
She shifted, lightly bumping her shoulder against his, "I did tell you I was excellent company."
no subject
"You did. And you are." He hummed, pleased. "Thanks for that, by the way. It feels like you're one of two or three people I can talk to comfortably. You, Fox, Archeval- I appreciate it a lot."
no subject
"Now that I know you know where the decent food is, I only like you all the more."