Shark, Succubus and Summer

Cetus couldn't believe how hot it was today. Yet people insisted on being outside for this inane festival. What reason possessed them to do so? There was power in the air. That might be a reason. Perhaps this festival served a dual purpose. Little over a month ago, Cedar had been burned to the ground. There had only been thirty survivors. That was out of a town of thousands. The past month had been spent building Cedar back up again. Only recently, they'd finished two-thirds of the restoration. This festival could be a way to celebrate.

A few details were withheld from the public regarding the destruction of Cedar. One, a single mage was behind it all. Two, the local Rune Knights had been staked in the center of the ash field left behind. A message had been written around them. Cetus was only privy to the information since he'd perpetrated the incident. He was surprised that the Magic Council and the Rune Knights would hide such information. They deliberately kept the danger of one potentially powerful dark mage from the public. What was their goal in that? It was neither here nor there in terms of this festival, however.

The heat was hard on Cetus. His skin dried out quickly. It was an unpleasant experience. He preferred cooler climates. Only a single experience made being hot alright. That included other more pleasurable activities. Yet here he was. Standing amidst the new residents of Cedar. No one batted an eye at him. Several eyed his attire. Some in appreciation. Several women had already called out to him as he strolled through the streets.

The thin black fabric clung to his muscular chest. His arms stood bare against the radiance of the sun. His legs were outlined in shorts that might have been a little too tight. Ergo they didn't hide much. His face also was bare. He hated it. The assassin was used to having something covering his face at all times. A shadow in the night, the stalker of the mists, that's what he was meant to be. Someone who could disappear without a trace. So why was he here? Information gathering and a small incessant feeling in his stomach.

It was a desire to see Pandora Dagger again. Not for any particular reason. Merely a hope that seeing her, interacting with her, might trigger more emotions. He might remember something about that woman. After making love to the beautiful Dagger, there had been a brief flash of memory. A woman's face. It had been coupled with intense emotions. The flash had been too brief for any real information. Maybe interacting with Pandora again would give him more to go on.

Cetus stopped at a booth. He smiled at the attendee. "Might I have one of those?" He asked gesturing to enchanted apples. They were a little pricey but he was attempting to fit in. It seemed like something Caimilier would buy. The woman handed him an apple. When he tried to pay, she waved a hand. "With a voice like that, it's on the house, honey." She threw a wink at him. Cetus smiled and thanked her. Inwardly, the assassin was confused. What did his voice have to do with not paying? Was it another emotional thing he barely understood?

Troubled, the assassin stepped back into the flowing crowd. There were games, food, laughter, music all around. Nothing touched the shark man's soul. It was disappointing. This was where people came to revel and enjoy themselves. He wasn't able to feel any of it. Stepping out of the crowd again, Cetus approached one of the games. It was a ring toss. Something he should easily accomplish. Maybe actually participating would help him feel anything.

Four rings were handed to him. The assassin took a couple of practice flicks to get a feel of them. They were fairly light. There was something off about the balance. Something had been embedded in one side of the rings. What purpose did that serve? Cetus turned to the game. The idea was to get the most points possible. The golden bottle was worth the most points. A certain amount of points got you a prize. Something felt wrong. The feeling flared the moment he released the first ring. It sailed through the air, perfectly aligned with the golden bottle. However, the trajectory moved midair. The ring sank down over a nearby green bottle. Low points. Cetus frowned, trying again. This time he tried to throw it low and fast. The ring sailed past the golden bottle. It sank on a red bottle this time. Again, low points.

Cetus inspected the throwing rings. Something was preventing him from getting the golden bottle. Both of those rings should have sunk directly onto it. They'd been carried or pushed, somehow influenced past it. The assassin stepped back from the table. Instead of finishing his game, he handed the rings to a small child waiting in line. Cetus flashed the girl's mother a smile in response to her gratitude. Then he stepped off to the side to watch.

The girl was a good thrower. At least, she showed promise. She tossed the rings sloppily. Yet whenever they neared the golden bottle, they soared past. The little girl missed with one ring entirely. The other landed on a silver bottle in the far back. That, combined with the points Cetus had already scored, landed her a teddy bear. The girl's mother thanked Cetus again. He bowed his head. "It was no problem, ma'am." There was something off about this game and he wanted to figure it out. He watched for a while as others stepped up to try their luck. The shark-man didn't plan to move until he cracked this mystery.

WC: 964

Cetus listened carefully to the woman that had started talking to him. He wasn't sure whether she meant to be talking to someone else or not. However, finding what she had to say rather interesting, he decided not to interrupt. He watched the boastful newcomer try out the game. Listened to the woman's commentary on how the game was a lesson in life. That was one thing he could resonate with. Life only allowed what you took from it. It never gave you anything. Watching the braggart walk away with cold eyes, the assassin couldn't help himself. If this was a lesson in life, perhaps he should drive it home.

"Caimileir and if you could excuse me for just one moment..." He stepped away without ever looking at the woman. He knew what she looked like. Chocolate skin, white kimono with black markings, yellow sash, vibrant purple hair. Watching from your peripheries was something all Order of Law assassins learned early. Cetus handed a few jewels to the stand teller. Turning around, he called out to the sore loser. "Hey! Perhaps you should get good, instead of complaining about the game being rigged!" The man spun around. His group of friends stood behind him. Cetus grinned cheekily, spinning a ring lazily around his finger. Without looking, Cetus tossed one of the rings backward. The gasps from onlookers and the catcalls of the man's friends confirmed the assassin's guess. His grin grew wider as his arm whipped out to the side. Another ring went flying behind his back. Whistles accompanied this one. More people began gathering around. The man's face got red with anger. Cetus bowed, flipping the last ring out of his hand at the end. Clapping erupted from the small crowd. The assassin checked over his shoulder. Three rings stacked neatly atop each other on the golden bottle. The teller seemed stunned. Cetus chuckled, even as the man erupted.

"You cheated! There's no way you could have made those throws! You must have used magic." The man's hands balled into fists. His friends probably weren't helping, laughing and hooting at him as they were. Cetus turned around to face the man. He struggled to keep his natural cold look from his eye. Caimilier was a country boy. He wouldn't have the face of an assassin. "Trust me, friend, if I was using magic, you would know." "Bullshit! You must have something up your sleeves!" Cetus only smiled as he patted his bare arms. The crowd laughed at his antics. Cetus knew the moment the man broke. His face turned purple before he launched himself into a charge. Yellow energy streamed back from a point above his lowered head.

Interesting tactic, Cetus thought, tilting his head. It kept you from seeing your opponent. Then there was the idiocy of attacking an opponent without knowing their capabilities. Cetus opened his mouth and sang. "I can show you the world, shining shimmering splendid, tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?" As his baritone voice filled the air, the man began to float. He scrambled at the air trying to find purchase. He might have bellowed but Cetus was focused on his song. A few people stepped forward but Cetus waved them back. All gravity had vanished in the affected area. As his 'country boy' was a good person, he wouldn't want others injured by the spell. That didn't keep him from injuring his attacker though. "I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder, over sideways and under, on a magic carpet ride" Bubbles filled the gravity-free area. Each was clear for the moment. Cetus planned to change that. "A whole new world, A new fantastic point of view, No one to tell us no, Or where to go, Or say we're only dreaming" The bubbles started filling with fantastical images. Images of other worlds filled each floating orb. Children squealed with delight. Even a few adults squealed happily. Cetus smiled as he sang, finishing up his spell. "A whole new world, A dazzling place I never knew, But when I'm way up here, It's crystal clear, That now I'm in a whole new world with you." The bubbles began moving about the affected area. The struggling man seemed to know instinctively not to touch them. Good, he wasn't a complete moron. Those orbs looked pretty but they held dastardly power. A brush with one wouldn't end well. Cetus raised his voice so the crowd could hear. "Alright everyone! Look but don't touch! Oh and ignore the ugly man in the middle. He's not apart of the magic."

Cetus turned back toward Kessicia. He bowed his head to her. "My apologies. That took a little longer than expected." The shark-man gestured toward the ring toss. His prize still awaited to be retrieved. "To make amends, please take the prize. I only truly wished to crack the mystery of the game. Being from the country, I wasn't privy to many of these uh carnivals. Thankfully, your explanation and watching the others play helped me solve the enigma." Cetus paused, tapping his chin. "In truth, perhaps take the prize as both amends and a thank you. Without your kindly insight, I might not have solved it." Not entirely true but he could afford to appear magnanimous. It was a pity he couldn't feel that emotion. Perhaps interacting with Kessicia would invigorate his emotional centers.

Cetus smiled at the... priestess? Shrine maiden? Something else? He wasn't quite sure the purpose of Kessicia's outfit. A small mental note was made to ask about it sometime. "If you'd allow me to reintroduce myself, I am Caimileir." He held out his hand to the woman. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kessicia. Tell me what brings you to the carnival? Family? Friends?" Cetus wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Perhaps a hot date?" Deam had always said humor was a selling point with women. Cetus tried but he couldn't seem to get the words right. They always sounded wrong to him. However, they appeared to work most of the time. People smiled or laughed at his 'jokes'. Ah to feel the joy when he laughed. Maybe Pandora was here. He should go find her, to feel again. It might even help him with his humor.

Cetus listened carefully to Kessicia's responses. He wondered if she wouldn't mind helping out a 'bumbling country boy'. While the feelings weren't as powerful as with Pandora, Kessicia's voice sent emotion spiking through his chest. Rather like comparing a shot to a long draw from the bottle. Both equally good in their own right but different. "Perhaps... uh... that is, if you wouldn't mind... perhaps you'd like to help a poor country boy find his way around a carnival? You seem quite wise in the ways of the world. While I know and understand a few things, there seems to be more out there to explore and learn about. I..." Cetus paused, catching sight of someone across the square. It was from the corner of his eye. Turning his head just so, the shark-man saw Pandora start inching away. Interesting. She'd been rather hands-on last time they'd been together. Was it something he'd done? Kessicia? Something else that made the woman think she could sneak away? Cetus almost moved after her. Ah, wait, Caimileir wouldn't have seen her. Continue the conversation. "...uh... I could benefit greatly from your wisdom." He smiled shyly at Kessicia. The assassin kept an eye on Pandora.

Cetus was about to shift toward his one-time lover when a sprite nearly rocketed into Kessicia's face. He nearly snatched it out of the air. What was it doing? It flew into his face, forcing him a step back. Cetus used the step to pivot in Pandora's direction. The sprite was gesturing at something. Pandora? That was strange. Had the woman done something to warrant their attention? Or was she avoiding their gaze? Cetus gently caught the little bugger on its seventh time around. Enough of that. Was Pandora jealous? Was she worried about Kessicia getting jealous? It was conceivable that Pandora had another lover. Not that the woman had said anything to him. Dratted emotions. Why did they have to go and complicate everything?

Cetus saw Pandora plunge her head into an apple basin. An apple basin filled with water. Fear clutched at his heart. He couldn't enjoy it much as he plunged into the crowd. "PANDORA! NOT THE WATER! IT'S NOT WATERPROOFED YET!" He shouted across the square. There was no telling if she heard him or not. That woman! Hadn't he told her about it not being waterproof? Ah, his beautiful creation! Now it was probably ruined. Why couldn't these people move? Cetus wanted to blow them away with magic. The only thing keeping him from doing so was possibly blowing his cover. Cetus enjoyed... well, appreciated having a cover identity. His recent actions in the HB and as Dubhar had gathered attention. It made it difficult to move around at times. The MC was sure to be cracking down on him sooner rather than later.

Cetus reached the apple bobbing game. His internal craftsman groaned. Pandora was getting water everywhere. What was she doing? Trying to hide? The sprite in his fist cackled gleefully. Releasing the tiny creature, Cetus grabbed the back of Pandora's shirt and hauled her up. When he saw her leg, the shark-man cursed foully. A few parents glared at him while they covered their children's ears. "By the hells Pandora. Couldn't you have kept it in one piece? Or did you want to see me again that badly?" He scolded lightly, grinning roguishly at the end. Cetus pressed his lips against her wet cheek. "Sit back and let me see the damage, please. I need to see if I can do a patch job or if we need to head to my workshop."

The shark-man waited for Pandora to present the leg to him. Kneeling, he began probing the leg. It was fritzing out already. The illusion was going in and out. His poor creation. "You poor baby. What did she do to you?" He muttered under his breath. There was clear wear and tear on the limb. She'd been liberally using it. Cetus brought up a magic diagnostic program. The results weren't good. In fact, they were discouraging enough he couldn't help scowling at Pandora. "You couldn't resist trying to break it in, could you? I asked you to take it easy. This is a prototype. The first of its kind and you've banged it all up to hell before dumping water on it. Microfractures, one entire lacrima strand pulled out of alignment, the illusion malfunctioning, the lacrima string I installed probably is down, not to mention a few dozen other issues brought on by water in the works." Cetus pinched the bridge of his nose. This would take an extensive rework. It would be surprising if it would even function with this damage.

"Try standing up for me, Pandora. I need to see if the damage is better or worse than I feared." Cetus stood, turning the illusion off. That part at least was busted. The best they could do for it was leaving it off. It left Pandora's leg looking like a metal collection of the muscles beneath the leg, a series of various colored lacrima running down the side. Glowing strands ran up through the metal. Several of those strands were dark. There was also clear wear, dings, scratches and the like on the metal. How she had managed to ding black mithril was beyond the assassin. Pandora had put his prototype through hell. Once Pandora was on her feet, Cetus maneuvered to catch her if she fell. As irritated as he was with her, the assassin didn't want to see her hurt. "I should spank you for all the damage you did." He growled softly. "I've gotta get your leg back to the shop and disconnect the nerve receptors to fix it. You're lucky you're cute, Pandora. I'd take my hammer to anyone else with this kind of disrespect for my creations. Maybe I will hammer you later." Cetus winked at the buxom warrior. Anything to embarrass her and see that adorable blush.

WC: 2048
3012/???

Cetus doffed an invisible hat and offered Kessica a bow. "I work ever to enrich the environment around you, my lady." Watching what the woman did with his offer was enlightening. She offered the gift to a younger female rather than keeping it for herself. An act of selflessness. Cetus had seen it but only rarely. It was a treat to see it in action here. Kessica's return and her question threw Cetus off. Stag? Was that a secret code word? Perhaps she was a spy trying to feel out his allegiance. Treating herself? People actually did that? Odd. He knew people weren't as job oriented as he usually was. His reason for being here could be seen as treating himself as well. But then why would Kessica do it? Did she suffer from the same malady that afflicted him? Then there was the last thing she said. It seemed to him like there was a hidden meaning to it all. What that might possibly be was a mystery to him. Cetus decided not to probe about that particular comment either. He wasn't handsome, in his opinion. Getting into yet another argument over it was a waste of time.

None of Cetus' speculations showed on his face. Instead, he favored Kessica with a smile. "I'd never been to a festival before either and wanted to explore it. Unfortunately, it seems the sun is hotter than I thought. My skin has been rapidly drying out all day." That might come across as slightly odd for a farm boy. Cetus figured it wasn't too much of an issue. He'd never specified what he did in the country.

Pandora's lack of confidence had the assassin worried. The last time they'd met, she'd been full of life. It was that exact reason that had drawn him to the woman. Her murmured apology forced Cetus to stop his examination of the leg. He looked up into her face. Something had happened. Some piece he was missing. Perhaps it was his presence. Cetus felt immeasurably stupid. Pandora had gotten what she wanted out of him. Her deformity was gone. They'd spent a night together. It had been nothing more or less than that. It felt like something had snapped inside the assassin. His heart hurt, though he couldn't figure out why. He wasn't injured. All that had happened was a realization that Pandora didn't want him.

That fact was driven home in the hardest way. Kessicia stepped into Pandora's arms. Cetus lost control of his expressions. Full shock registered across his face. The two women kissed passionately. Pandora kept a hand on his chest. It was a clear sign. She didn't want him interrupting nor did she want him around. The pain in his chest twisted. An agony unlike he'd ever experienced blossomed around his heart. His facial features twisted in response to the pain. How did people live with emotions like this? It was torture watching the two embrace. What hurt more was Pandora had never mentioned the woman and it looked like they'd been lovers for quite some time.

Kessicia's words confirmed Cetus' suspicions. There were pinpricks in his eyes. Damn these emotions. The two women turned to him before he could school his facial features back to normal. They'd probably seen the hurt. Cetus took a deep shuddering breath. It took a second to force his lips into a smile. "That's all right. If you can't feel anything, I can simply remove the leg. You two sound like you have some catching up to do and I don't want to interrupt your reunion. Besides, there is no story. We're acquaintances at best. A business owner and his customer. Nothing more." He looked around for somewhere Pandora could sit. She would need to be sitting in order for the leg to come off.

There was a nearby restaurant. Cetus gestured to it. "There. If you could just sit her down there, I can take the leg. The two of you can enjoy a nice date while I go fix the leg." By the Hells, the bright cheery note in his voice sounded false even to the assassin. Any chance he'd had of acting fine was out the window. It didn't matter. Kessicia had only recently met him. Not enough time for her to care. Who cared about a stranger? Pandora had already gotten what she'd wanted out of him. Cetus had to wonder if the two women were running a con on him. He couldn't say he cared much. Money was only a means to an end. They could have asked for a sum and he would have given it to them. They hadn't needed to play with his emotions. If they were running a con. Ugh, his head was so messed up. Damn these emotions. Damn them.

WC: 804
TWC: 3816