[Nexus] Underside - The Second!

[Darklord Bright]

[House Irumocuri]

Jasper leads him in, indicating to Cyreanne to close the doors behind him. With a thwump, the doors press closed, and Cyreanne scampers away now that she has nowhere to hide behind.

"If you are to see her, I would suggest you clean yourself up a bit." Jasper says, indicating to a bathroom.

"Once you are finished, her room is up the staircase. Third on the left, before you ask."

[Gullara]

[House Irumocuri]

"Right. Thank you again." Kirk says and heads into the bathroom.

He washes his face, with cold water for good measure. He's still a little hung over. He straightens up his suit and heads upstairs, hoping the smell of soap covers the smell of rum.

At the door the drow pauses. He takes a few deep breathes, holds the flowers ready, and knocks.

[Darklord Bright]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

The door opens, and Mina admits him in, not seeming to be surprised that he is here. Her room, he will find, is strange - on one end there is a large gramophone, slowly playing warped music, the disk bent and out of shape. Above, bits of coathangers spin, makeshift chimes dangling from the roof, some carrying odd objects like spoons and forks. Nothing seems orderly in here, but oddly, it all seems to be like that for a reason.

Mina returns to the gramophone.

"I am looking for where the music's soul is hidden. It is very clever." she tilts her head at the machine, "Love can't find the soul... but now her Sanctuary is here to show her the way..."

[Gullara]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

Kirk looks around the room curiously. He's not sure what he expected, but this seems close enough.

"Hello Mina." The drow says as he moves to stand beside her. "I brought flowers." Of course you did. They're right there in your hand.

He sighs. "Can I help you with that?"

[Darklord Bright]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

Mina tilts her head, looking over her shoulder at him. Her tail swishes curiously, and the blackness behind her eyes still swirls mysteriously, like whirlpools or storm clouds hidden beneath the gold.

She looks down at the flowers in his hand.

"The pride of a cat." she says, "Wealth and pride. Brightness of joy..." she takes the flowers, closing her eyes and twirling slowly, hugging them close.

[Gullara]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

Kirk smiles at her reaction to the flowers. He came here with no idea what he was doing and part of him was sure he'd regret it, but he's feeling a lot better about it now.

"I'm glad you like them."

[Darklord Bright]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

Mina finishes twirling, falling against Kirk's chest, looking up at him. What she saw when she looked at him was unclear to everyone but her, but it was certain that she didn't see the world like most others did. To her, everything was so strange - everything was its deeper meaning...

"Sanctuary-seeker..." she breathes, "Love's Sanctuary. My sanctuary..." she was pulled close to him, her sad eyes gazing into his.

[Gullara]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

Ah, sanctuary-seeker. Maybe that's why he came. If there is ever a time he needs sanctuary it's now. But there's more to it than that, and he knows it.

Kirk catches Mina as she falls against him, and he wraps his arms around her. He gazes back down into her eyes. "Yeah, we can be each other's sanctuary." That tension he felt when he first came slowly melts away as he stands there with Mina in his arms.

[Darklord Bright]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

"My sanctuary had gone, and took the safety away... but it returned, and now there is a place to hide... like the music's soul!" she seems to find this last 'fact' amusing, grinning strangely.

"Maybe it found sanctuary too."

She closes her eyes, holding herself tight against him. She takes comfort in his warmth, and begins to sway them both slowly from side to side, rocking slowly. Her mind was a muddle of things she didn't understand, whispers telling her truths and lies, and things never looked the way she knew they should - but she couldn't remember why. Things were always so wrong.

Except when she was with him. The voices made way for his, and though she could never see the way he could see, she still felt safe with him nearby. It was like the clouds had faded away to reveal the blue sky - had she ever seen it to make that comparison.

[Gullara]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

"It did. I did." He says softly.

Kirk takes great comfort in this moment, swaying back and forth, holding Mina close. For a while the turmoil in him is calmed. For the first time in a long time he can take comfort in the presence of another. He can't remember the last time he felt emotionally attached to someone. Maybe it was never.

The drow closes his eyes and kisses the top of Mina's head. He lets himself get lost in the slow rhythm of their swaying.

[Darklord Bright]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

Mina smiles, humming a lullaby to herself as they sway. Her tail moves slowly, almost in time with the melody, her ears flattening...

Swaying here, she doesn't care about any of what usually troubles her. She just wants to take comfort in him as he does in her. She opens her eyes, looking up at him.

Then, moving to her tip-toes, she kisses him.

[Gullara]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

When her lips first meet his there is hesitance. A hesitance that Kirk has never felt with a woman. This isn't a kiss for lust or pleasure. It's something profoundly different, something Kirk has never experienced before.

Following that moment of tension and hesitance, Kirk melts into Mina's arms. He pours everything into that kiss. His heart throbs faster and faster, and he wishes the moment would never end.

[Darklord Bright]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

Her kiss is passionate, her mind clear, and her eyes are alight with a fire. The woman has never felt like this before - the feelings run deeper than she can comprehend as they embrace. Her emotions flaring, she pulls away for a breath, eyes wide with realization as she gazes into his.

She finally understands! She tries to explain - tries to help him understand as she does. Why she's like this - she knows! He has helped her remember, but it's fading fast!

"Kirk... I - "

There is a knock at the door. Mina's head whips around with surprise.

"Mina." comes Alaine's voice from outside, "Checking on you." the door begins to creak slowly open...

[Gullara]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

"Mina?" Kirk is shocked to hear her say his name. He knows instantly that something has changed, and the look in her eyes alerts him that there isn't much time.

And then the knock at the door.

The drow lets go of Mina and darts toward the door. He needs to buy them just one moment. He slams his foot into the base of the door, likely snapping it shut. With his foot jammed against the door he says frantically. "Mina, what is it?"

Worst timing for an interruption ever. This could go reasonably well, or incredibly badly.

[Darklord Bright]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

Mina's eyes look downwards, darting frantically around as if trying to find her thoughts - trying to catch them before they flitted away out of her mind. The fog is returning, her thinking muddling...

She clutches her head, closing her eyes. No, they were getting away! Slipping away from her!

"I... the words, they're not there! I need to get them back - they won't come back!" she looks terrified, looking back up at the Drow as her sister hammers on the door from outside. She feels like she's drowning... falling back into that dark sea of confusion. Even as she stares at him, she finds herself unable to remember. It is as if the gap between them is widening.

"I don't remember anything." she says at last.

[Gullara]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

The drow slumps, visibly disheartened, and steps away from the door toward Mina. He completely disregards Alaine, who probably bursts in right behind him, and says, "We'll figure it out, Mina." He tries to take her hands in his.

He's going to have to have a talk with Mina's parents.

[ApeofLight]

[Undercity-Streets]

In the streets a new discovery has been made! Some strange metal creature. It seems to have fallen down some kind of fissure or hole and has ended up here. Hmm... Wonder if anyone will try to stake claim to it.

[Baeleck]

A small collective of NPC citizens have gathered near the metal creature by the time Corvus arrives on the scene. He's currently headed homewards, but he's in no hurry. He pauses before moving over to the group, his rich red robes unfurling behind him, majestically.

"Move aside, move aside," he asks, in a calm voice, "I wish to inspect this."

[ApeofLight]

[Undercity-Streets]

Corvus finds something that looks kind of like this but the trimming is green and the robot appears more humanoid. The NPC's part away as the feyborn makes his way towards the robot.

It doesn't seem to be broken but it doesn't seem to be working either. Corvus will probably be able to tell that it's a construct of metal but it doesn't seem to be magically powered.

[Baeleck]

[Undercity - Streets]

Well, that's unfortunate. Corvus's bare brow furrows as he examines the construct. No magic here. The only thing he gets out of his investigation is that the thing is very much inactive.

However, knowing Corvus, he'll have some associate or other that will be able to fathom how it works and, more to the point, what exactly it is. Whether it's worth anything.

"Would somebody assist me in moving this to my house? The streets are no place for it."

[ApeofLight]

[Undercity Streets]

Most of the crowd seems to have dispursed seeing as one of the nobles have stacked a claim on whatever this thing is. A few remain though and step forward, "Move it for a few coins, yeah?" one of the lingering people asks.

[Baeleck]

[Undercity - Streets]

"Of course." He had plenty of money to spare, and didn't mind letting a tiny portion of it go. The rewards could be far greater. "One more assistant?" he adds, glancing between the remaining people.

[ApeofLight]

[Undecity Streets]

Another man steps forward. " Yea, me an' him will 'elp ya. " The one man nods to the other and they both go to either side of the robot. " Just say when. "

[Baeleck]

[Undercity - Streets]

"Thank you, sirs." He nods politely, albeit coldly, before looking up and down the street. "Could anyone tell me where this construct came from, perchance?"

From his tone, there's the possibility of more coin for someone.

[ApeofLight]

[Undercity Streets]

A boy from those few remaining standing around raises his hand. " I saw it fall down with a recent collapse sir. "

The two men get ready to lift the thing up and carry it.

[Baeleck]

Corvus turns his eyes upwards. So, it came from up there, did it? He frowns slightly, then looks to the boy.

He's just a kid. No money for him.

"All right. Come on and follow me," he tells his two helpers.

[ApeofLight]

[Undercity Streets]

The men grunt as they lift it up and the boy looks disappointed as he gets no coins.

The men follow as quickly as they can carrying the heavy robot.

[Baeleck]

The feyborn takes a leisurely pace, so there should be little struggle to keep up. In addition, his home is only a couple of streets away - a richly-housed close that curves round the outer edge of the great stalactite that the Undercity clings to.

His abode is a fine place, four stories with an elegant red front door and smooth stone steps. The door opens in response to his stepping up, key unneeded.

"I have a study on the basement floor. Just place it there whilst I fetch you two your coin." He nods to some stairs to their right, as they enter. "And be sure not to touch anything. I will know."

[ApeofLight]

The men nod both of them red in the face. Seems the thing is pretty heavy. So to relieve their burden they quickly go to put the robot in the basement.

[Baeleck]

The basement is relatively bare, but far from plain. It's well-cared for and practical, with a variety of benches and a good few bookcases. The hallway had plenty of books too. One imagines this man likes reading.

Corvus quickly joins them in the basement, a small purse in hand, and offers the both of them a few gold pieces for their trouble.