The Favor (Rivers/Mysteria)

[NPC Vennessa]

There was a laugh behind Rivers as a young woman threw her arms around his neck, pressing against his back. The woman, with her curling blonde hair and dazzling smile beamed up at him. “The gods are smiling at you, Rivers. We do listen, on occasion. You will have your wish.” she pushed herself up and kissed his cheek, and Rivers would feel a tug, then blackness.

The young woman soon appeared before Mysteria, giving her a quiet, knowing smile. “I wish I could do more for you, but let this be a small reward for your service to my brother.” she reached forward and pressed her palm over the eyes of the mage and soon Mysteria would herself standing across from Rivers. The falls swept out below them and a simple dinner of wine and bread and fruit was laid out in a simple basket beside the river. A lute was laid out as well, for Rivers’s use.

[Rivers]

Rivers hears the laughing and feels the familiar sensation of someone grabbing him from behind, though this one wasn't Aria so he was a little surprised. He turns towards her and sees a dazzling woman and blinks for a second as he places her. "Oh, Grand Mage Vennessa," he says as she stretches up and pecks him on the cheek he works quickly and after she dumps him at the falls she would find a note in one of her pockets which would basically read.

I had been hoping to talk to you, may we meet again when this is all over? I have something I wish to discuss.

As he suddenly finds himself standing before Mysteria and a grin spreads across his face. "We have to stop meeting like this." He says with an amused expression as he picks up the lute and examines it. Nicely made. he admits and strums it a bit.

"I would say that, I thank the grand mages for giving me a wonderful dinner with such a beautiful and influential woman, but I am sure you get quite enough flattery without my praise." He says wryly and picks some of the food off of the table and tosses it into his mouth. Rivers stood straight backed and with a confidence and dignity that he did not often carry when he prowling taverns as a simple bard.

"But instead of letting the Grand Mages decide this for us I would like to ask you myself. Lady Mysteria, would you please have dinner with me?" He asks, giving her a polite but not humble bow, not an expression of deference, but of courtesy between equals. If Mysteria would read people she would easily be able to tell Rivers viewed her as an equal.

[Mysteria]

"Damnit."

Mysteria scoffed, tossing papers and scrolls off her desk and into the air. The scribbled on documents scattering wildly all over the floor and room as Mysteria arose from her desk stool.

No, no, no! It wasn't right at all, no matter how many times she looked at the scrolls she couldn't figure out how to accomplish what she was searching for. Blast it all if she could only find more knowledge. Mysteria sighed, standing in the middle of her bed chambers in the palace. Un-aware of what day it was or what was about to happen to her in the few up coming moments.

It was slow moving, or at least it felt like time was moving much slower than it actually was. Vennessa appearing before her one moment, the next she was outside… In an unfamiliar scene before a man she had only met twice now. Her purple eyes blinking in amusement at the very first words of this sudden turn of events.

Such a coy person. A bard of bards if she had ever met. His words spewed out flatteries like a humming bird fluttering it's wings..… It reminded her of someone but she couldn't place her finger on the memory who. Perhaps her mind was playing tricks, so she put aside the thought and finally relaxed when she realized River's was bowing towards her.

" It's good to see you haven't changed sense your arrival here. " Mysteria smirked, putting the emotions of her work behind her for now. If Vennessa had put them together here with what looked to be a prepared meal. Then who was she to question the gods and their decision.

" So dear bard, what stories do you have to tell me? I know the last time we met, I was not of my own right mind." Mysteria chuckled, walking up to where the dinner table was at with a graceful stride. Her fingers following along the edge of the wooden table as she sat down on the other side of where River's was standing. Her purple-teal eyes still remained locked onto him as she adjusted herself in the chair and sat with legs crossed.

[Rivers]

"Lady Meliana, this is the fifth world I have been in. I have watched Deities ascend, fae armies go to war, and alchemists create devices that allowed people to talk to others on the other side of the world. It would take a pretty big event to change who I am at this point." Rivers replies grinning proudly, after all he was proud of the fact there were few if any as well traveled as he was. "But I am flattered by your compliment."

He sits down and examines Meliana for the first time, really taking stock of her. Beauty was obvious, but in this case mattered little drive and hunger were there, but he couldn't place what exactly she was after. Those with longer lifespans often lacked the passion of the short lived and he found himself wondering if Meliana was an example of this.

But as he remembered her appearance upon entering he shakes his head slightly. No, maybe a bit of it but there is something else. Meliana is playing a game, I just don't know the game even if I can see the board.

Rivers sits down and smiles as she asks him what story he would tell her. "Well I suppose I have a few stories to tell, but alas these are my greatest treasures and I wish not to part with them till I hear about you." He replies smoothly.

"So Meliana, I ask you, have you completed the control collars for the cursed king?" He asks.

[Mysteria]

The Kray woman straitened her posture as River's spoke, eyes following his every move. while her back straitened and both hands clasped loosely on top of her lap. She looked more comfortable in this pose. Her long lavender hair cascading down her shoulders and rippling to the floor in a delicate train. Purple-teal eyes focusing on the bard as he talked and flaunted his knowledge and skill of charm. A clever one he was, but it only brought a small smile upon her flawless form.

Her head tilting to the side in a curious manner when she noticed his eyes taking account of her appearance. Was he checking me out? Melania thought, with a silent raised amused eye brow. This Fated boy was very knowledgable and seemed to use his eyes more than anything else. A beautiful trait, one that reminded her of Saden in the olden years when she was young.

" My my… You are a busy bard indeed, Rivers I recall? " Melania smiled, leaving her gaze to the dinner table and the platter that was spread before them. A gift for the holiday occasion she presumed. Her gaze lifting from the table back to River's when he smoothly rejected her offer with a bribe. To hear more about him, she must reveal more about herself.

" Fair enough… What would you like to know Rivers? "

Melania shrugged, lifting her left hand up to pour a glass of wine from a elegant glass pitcher of wine on the table. When the glass was half way full, she sat down the pitcher and lifted the cup to her lips. Her hand lightly swirling the red liquid within. Her eyes locked onto the young man with a growing grin.

A brow lifted at the question of her up coming project. That was suppose to be secret….. Mysteria, stared at Rivers for a moment in silence before taking a sip of the wine and setting down the cup onto the table.

" Not yet… However, I am curious how you know one of my greatest 'tresures' and I wish to know how you know part of it. Are you sure you need to know anything more about me? " Melania straitened her head, before giving the young man a simple smile.

[Rivers]

Rivers pulls out a seat as well and sits down. Conctrary to Mysteria's upright proper posture Rivers leaned forward with his elbows on the table and legs spread. He had a boyish grin on his face that suggested he was rather enjoying this exchange. The part of his coat that he was not sitting on billowed slightly behind his legs and he was wearing a well tailored collared shirt, a fashion which was very uncommon in Teair if it existed at all. If one were to look at him they would probably assume he was a young nobleman, still young enough to be passionate, but old enough to have the focus that made young fools dangerous.

"I am honored your remembered the name of this simple bard." He replies as Mysteria double checks his name, this only caused his grin to widen. It was true that he had been busy since coming here, he had been gathering news in the city and meeting a variety of people and he replies "No more busy than any other person, but you appear to by quite busy. Mind if I ask with what?" He asks out of curiosity.

"But alas that is not what I am here to talk about, after all this is a date so instead I should be asking about you." He says, though his expression darkens a bit when she asks if he really needed to know more about her. "In truth I know very little of Meliana the person, I know some of what you are working on and I can extrapolate some things from circumstance." He admits, but he does not approach the topic of how he knows so much about her work. Telling her too much might be dangerous, he could tell Meliana was a better player of the great game than he was, he was just fortunate enough to have a reasonably good starting position.

He sits up straighter and uses a fork to take several pieces of cheese and pops them in his mouth chewing with appreciation. "This is good." he admits, a bit surprised by how much so, the grand mages really did have it good. "Well then if you ask what I would like to know, I would like to know about you, what do you do for fun? I would also like to know why you serve the cursed king, but I will let that slide if you wish not to answer."

[Mysteria]

Melania's brow raised at River's boldness. Never before had she encountered someone other than her divine god, Destiny, had seen this future's outcome. This was alarming and yet fascinating at the same time. It was like the divine goddess of passion herself was offering up a clue to the power's her own god possessed. To dare bring more than one person from the ever changing 'future'. How reckless, who was Fate trying to erase from the grand tapestry?

The Kray woman shifted in her seat. Now resting her elbows on the table and using the back of her hands to cup her face in a curious fashion. She leaned slightly over with her leg's still crossed. Her melting pot of teal's and purple reptile eyes stared back at River's in amusement.

" Are you sure? If I didn't know any better, it seems like you are fishing for knowledge you lack to fill in the missing pieces you can't quiet place. Am I close, Rivers? " Melania asked, the color in her eyes flashing for a moment as her smile slowly faded into a more serious manner.

" Thats good.. It might be better that you don't get to know 'Melania' the person. As for proof, I need none. You have already proven yourself to me, it's why I'm still sitting here instead of leaving after all." Melania sighed, lifting her head up off her hands in order to pick a piece of fruit from one of the bowl's on the table. Her eyes leaving rivers to look down at the small red berry she twirled in her finger tips.

" You speak of his majesty the King as some kind of monster. I don't know about you, but normally 'cursed' means it's not something they asked for willingly. I have been with the Noru family far longer than the Great King Cain's rule… So I don't serve under just Noku's rule, but the Noru lineage. "

Mysteria sighed, taking the berry and popping it into her mouth.

" Rivers, I must ask you something out of curiosity. You are Fated correct? What is your intentions and what part do you believe you play now that you are here in this world?"

[Rivers]

This thread has been resolved over privately for the sake of expediency. Bargain made and accepted.