Ye Olde S33k & Finde

[ObscureInsanity]

She jolted forward abruptly; the sound of another's voice scared the daylights out of her; she spun on her heel to look at the proprietor and blushed.

"Hello Fr33k," she said softly; she wasn't sure why, but she didn't find it appropriate to talk at a normal decibel level in this establishment. Her eyes fell on the jewelry box that he had picked up. She very much admired the craftsmanship, but... she glanced up at him.

"It is a beautiful piece of artwork, isn't it?" she almost whispered; she looked over it again, then back into his eyes. She was getting better at this talking to 'strangers' thing, despite her obnoxiously low self-esteem.

She licked her dry lips and glanced away from both him and the jewelry box. "I'm just browsing..." she commented, glancing back at him briefly before taking a few more steps down the row. "You have an array of interesting artifacts..."

She suddenly felt bad for taking Fr33k away from the lady she had seen him speaking to... surely, he had to help her with something? She hadn't heard her leave. She stopped and looked down at her feet as un-constituted guilt swept over her mood.

'I do like that jewelry box,' she admitted inwardly, though the payment seemed odd and highly improbable that she, silly timid she, would have the guts to do such a thing, though, she had been told that her singing voice was angelic a time or two; she glanced back at Fr33k and swallowed hard, forced her bravest smile despite her suddenly lowered disposition, and nodded. She watched him go, keeping an eye on the jewelry box as he set it back, then went about looking further down this row of shelves, being careful all the way, as he had suggested, not to lose her self.

Each shelf she passed she made sure to pick out something of recognition, an ornate butterfly barrette like what her great-grandmother had pinned her hair with here, a Native American chief's face carved out of Beachwood there: If she needed to find her way out, she would... she had an excellent memory.

 

[fr33ks33k]

*His smile was having a calming effect on her; the subtle clenching and unclenching of her fists had ceased, and her breaths were deeper and more controlled. With a gesture, he moved toward the appointed aisle, taking her what seemed to be deeper into the darker areas she had wandered into. Soon enough, though they came to a larger lighted area, much like the two he'd shown her previously. They passed through without stopping, and eventually found themselves in a small trapezoidal area. The most commanding item in view was a mast from a vessel that might have taken up the whole space if it were present. The shelves themselves held various nautical gifts; shells, pearls, sailors journals, hand-telescopes, various other flotsam and jetsam that possibly held more value than first glance afforded.*

This is the most interesting room of the oceanic sort that I've found, aside from the room with the huge pearl. I can show you that as well if you wish...

*At the very edge of his hearing, he could almost pick out the noises made by the lifting and replacing of the wares, whispered names and locations. It seemed the other young miss was using a landmark system to find her way back. If only she knew that particular method was not always useful....he smiled absently as he let Aislin investigate the holdings of the room*

 

[ObscureInsanity]

She poked around, here and there, admiring some other knick-knacks, handling some old books. She knelt down at one shelf: a rather small book lay there all by its lonesome. She picked it up and dusted the binding off, trying to see if it were an actual book or something of a journal. She opened it to find small, delicate pencil sketches with such detail! She smiled at it and flipped the pages. One in particular caught her eye: the scenery therein was beautiful: a woodland sketched in different shades of grey, a small stream falling down the slope of the earth. How in the world could anyone draw that small? She gently closed the book and flipped it over as she had the jewelry box... bargaining came to her mind again... she wondered if she could figure out a way to get the two of them for something other than singing.

She wasn't apposed to singing, of course, but singing in front of more than one person would probably land her bright red and hyperventilating in embarrassment. She looked down the long row she had walked down and started making her way back. The little leather bound book in her right hand. She wanted that Jewelry box, no doubt about it...

When she came back upon the first set of shelves she caught glimpse of it and gently took it down from its place. She held it as if it were to shatter in any instant without provocation, looking it over with an admiring eye. Yes, she'd have to gather the guts to do this. She walked with the two items to the next row, one that seemed to go far longer than the last. How huge was this place anyway?! She went about her ritual again, eyeing objects that seemed to have significant value to her: that she could remember, so she wouldn't get lost; though... looking down this path which only seemed to end in darkness, she feared that she may end up stranded anyway... but what the heck? why not... if you don't look at everything you might miss a piece of treasure, like the jewelry box, or the hidden-in-plain-sight mini sketchbook.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She didn’t look at him. Her eyes were on the oceanic items.

“The pearl, Fr33k. May I see it?”

There was that ever curious part of her, once more coming to the fore. The small panic she felt had disappeared. This place held secrets? Her lips quirked. She had almost giving away one of her own.

Almost.

 

[fr33ks33k]

*He watched her milling over the items in the expanse before asking to see the pearl he'd mentioned. She had that inquisitive stare again; he smiled and made a grand gesture toward the northwestern aisle*

This way, then.

*His words were brief, but his thoughts were plentiful. He recalled the first time he'd laid eyes on the pearl. He'd been terrified at first; it seemed to have a presence, a soul even. Each time after, he'd felt a pulsing in the air of the room that contained it. It was subtle, and not always tangible, but certainly there.

He blinked as he found himself exiting a side-path. There it was, the nearly insubstantial rhythm beating on the air. His pupils dilated as he set his gaze upon the night-black pearl. It seemed to reflect light while devouring it simultaneously.*

Here we are. What do you think, Aislin?

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She followed right behind him, not to close so that she smacked into him if he stopped, but enough not to lose sight of him either. Just before they got to wherever it was they were going, she slowed. She raised a finger to her forehead, rubbing it lightly. At first, it was weak, very weak but she felt it. As they got closer to the room which housed the pearl, it got louder. It was still subtle, but making itself more known to her? Was that it? She didn’t answer him. Instead, she put a light hand on his back as she stood behind him.

“Fr33k,” her voice was a soft whisper, “What is that?” Her eyes closed

 

[fr33ks33k]

If you mean that low pulse that is throbbing in the air, I can only assume it to be the pearl. There's nothing else in this room. It feels....like a heartbeat. I've never been bold enough to touch the pearl itself, but getting close to it makes my palms sweat and my skin prickle. Imagine the size of the bivalve that would have housed such a thing! On the few times I've stood here pondering it's existence, I could have sworn it was trying to speak, but could not find words.

*Her hand on his back was a comfort in the face of this mystery. Try as he might, he had never discovered the story behind this particular thing.*

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Th-thump. Th-thmp. Th-thump. Rhythmic. Repetitious.

Nothing else other than Fr33k’s breathing and her own. Her fingertips slid down his back before drifting across his side and leaving his person altogether as she came from behind him and walked slowly toward the pearl. She couldn’t take her eyes off it. She was constantly aware of the sound. More than aware actually. It’s rhythmic beating melded into her. At first, her keen hearing heard dual beats, her own and the pearl’s. She moved closer as if she were being pulled by some invisible silken cord to it. As she stood there, staring, those beats melded into a single one. Perfectly aligned. She swayed on her feet.

It was beautiful. Perfect. Night black with hinted hues of darkest blue that seemed to flow seamlessly throughout it, depending on how the light reflected. She had an overwhelming, compelling urge to put her hand on it…caress it. Her hand lifted by its own violation, fingertips stretching toward the pearly surface….

 

[fr33ks33k]

The pulsing of the pearl seemed to be mirroring Aislin's heart. His own chest was pounding with the unspoken intensity of the moment. His eyes widened as he saw her reaching for the pearl. Another thing he'd not quite been bold enough to do was touch the surface of it. Many times, he'd gotten to just the same position Aislin found herself in now. Part of him wanted to stop her, but the curiosity he felt brought silence to his apprehension. He took a step closer, eager to see just what would happen.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

As soon as her fingers touched the sphere, her consciousness got cloudy. Had she been “plucked” from reality as it stood or was it only her? She didn’t have time to dwell on it, images swirled in and out before her eyes. Some part of her was still aware of the heartbeat, hers? Theirs?. It was the background music, so to speak, for these ghostly images. Though it had subsided to a mere thrumming whisper of a sound.

Dark desires. Iron on soft yielding flesh. The enticing smell of leather filling her nostrils. Sight and hearing removed. Chained. Tied.

Each image departed in a wisp of smoke to only be replaced by another and another. Then…. an image of Fr33k himself, kissing her; of herself, enjoying it, the little charm on her waist chain, catching the glint of light and reflecting it back.

She yanked her hand away. Swaying where she stood, recapturing her breath. The room was slightly spinning and she put out a hand to steady herself, touching nothing but air. Her eyes were still melded to the orb. It was calling her back. She had the uneasy feeling it wanted to draw her inside it. Blinking her eyes to clear her vision or perhaps to regain it, she whispered.

“What’s the tag on his beauty, Fr33k?”

 

[ObscureInsanity]

She wandered until something else really caught her eye. It was a large leather bound book, a green leather. It had gold-leafed pages. She set her jewelry box and miniature sketchbook down gently and went to reach for it. It was about as thick as it was tall, nearly in the shape of a cube. She sat down beside her items and sat the heavy book in her lap, opening the first page.

She gasped at the words on the paper. It was an old druidic spellbook of sorts: wiccans often called it a 'book of shadows'. She grinned. She had always been interested in the occult, though, she was raised a christian... She flipped the page and read the table of contents... it was all here, the things she secretly studdied in her bedroom late at night when her parents were asleep. She blushed and looked around, making sure they weren't there, then giggled at the idea: they were never really interested in the same sort of things she was.. why would they be in an antique shop?

She dove through the pages, soaking in the information that she once read, information she came to found was all wrong all along. What an interesting find!

 

[fr33ks33k]

*When she'd touched the pearl, he felt an almost electric thrill run through the air. It was as though a chill breeze had blown across the back of his neck. His eyes dilated unwillingly, his hands clenched into fists, and he could not look away from Aislin and the pearl.

She seemed to be deep in thought, or deep in the throes of pleasure; her brow furrowed and her chest heaved. When she finally released the black orb, she seemed woozy, unsteady on her feet. He moved to support her should she fall, but she seemed to recover rather quickly*

I must admit that I have never actually touched this particular treasure. If it had a tag, though, I'm sure that it would be rather costly. What did you see when you touched it? You seemed...enthralled.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Excerpt from Beyond Mythos. Row 222, Fourth Shelf.

There are red dragons, blue, green, copper, silver, platinum....all sorts and breeds, half-breeds, et cetera ad nauseam. I find myself wondering if there are dragons that represent emotion. An emotive dragon: One made purely from the existence of things like sorrow, rage, lust....

What would such a thing look like? Would it still be a fearsome reptilian beast with regal wings and a tail? Would it have a maw full of razor-teeth? Or, in the case of a Lust Dragon, would it be more soft?

Lust is such a multi-faceted emotion. There are the softer sides, and also the harsh edges of it. I suppose that it would have a very malleable, mutable form.

My vision of it is: Either a vibrant purple, royal violet and deep eggplant scales; or a subdued red, nearly maroon or soft salmon pink. The horns of it would sweep back, straight as erections, possibly phallic in shape. Its snout would be narrow, nearly pointed. The type of mouth that would be easy to wedge between hips, to bury against bosoms. Its wings would be filmy, flimsy, more fairy-like than bat-like. The tail would be the defining feature, if any. Not a mere spade-tip, a more phallic representation, perhaps more tentacle-like. Prehensile in a way that speaks of caresses, grips, tugs, and wanton pulls.

At the other end of the spectrum, it could appear in a prominent blue or salacious green, with no scales at all. A smooth body that seems to yearn for soft, fluid motions. Coated in a slime like salamanders, or perhaps not. Lubrication for various purposes...

Horns in a jagged curve, the symbol of fingers curling into a lover, seeking the most sensitive of spots with merciless brutality. Wings more majestic than a simple leathery spread, possibly possessed of claws or hands, capable of grasping and holding fast its prey or its mate. The tail I would imagine in a similar manner, a thing made for restraining, for violent thrusting, for stabbing and probing, for the most primal of intrusions.

I am unsure if such a thing could even exist in this plane. If the others can eke out a path, it should follow that any such thing, with enough belief, could materialize and become as whole as those who have preceded it.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

While the pearl had a compelling, if not alluring draw, Fr33k’s voice brought her back. Her hand found his arm and squeezed it. With effort, she turned her eyes toward his face. Her own pupils were dilated. It took several moments before they returned to their original state. She took a few steps back.

That sound of a heart beat still thrummed through the air, still having its hold on her own. It was with partial reluctance that she answered him.

“It has a way of pulling your silent, unspoken desires to the fore. It’s as if it can read your soul and there is no escaping it. Any thought you would hide from others, it sees and you know it. There is no running, no hiding from it.”

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she spoke. It took an effort to speak with any normalcy.

“You know, on second thought, I don’t want to know what’s on this one’s tag. It should remain in this shop, Fr33k, under your care. If anyone misused it….” she paused, letting her unfinished sentence fall away.

“Can’t you feel it? Can’t you feel its pull on you? As if it would draw you inside it and learn everything of you, from corner to corner. Nothing left untouched.”

She took a stumbling step or two back, right into him.

‘I’m sorry, I should look where I’m going.” She offered a friendly smile and apologetic look.

 

[fr33ks33k]

At this distance, it's impossible to ignore. This thing is certainly of a dark origin. Dark and secret desires, you say? That would probably explain its obsidian pearlescence....yes, it should remain here. Though I am sure others may seek it out. It has a way of...calling...to one's soul. That was how I first happened upon it.

*As she backed into him, his hands instinctively went to her hips, helping to steady her. He smiled at her proximity, fingertips lingering for perhaps a moment longer than was necessary*

You're fine, Aislin. This room has an unsettling feel; it gets to even me if I stay long enough. Is there anything more you'd like to see? I know of a few other rooms with things akin to your request....

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Her eyes returned to the pearl, as if she couldn’t help it. Her body tingled with pleasure as she felt his touch, kike tiny licks of fire through her veins. She shook it off as fanciful or the influence of the pearl.

“Hm? Oh. Yes, please. I have a compelling need for something aquatic and perhaps, you'll share with me how you came into possessing that black beauty. I’m curious to know.”

 

[fr33ks33k]

A lot of these items were here when I obtained the place. This pearl was one of them. Now that I think of it, the old man told me that he'd just happened upon it one day, much like I did. Even he doesn't recall how it came to be in this place.

*He shook his head at the folly of it all, moving toward another aisle. They began another twisting, turning path with many sidesteps and what would seem like circular routes. Eventually they came to another room, this one full of the salty tang of sea air. There was no dominating item in this room, but there were several wooden chests, waterlogged but still holding their contents. Shells and nets and other sundry items littered the shelves*

Here we are. Another room of interesting items, most of them should be to your liking.

*He made a grand gesture, leaning against a shelf while she perused the contents of the room*

 

[DarkWarrioress]

As soon as they entered this new room, she drew in a deep steadying breath, letting it out again. Her eyes took in the shelves of objects, her fingers itching to pick up every item and examine it. Moving across the floor, she knelt in front of one chest, pausing with her hand on the lid and looking back at Fr33k.

“May I?”

 

[fr33ks33k]

Of course, Aislin. Nothing is barred here.

*He recognized the ornate design on the front of that particular chest, smiling as he recalled the presents within*

 

[DarkWarrioress]

With his acquiescence, she carefully opened the lid of the trunk, pushing the lid back as far as it would go. The old wood creaked. Was there anything in this place that didn’t? She thought with amusement. Gently, she reached inside not knowing what she would find, but from the smile on his face, Fr33k did. She wasn’t afraid it would be harmful. He would have warned her. Her hands poised above the contents of the chest.

“What’s inside it, Fr33k? What is making you smile?”

 

[fr33ks33k]

All manner of things, crafted from gold and various pearls. Not anything like that dark sphere back there....

*He jabbed a finger in the direction of the black pearl, his mouth a moue of distaste for a moment. His smile returned as he stepped forward to peer into the now-opened chest*

There are pens and combs and...other implements...

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She glanced in the direction of the pearl, shivered and returned to look inside the chest, her fingers brushing against all manner of things. Some she drew out and turned over, before she set it aside; others, she simply stroked and set them with the rest. But when her fingertips came across a emerald jeweled comb….

“Oh Fr33k,” her tone was breathless in awe and tipped her head back to gaze up at him, “this comb is a work of art. It looks like it is made with whalebone and inlaid with the emeralds.”

Her fingers gently caressed the side of the comb. She came to her feet in a lithe swift motion, being careful not to bump into him and held it to side of her head, against her hair.

“How does that look? Would it suit, you think?”

 

[fr33ks33k]

I think that it would suit you perfectly. Green seems to be a go-to color for those with hair like yours...

*He smiled, eyes going from the gilded comb to the auburn waves of her hair to the sky blue tag dangling from the handle of the comb to her eyes, irises full of joy and mirth*

I am glad to have provided you with another trinket to enjoy. There is the matter of it's price however...

*His smile became an impish grin as he pointed to the tag*

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She stared at him a minute, catching a look in his eyes and that grin. He knew something. She brought the comb down to eye level and saw a blue tag. She fingered it. Then looked at him again.

"Okay, what is this going to cost me?” She held it up, wiggling it a little in front of his eyes.

From the grin and look, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know but there was a matching grin on her lips and a good-natured twinkle in her eyes.

 

[fr33ks33k]

The comb will cost you a song. Simple enough, yes?

*His smile remained as he took the comb from her hands gingerly. He turned it over in his fingers, admiring the quality and workmanship. It really was a treasure, befitting its place amidst the chest's other gifts*