05-11-2015, 08:49 PM
What she expected was more wood and a few sparse, uncomfortable pieces of furniture. What she got however, was indeed a lot of wood, but it was richly stained, polished and worked with intricate detail. The walls were floor-to-ceiling cherry oak stained so dark it was almost black. From the windows, thick, heavy curtains hung, simply patterned in chocolate brown with fat taupe stripes, trimmed with white lace. The carpeting was a similar theme, with the brown and taupe colors placed in carefully planned rows.
The room itself was huge, quite possibly encompassing the entire downstairs of the inn, minus a little room for the reception area. It was more of a flat than anything, complete with a small kitchen and sectioned off areas for a washroom and two other rooms. The living room, kitchen and dining area were all one large section, with shelves and oil lanterns placed so that the light was gentle, yet bright enough to read in. In the left corner of the kitchen, just beside the pantry, was another door, left slightly ajar so that the cool outside breeze could flow through. The door connecting his room to the reception area closed on its own accord, and they were suddenly alone. For the first time since she arrived in this…whatever it is, she didn’t feel as if she had to put up her shields. Charles had such a calming effect to his presence that it was feeding into her, soothing her. Whether it was his own natural charm or part of his power, she couldn’t decide, but she didn’t think he was malevolent.
Charles wheeled himself up to a moderately sized table, one she happily noted was filled with a delicious spread of food. She could see shrimp bathing in butter and scallions, sitting comfortably in a nest of thick noodles with mushrooms. Some dinner rolls piled into a basket between the two plates split the dining arrangement, and two glasses and several canteens of liquids filled up the rest of the table.
He didn’t need to say anything further as she slid her way into one of the padded chairs. “I knew I was hungry before, but now I’m starving!” she picked up a fork and prodded a shrimp. Buttery goodness slid from the punctures she made with her utensil as she nudged some mushrooms and other bits onto it and hastily shoved it into her mouth. She was a few bites in before Charles poured them both some dark liquid she suspected to be some sort of alcohol. His amusement was plainly etched in his features as he took his glass and took a languid sip.
“I felt you arrive,” he began, placing the glass on the tabletop. “I don’t sense energy the way you do, but in my own way, I could feel you and read you all the same.”
Violet hesitated with the next bite, suddenly aware of what he was saying, but wanted him to clarify in his own words. “What do you mean?”
“I’m a very strong telepath. If I focus enough, I can feel everything in this verse if I wanted to.” Charles began selecting bites from his plate, and shoved one glistening morsel into his mouth. “I try to remain alert for anything that could be a threat to the safety of Camelot and its people, as well as others we have sworn to protect through alliances. A lot of new primes have appeared, but you are one of the few that have caught the attention of both Aragorn and myself.”
Violet picked at a roll, dunking it in the light sauce that pooled on her plate. The entire setting was a little romantic, but she wasn’t about to bitch about it when there was free food involved. “Why me? What’s so special about me?”
Charles paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing for the briefest of moments before finally relaxing. “You’ve forgotten who you are.”
Shrugging, Violet chewed the warm bread. “Not really forgotten, I have feelings about what was before, but it’s like…it’s like trying to watch television with a huge truck in front of it. I know something’s there, but I just can’t remember what.”
“That’s an interesting way to describe it,” he said, swirling some pasta onto his fork. “The mind is a very complex thing, something I have a bit of experience in. Knowledge can be gained and it can be lost rather quickly, or over time, even when our bodies have developed a muscle memory with familiar actions, our minds can completely wipe it away as if it were never there. Luckily for you, your memories are still there, but they are indeed obfuscated.”
“I guess that’s good to know.”
“It is.” Charles drank his beverage quietly, and set the nearly empty vessel down before continuing. “I want to help you recover your talents, but it is going to take time and patience on both our parts in order to do so. I believe you have the ability to blend in well with your surroundings, as well as collect valuable information that could assist us greatly in overcoming Coruscant’s incessant attacks on Camelot and her people.”
She leaned back from the remains of her supper and folded her hands across her chest. “As I’ve expressed to Wyatt, I am not a fan of being someone’s tool, Charles.”
“I know,” he patted his lips with a napkin and placed it gingerly on the side of his plate. He was a very neat man, she observed, taking in his lithe form. She hadn’t encountered many people that were in his…situation, but he held himself with an air of pride, as if his disability were nothing but a mere pebble in his path. He was still intelligent, still fully capable of performing whatever duties were asked of him. It was admirable. “I feel the same, honestly, but in order to secure my safety and the safety of those who are charged with ensuring that safety and that of those less fortunate than ourselves, I have to overlook that personal philosophy and think of those who cannot help themselves from beings far more powerful than them.”
Shrugging, she suddenly felt uncomfortable. Suddenly finding herself in a position where she may have been unjustified in her arrogance was not something she was used to. “I guess when you put it that way…maybe I have been a bit of a dick.”
“We all have that potential when confronted with something that goes against our beliefs.” Charles watched her with those icy blue eyes, the warmth that they held should have melted those icebergs floating on his face, but they only seemed to refract a light that could not have come from anywhere in the room but from within himself. She was drawn to that power, and listened intently to his words.
“We react to our environment in many ways, and there is no doubt that some of those reactions come from how we were conditioned to. The people who attack us have been conditioned to hate us because it is the only way for them to survive. Coruscant can be a very confusing place, and unrelenting to anyone who opposes the regime. Refugees of all kinds take up residence there, and have to adapt to situations that some may find difficult to acclimate to. Even if they oppose the regime, they are still required to abide by certain social precepts, which include harboring hatred towards Camelot and its people.”
“That doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense,” Violet adjusted her position in the chair, shifting her legs from one side to the other. “If there are enough people who oppose a regime, shouldn’t they be able to fight back?”
“There are different social classes on Coruscant, and within those social classes, different kinds of powerful weaponry and methods are put in place to keep the lower classes in check.” His gaze darkened as he seemed to recall something, and suddenly, it was in her mind. Flashing neon lights and the very edge of modern technology juxtaposed over miles of ruins and forgotten relics of times and civilizations past. Death was meted out to the lower class citizens who even hinted at an uprising. Bodies of men, women and children intermixed with the wreckage pushed to the wayside and forgotten. A group of rebels huddled in darkness, young families with fear etched on their faces as troops from the upper tiers marched by, searching for those who dare oppose them. She was reliving a memory that did not belong to her, and she despaired. There were innocents there that he had helped, and since he was outcast from that life, it left them vulnerable.
The room was quiet around them, save for the flapping of loose papers pinned to a board by the door. Should she say something, or was the expression she reflected back to him enough to show how she felt? He could probably even read her mind, so he would already know her reaction to such an atrocity. “I do not condone the abuse of those weaker than I. This is why you wanted me, because you knew I would not tolerate such an injustice. You knew I would throw my hat into this and try to make it stop, and have absolutely no qualms about killing anyone who got in the way.”
Charles nodded. “I do not like killing unless it is absolutely necessary, but given my position and the fact that I am recognizable throughout Coruscant, I cannot go and give them the help they need.”
“But I can,” her voice was resolute, and she could feel the fire burning beneath her skin.
“Yes.”
“What about the people here, if there was a way to stop the infighting, perhaps there is a way to lead a strong army into Coruscant and dismantle these assholes.”
Charles pushed away from the table and wheeled around the room towards the kitchen’s open back door. “We’ve been trying for years to get them to get along.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“But they continue to fight,” he said wistfully. “As I’ve said, we are all conditioned to react a certain way when confronted by ideas that conflict with what we believe. In both situations, the people have lived in a way that is rather unforgiving to new ideas. One faction may be for a peaceful resolution, while the others will fight against it with everything within them, even if it means their death.”
“I know that particular feeling,” she got to her feet and approached the disabled man. “How can I help them? I don’t remember anything, and if I had power, it’s lost now.”
Charles smirked over his shoulder at her. “Oh, I think I can help with that.”
The room itself was huge, quite possibly encompassing the entire downstairs of the inn, minus a little room for the reception area. It was more of a flat than anything, complete with a small kitchen and sectioned off areas for a washroom and two other rooms. The living room, kitchen and dining area were all one large section, with shelves and oil lanterns placed so that the light was gentle, yet bright enough to read in. In the left corner of the kitchen, just beside the pantry, was another door, left slightly ajar so that the cool outside breeze could flow through. The door connecting his room to the reception area closed on its own accord, and they were suddenly alone. For the first time since she arrived in this…whatever it is, she didn’t feel as if she had to put up her shields. Charles had such a calming effect to his presence that it was feeding into her, soothing her. Whether it was his own natural charm or part of his power, she couldn’t decide, but she didn’t think he was malevolent.
Charles wheeled himself up to a moderately sized table, one she happily noted was filled with a delicious spread of food. She could see shrimp bathing in butter and scallions, sitting comfortably in a nest of thick noodles with mushrooms. Some dinner rolls piled into a basket between the two plates split the dining arrangement, and two glasses and several canteens of liquids filled up the rest of the table.
He didn’t need to say anything further as she slid her way into one of the padded chairs. “I knew I was hungry before, but now I’m starving!” she picked up a fork and prodded a shrimp. Buttery goodness slid from the punctures she made with her utensil as she nudged some mushrooms and other bits onto it and hastily shoved it into her mouth. She was a few bites in before Charles poured them both some dark liquid she suspected to be some sort of alcohol. His amusement was plainly etched in his features as he took his glass and took a languid sip.
“I felt you arrive,” he began, placing the glass on the tabletop. “I don’t sense energy the way you do, but in my own way, I could feel you and read you all the same.”
Violet hesitated with the next bite, suddenly aware of what he was saying, but wanted him to clarify in his own words. “What do you mean?”
“I’m a very strong telepath. If I focus enough, I can feel everything in this verse if I wanted to.” Charles began selecting bites from his plate, and shoved one glistening morsel into his mouth. “I try to remain alert for anything that could be a threat to the safety of Camelot and its people, as well as others we have sworn to protect through alliances. A lot of new primes have appeared, but you are one of the few that have caught the attention of both Aragorn and myself.”
Violet picked at a roll, dunking it in the light sauce that pooled on her plate. The entire setting was a little romantic, but she wasn’t about to bitch about it when there was free food involved. “Why me? What’s so special about me?”
Charles paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing for the briefest of moments before finally relaxing. “You’ve forgotten who you are.”
Shrugging, Violet chewed the warm bread. “Not really forgotten, I have feelings about what was before, but it’s like…it’s like trying to watch television with a huge truck in front of it. I know something’s there, but I just can’t remember what.”
“That’s an interesting way to describe it,” he said, swirling some pasta onto his fork. “The mind is a very complex thing, something I have a bit of experience in. Knowledge can be gained and it can be lost rather quickly, or over time, even when our bodies have developed a muscle memory with familiar actions, our minds can completely wipe it away as if it were never there. Luckily for you, your memories are still there, but they are indeed obfuscated.”
“I guess that’s good to know.”
“It is.” Charles drank his beverage quietly, and set the nearly empty vessel down before continuing. “I want to help you recover your talents, but it is going to take time and patience on both our parts in order to do so. I believe you have the ability to blend in well with your surroundings, as well as collect valuable information that could assist us greatly in overcoming Coruscant’s incessant attacks on Camelot and her people.”
She leaned back from the remains of her supper and folded her hands across her chest. “As I’ve expressed to Wyatt, I am not a fan of being someone’s tool, Charles.”
“I know,” he patted his lips with a napkin and placed it gingerly on the side of his plate. He was a very neat man, she observed, taking in his lithe form. She hadn’t encountered many people that were in his…situation, but he held himself with an air of pride, as if his disability were nothing but a mere pebble in his path. He was still intelligent, still fully capable of performing whatever duties were asked of him. It was admirable. “I feel the same, honestly, but in order to secure my safety and the safety of those who are charged with ensuring that safety and that of those less fortunate than ourselves, I have to overlook that personal philosophy and think of those who cannot help themselves from beings far more powerful than them.”
Shrugging, she suddenly felt uncomfortable. Suddenly finding herself in a position where she may have been unjustified in her arrogance was not something she was used to. “I guess when you put it that way…maybe I have been a bit of a dick.”
“We all have that potential when confronted with something that goes against our beliefs.” Charles watched her with those icy blue eyes, the warmth that they held should have melted those icebergs floating on his face, but they only seemed to refract a light that could not have come from anywhere in the room but from within himself. She was drawn to that power, and listened intently to his words.
“We react to our environment in many ways, and there is no doubt that some of those reactions come from how we were conditioned to. The people who attack us have been conditioned to hate us because it is the only way for them to survive. Coruscant can be a very confusing place, and unrelenting to anyone who opposes the regime. Refugees of all kinds take up residence there, and have to adapt to situations that some may find difficult to acclimate to. Even if they oppose the regime, they are still required to abide by certain social precepts, which include harboring hatred towards Camelot and its people.”
“That doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense,” Violet adjusted her position in the chair, shifting her legs from one side to the other. “If there are enough people who oppose a regime, shouldn’t they be able to fight back?”
“There are different social classes on Coruscant, and within those social classes, different kinds of powerful weaponry and methods are put in place to keep the lower classes in check.” His gaze darkened as he seemed to recall something, and suddenly, it was in her mind. Flashing neon lights and the very edge of modern technology juxtaposed over miles of ruins and forgotten relics of times and civilizations past. Death was meted out to the lower class citizens who even hinted at an uprising. Bodies of men, women and children intermixed with the wreckage pushed to the wayside and forgotten. A group of rebels huddled in darkness, young families with fear etched on their faces as troops from the upper tiers marched by, searching for those who dare oppose them. She was reliving a memory that did not belong to her, and she despaired. There were innocents there that he had helped, and since he was outcast from that life, it left them vulnerable.
The room was quiet around them, save for the flapping of loose papers pinned to a board by the door. Should she say something, or was the expression she reflected back to him enough to show how she felt? He could probably even read her mind, so he would already know her reaction to such an atrocity. “I do not condone the abuse of those weaker than I. This is why you wanted me, because you knew I would not tolerate such an injustice. You knew I would throw my hat into this and try to make it stop, and have absolutely no qualms about killing anyone who got in the way.”
Charles nodded. “I do not like killing unless it is absolutely necessary, but given my position and the fact that I am recognizable throughout Coruscant, I cannot go and give them the help they need.”
“But I can,” her voice was resolute, and she could feel the fire burning beneath her skin.
“Yes.”
“What about the people here, if there was a way to stop the infighting, perhaps there is a way to lead a strong army into Coruscant and dismantle these assholes.”
Charles pushed away from the table and wheeled around the room towards the kitchen’s open back door. “We’ve been trying for years to get them to get along.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“But they continue to fight,” he said wistfully. “As I’ve said, we are all conditioned to react a certain way when confronted by ideas that conflict with what we believe. In both situations, the people have lived in a way that is rather unforgiving to new ideas. One faction may be for a peaceful resolution, while the others will fight against it with everything within them, even if it means their death.”
“I know that particular feeling,” she got to her feet and approached the disabled man. “How can I help them? I don’t remember anything, and if I had power, it’s lost now.”
Charles smirked over his shoulder at her. “Oh, I think I can help with that.”
![[Image: visig2018.png]](http://epiqz.com/mysigs/visig2018.png)