Private Tales Creatures Of The Night

[Varys]

He rolls his eyes at her reply. "Don't threaten me with a good time, Iris. C'mon, get up and take a look at this." If she wasn't careful, she'd break his will yet. He walked with her to the cave mouth, crossing his arms over his pale chest as he bit the inside of his lip. He listened to the drum of the blacksmith as he replied to her.

"What was a lot to ask? Keeping you company? Please, that's no big deal." He didn't think much of helping someone who obviously needed it. It was his nature.

He mulls over her plans in his head, tilting side to side in thought. If he wasn't mistaken, he had an idea of what was coming.

"No, we stay here until nightfall. That's when they'll come, and I've got a plan to deal with them when they show up."

He looks over at her.

"Unless you have some ulterior motive?" He grins.

Iris

 

[Iris]

He mulls over her plans in his head, tilting side to side in thought. If he wasn't mistaken, he had an idea of what was coming.

"No, we stay here until nightfall. That's when they'll come, and I've got a plan to deal with them when they show up."

He looks over at her.

"Unless you have some ulterior motive?" He grins.

"Okay what is this plan of yours?" She inquired, right before he asked after her ulterior motive. "And what if I do? Is it a problem if I don't mind being tied up by attractive men?"

She knew that she was asking for another verbal loss but, quite frankly, she didn't much care. After all, her loosing their last duel of wit she got to cuddle with him, if she was to be rewarded for loosing, then she'd be happy to loose.

 

[Varys]

He scoffs lightly, rolling his eyes at her remark. She didn't give up easily, did she? She was like Hob, if he was woman and not hideous looking. "Then you'll be happy to know that's still very much a part of the plan, Iris. Don't get too excited now." He snickers and turns back to the inside of the cave, his slim form bending over to retrieve his shirt from the ground. It was damp from the cave ground, so he'd have to deal with wearing his jacket over his chest for a while.

He tsks and retrieves a bit of food from the pouch at his side. It wasn't much; just a few chocolate candies and a small bit of bread, but it would do for now. He breaks the bread in two, offering one half and a candy to her. "Eat up. We've got time to kill."

Iris

 

[Iris]

"Then you'll be happy to know that's still very much a part of the plan, Iris. Don't get too excited now." He snickers and turns back to the inside of the cave, his slim form bending over to retrieve his shirt from the ground.

She giggled. "Too late for that Varys."

She kept watching from the cave, despite her teasing him, and him teasing her back, she was focused on the problem at hand. If she had to guess what they were making, she'd assume it to be some form of chains or a cage, maybe both.

She had no doubt that she was in for quite the adventure here. If she were caught, she'd be in a world of hurt. She had no idea what would happen if she wasn't.

He breaks the bread in two, offering one half and a candy to her. "Eat up. We've got time to kill."

She gratefully accepted and ate. "Thanks, it seems I owe you another look at my wings."

 

[Varys]

He smirks up at her as she eats, taking relatively small bites as he ponders some of the same things she had running through her own mind. No matter what it was that they were preparing, it would take some witty thinking to get both of them out. Even if Varys convinced them that he'd detained Iris, they'd want to take her. He had to sneak her out, and he had... well, a few ideas.

"Relax." He'd noted the brief worried expression on her face. "You'll be okay. I promise." When Varys set his mind to helping somebody, he didn't put anything less than his all into it. Besides, he couldn't claim that he wasn't a little bit fond of her.

"And your wings? I feel like I'm beyond the point of needing you to owe me to look at those. Besides, you surely wouldn't want to spend our whole day with me staring at your wings, would you?"

Iris

 

[Iris]

"Relax." He'd noted the brief worried expression on her face. "You'll be okay. I promise."

She gave him a grateful smile. It had been a long time since she felt like she could actually trust someone. And normally it would take someone months. But this guy had gotten her to trust him overnight. Perhaps it was his apparently genuine concern for her. "Thanks."

And your wings? I feel like I'm beyond the point of needing you to owe me to look at those. Besides, you surely wouldn't want to spend our whole day with me staring at your wings, would you?"

She shrugged, "fair enough. So what exactly is this plan of yours? I hope it's good."

 

[Varys]

He gave another little smirk, laying back against the cave wall where they'd slept the night before. There was still plenty of time before they arrived, he figured. What better way to pass it by than teasing his new friend? "You suppose? This coming from Miss 'Wants to Get Naked'. Not that I mind the notion. Now, if you must know..."

He clears his throat, knowing what he was about to say didn't instill confidence in him. "I'm still thinking. I have the outline of a plan, and come nightfall I'll be tying you up as you've suggested. Assuming you haven't already gotten me to do that." He adds with a snicker.

"Shortly before nightfall though, I'm going to signal my colleagues. That should tip them off to the idea that I'm up to something. With a little luck, they'll provide a distraction."

Iris

 

[Iris]

He gave another little smirk, laying back against the cave wall where they'd slept the night before. There was still plenty of time before they arrived, he figured. What better way to pass it by than teasing his new friend? "You suppose? This coming from Miss 'Wants to Get Naked'. Not that I mind the notion.

Her grin widened. "Oh? You want me to do it now do you? Just like you don't mind the notion, neither do I. So tell me, do you want me to get naked?"

He clears his throat, knowing what he was about to say didn't instill confidence in him. "I'm still thinking. I have the outline of a plan, and come nightfall I'll be tying you up as you've suggested. Assuming you haven't already gotten me to do that." He adds with a snicker.

"Shortly before nightfall though, I'm going to signal my colleagues. That should tip them off to the idea that I'm up to something. With a little luck, they'll provide a distraction."

She thought for a moment. "It seems like there are too many variables. We don't know how many of them are gathering, how many will come, what they will have with them or even if your comrades will be able to get your signal in the first place. And even if they did, how do we know that what they do to help won't just make it worse?"

 

[Varys]

He clicks his tongue softly. It was true that there were variables, but they weren't as extreme as Iris worried they would be. "I can guarantee they get the signal. They're smart about situations like these, and unless those villagers are bringing salt with them, they can't stop the ace in the hole." A rowdy pooka could take on however many angry miners they could possibly throw at it.

Raising an eyebrow at Iris, he smirks. "I certainly don't remember ever implying I wouldn't enjoy such a thing. Of course, doing that could also assist in the distraction part of our little plan. Just a thought."

Iris

 

[Iris]

"I can guarantee they get the signal. They're smart about situations like these, and unless those villagers are bringing salt with them, they can't stop the ace in the hole." A rowdy pooka could take on however many angry miners they could possibly throw at it.

She cocked her head to the side. "Salt? What does salt have anything to do with it?"

Raising an eyebrow at Iris, he smirks. "I certainly don't remember ever implying I wouldn't enjoy such a thing. Of course, doing that could also assist in the distraction part of our little plan. Just a thought."

She sighed, once again, she'd been disarmed. "Well I'll leave that decision to you. So do you want my goods flashing about or no?"

 

[Varys]

He eyes her one more time, crossing one of his legs over the other ones. It almost seemed that his resistance to her teasing was beginning to disappoint her. Here he was, trying to be the decent one. Shows what that usually got him.

"Oh for Hells sake, just do it already and get over here."

It was going to happen either way, and she obviously wanted to be out of the outfit. He wasn't going to deny her that, or the fact that he'd have interesting company for a few hours. Looking away politely, he continues. "One of my associates is a Pooka. Think of a white rabbit, only giant, with six arms, and as strong as two Oxen joined at the hip. Salt drives him away."

Iris

 

[Iris]

"Oh for Hells sake, just do it already and get over here."

She gave a victorious laugh. "Have I won this round? Well, as you command."

"One of my associates is a Pooka. Think of a white rabbit, only giant, with six arms, and as strong as two Oxen joined at the hip. Salt drives him away."

She thought for a moment. "That certainly increases our chances. Sounds impressive looking. I look forward to meeting your associates."

 

[Varys]

He clears his throat as she declares 'victory' over him. Had the temperature in the cave rised a bit? Must have been his imagination. Nevertheless, he nods to her with a confident smile.

"My act with you should give them enough time to help us, which in turn will allow the two of us to get somewhere more secure"

Iris

 

[Iris]

He clears his throat as she declares 'victory' over him. Had the temperature in the cave rised a bit? Must have been his imagination. Nevertheless, he nods to her with a confident smile.

"My act with you should give them enough time to help us, which in turn will allow the two of us to get somewhere more secure"

Iris

"Got it. So what do we do till then?" She asked. "Continue our verbal fencing? Exchange magic techniques? What?"

 

[Varys]

He was about to ask her the same question. They had a good few hours before it was time to strike. Certainly there wasn't much in the way of amenities and luxuries in the cave. Still, he couldn't just sit here and do nothing. That would just make his nerves run wild with worry about what was to come. No, he needed distraction...

Looking over at Iris with a smirk, he quips back. "Verbal Fencing? Is that what you call the flirting about we've been doing for the last two days? Here I thought you were growing fond of me." He teased. Iris was a fearsome being to be sure, but her enjoyment for trying to embarrass him with her flirtation was adorable.

"As for magic, I know very little. I'm still learning, though I have an advantage in that I was born from magic, rather than a Mother and Father. It's a long story." He waved his hand as if to dismiss the point. Growing a bit more serious, he cleared his throat and tilted his head towards her, his eyes all too curious.

"Tell me, Iris. What is it that you currently desire? Either now or in general? Everybody has something they crave, right?"

Iris

 

[Iris]

Looking over at Iris with a smirk, he quips back. "Verbal Fencing? Is that what you call the flirting about we've been doing for the last two days? Here I thought you were growing fond of me." He teased. Iris was a fearsome being to be sure, but her enjoyment for trying to embarrass him with her flirtation was adorable.

"Maybe, maybe not. It's for me to know and you to wonder about." She said with a giggle.

"As for magic, I know very little. I'm still learning, though I have an advantage in that I was born from magic, rather than a Mother and Father. It's a long story." He waved his hand as if to dismiss the point. Growing a bit more serious, he cleared his throat and tilted his head towards her, his eyes all too curious.

"Tell me, Iris. What is it that you currently desire? Either now or in general? Everybody has something they crave, right?"

His mention of knowing little magic wasn't expected, he didn't look like a fighter, so she assumed that he was a mage. No matter.

His next question is what really set her to thinking. What did she want? Freedom? She had that. Acceptance? Not realistic. Vengeance? Already taken. What did she really want?

"I don't know. Does that make sense, to desperately want something but not know what it is you want?"

 

[Varys]

He offered a small laugh at her retort. She wasn't going to give him an inch, was she? That was fine, but he did find himself wishing he knew what she was really thinking. "Have I disappointed you? Maybe I haven't been as forward as you prefer?" It was an odd question, but one that he was at least partially serious about. Varys was harder on himself than he was on anybody else.

He bites the inside of his cheek when she asks her question, and nods along to it. That was a craving that he'd known for too long. "It's why I left home, Iris. I couldn't accept just being a street thief for my whole life. I knew that there had to be more, and I wanted it. I don't even know what 'it' is. Every time I think I've gotten closer, something happens that drags me back to reality." He hadn't meant to grow somber, but the topic obviously frustrated him a bit. "And what if... when I finally find what's missing, I'm still not satisfied?"

He coughs, shaking his head as though clearing his mind.

"I'm sorry. I don't want the last few hours in here to be spent sulking. Especially not to you, who has it worse than I do. What I'm trying to get across is... I understand you, Iris."

Iris

 

[Iris]

He offered a small laugh at her retort. She wasn't going to give him an inch, was she? That was fine, but he did find himself wishing he knew what she was really thinking. "Have I disappointed you? Maybe I haven't been as forward as you prefer?" It was an odd question, but one that he was at least partially serious about. Varys was harder on himself than he was on anybody else.

She grinned up at him, "see my previous statement."

He bites the inside of his cheek when she asks her question, and nods along to it. That was a craving that he'd known for too long. "It's why I left home, Iris. I couldn't accept just being a street thief for my whole life. I knew that there had to be more, and I wanted it. I don't even know what 'it' is. Every time I think I've gotten closer, something happens that drags me back to reality." He hadn't meant to grow somber, but the topic obviously frustrated him a bit. "And what if... when I finally find what's missing, I'm still not satisfied?"

He coughs, shaking his head as though clearing his mind.

"I'm sorry. I don't want the last few hours in here to be spent sulking. Especially not to you, who has it worse than I do. What I'm trying to get across is... I understand you, Iris."

She listened closely, a little saddened by his life story. Then he... Apologized? She sat up to look directly at him, "Don't apologize, you have nothing to be sorry for. I... Thank you, for sharing that with me. And I understand what you went through. I'm glad that you've found a new way to live."

She laid back against his shoulder as she had been a few moments before. "I don't have it that much worse. I have everything I need, and the means to acquire it if it's in short supply. So you can talk to me about it all you want."

 

[Varys]

He found himself playfully scoffing a bit, one of his arms looping around her waist and pulling her closer as she settled against him again. "Keep a man in suspense why don't you? Here I am baring my soul..." He rolled his head to look down at her.

"I mean, you can't exactly walk into an inn and find a good bed. Plus, when I found you you were damned near starving. There's obviously some difficulties you have that I don't need to worry about as much."

He leans back against the wall, content to relax in the added heat her presence provided. How his associates would tease him if they learned of this...

"Same goes to you. So don't be so secretive." He winked with a snicker.

Iris

 

[Iris]

He found himself playfully scoffing a bit, one of his arms looping around her waist and pulling her closer as she settled against him again. "Keep a man in suspense why don't you? Here I am baring my soul..." He rolled his head to look down at her.

"I mean, you can't exactly walk into an inn and find a good bed. Plus, when I found you you were damned near starving. There's obviously some difficulties you have that I don't need to worry about as much."

She shrugged. "Not starving, just hungry. You know most humans can survive three or four weeks straight without food right? But your pity was certainly appreciated."

"Same goes to you. So don't be so secretive." He winked with a snicker.

"Do you really want to hear my life story?"

 

[Varys]

He gestured to the daylight outside, and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, we were wondering how to kill our time, and unless you have a better idea, why not sate my curiosity?" He'd told her all but his most closely kept secrets, and she was an interesting person. She'd made comments earlier that had spoken to quite the interesting story.

"If you don't want to share, I understand. I'm certainly not going to be offended."

Iris

 

[Iris]

He gestured to the daylight outside, and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, we were wondering how to kill our time, and unless you have a better idea, why not sate my curiosity?" He'd told her all but his most closely kept secrets, and she was an interesting person. She'd made comments earlier that had spoken to quite the interesting story.

"If you don't want to share, I understand. I'm certainly not going to be offended."

Iris

She shook her head, "no, you shared yours, it's only fair that I share mine. I was born in a village, one that most people would consider barbaric or primitive. I was a leatherworkers daughter, and I was learning the craft. I was sixteen when the Legions came, they killed some of us, the rest were taken back to the city of Nurum as slaves. I spent the next five years there, working in a high end Inn and being rented out to patrons who wanted entertainment for the night."

"Eventually I met Rathu Belzad, he was a disciple of Cinder, our demon lord. He brought me to Lord Cinder, and I made a pact, I'd be a disciple, I'd study the Infernal Books and eventually join him in his realm, either upon death or by descention, and in return I would enact his will on earth, and sow terror and agony amongst it's inhabitants. I got vengeance that night too, I sacrificed my former mistress to him, and from her flesh, bones and skin he made me my infernal book."

She stood up and approached where she had tossed her cloak, and from a leather bag she produced a book. Pages of stretched human skin and a frame of bones, the books spine was in fact a section of actual human spine.

"This is her. My former mistress. What she went into making."

She had an expression, one showing an odd mix of emotions, fear, regret, worry, and a number of other emotions.

 

[Varys]

To be quite fair, he hadn't shared nearly all of his. There was still much about himself that he was ashamed of, even though whether or not he was right to be ashamed of it was most definitely up for debate. Still, he was more than happy to listen to her story. What a story it was, too.

He felt a little guilty, complaining about his own life when she'd spent five years as a slave, rented out for 'entertainment'. He knew damn well what that entailed. He wondered if maybe she'd enjoy the story of the time he'd dumped a rather large amount of slavers into a river.

From there though, her story veered into territory he was quite unfamiliar with. He listened with interest, the topic of Demons and vengeance was foreboding and morbid, but he also couldn't deny how interesting it was to him. He watches her with a wandering eye as she retrieves the book, and whistles at the gruesome sight.

"That's... that's something. You've been through the ringer, haven't you? To come out in as good of shape as you're in... I commend you on it, Iris."

Iris

 

[Iris]

"That's... that's something. You've been through the ringer, haven't you? To come out in as good of shape as you're in... I commend you on it, Iris."

She let out a relieved sigh. “I’m glad that you aren’t so judgmental as most others who know this much. Thanks.”

She put the book back in it’s place, and sat back down. She definitely would enjoy hearing about slavers being dumped in a river, though she wasn’t enslaved by slavers, she was taken as a slave by a legion and soldiers, not slavers. But she’d definitely love that story regardless.

“Thanks for listening.”

 

[Varys]

He shakes his head. His attention was nothing to thank him for, but she might have something to thank him more properly in regards to very soon. From the mouth of the cave, he could see the sun finally beginning to set beneath the crags on the other side of Osteriam. They would be preparing to venture up to this cave soon now.

Standing up, he dusts off his hands and begins gathering up the length of rope from his bag. The plan was straightforward, but it was still risky; one false move and one or both of them might be in very deep trouble. He looks over to Iris.

"It's about time to get underway. Are you ready? Decide what you're keeping on or taking off, and I'll tie you." The only reason she'd need to remove anything would be as an additional distraction. Eye candy was a valuable weapon, as they'd discussed earlier.

Iris