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 City of Stone

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High Monarch
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri May 30, 2014 3:39 am

It was raining in London, the clouds more familiar with the ancient stone city then the sun would ever be. Today started no different then any other, save for a strange anticipation that seemed to cling to the damp air itself. It's presence ever silent, but persistent.

Classes had let out for the holidays, and the weather was unusually warm for the season. No snow yet, just the swirling, temperamental fog that called the twisting streets home. The professor had run past the bell, and now the sun was well into setting. The trademark iron streetlamps were already lit, and their glow served as a beacon to guide the students as they disappeared alone and in pairs into the night. Each body intent on the spinning of their own universes.

City of Stone Rainy-Night-Paris_zpsa38c99f5

City of Stone Rd_zpsc1cc5d8c
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri May 30, 2014 4:06 am

As she walked through the mist, holding aloft an enormous bright red umbrella in one hand and a large brown package clutched to her chest with the other, she could barely keep herself from running the entire way home and instead settled for a lively skip while humming anything that came to mind. The familiar sidewalk seemed to stretch on forever, and the curiosity was like an unscratchable itch that had been started the moment her eyes opened this morning. It had taken forever to get her package from the crotchety old man at the post. But now it was hers, and only three blocks and a bit of string stood between her and the gift she had been so desperately waiting for.
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High Monarch
High Monarch



Posts : 289
Join date : 2012-03-28
Age : 40
Location : WI

City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri May 30, 2014 4:18 am

Having lived in the same town home since her arrival, her aunt's place in truth, the walk home was easy to follow, even with the low visibility. Aunt Heather was a reporter, and while she owned a home in London, she also owned one in almost every country around the world. Having despised hotels after a dreadful bed bug incident that she never quite got over.

The old Victorian townhouse was pressed between two taller buildings, it's front door and lower paired windows barred against intruders. Though the upper floors and dark green rooftop that held twin windows that opened from the attic bedroom the girl had claimed immediately upon initial inspection of the building.

Though admittedly her tour had been done via letter from Aunt Heather, who had yet to visit in the 8 months since the girl's arrival.

City of Stone Bb_zpsc1ca22ef

City of Stone Bloomberg_zps313dd027
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EternalEmber
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Posts : 11
Join date : 2013-01-04
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri May 30, 2014 4:41 am

Naomi was used to the ear-ringing silence that greeted her as she swept indoors as quickly as she could, like any normal Londoner who had walked home in this weather. She set her things on the credenza in the front hall and started shaking water from the umbrella on the porch while trying to take off her jacket. Chiding herself mentally for being so impatient, she froze in place and took a long deep breath until her lungs were full to bursting. With great control, she exhaled slowly through her nose and opened her eyes again feeling much calmer. Her strict Japanese father had taught her many important things that she didn't appreciate at the time. Six year-olds don't tend to take well to sitting perfectly still for three hours to "exercise one's mind". That rambunctious little girl had grown up into a quiet, unassuming young woman who was often mistaken for a high school student, and these days she relied on his little tricks more often than she liked to admit.

Finally out of her rain gear, she grabbed the brown-paper package and headed straight for the kitchen. It seemed improper somehow to open a present without a cuppa tea nearby. Placing her prize carefully on the breakfast table, she began again to hum to keep away the heavy silence as she put the pot on the stove and went through the same routine that every English person could do in their sleep. Her eyes kept snapping back to the package, as if she expected it to disappear if she didn't keep very close track of it. Must just be the excitement, she rationalized as she set out the tea ceremony for two, as she always did, just in case (and in hopes that) her aunt arrived.
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High Monarch
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Join date : 2012-03-28
Age : 40
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri May 30, 2014 4:53 am

Turned out Aunt Heather was a little eccentric, and while she spent little time in the city, no expense had been spared in the rather eclectic furnishings. The lavish townhouse is decorated with art by Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol, and boasts marble pillars and a sweeping central staircase. But the apartment is a place of welcoming elegance, with artfully planted window boxes, heavy tasseled drapery and the warm glow of a chandelier highlighting gilt details on the ceiling.

The entire third story, right below the attic, was dedicated to housing the study, and an impressive library that was fairly overflowing with literature.

The rest of the almost mismatched building was dedicated to the trinkets, and steam punk flair that Heather was so fond of. Highly detailed molding, and wrought iron railings in some places, and bare brick in others. Even though the building was not made of brick.

For now only the quiet of the house greeted her, though the tall structure too seemed excited to see what lay within the mysterious package on the table.

City of Stone Ki_zps946ad9cc

City of Stone 1_zps91f16cba

City of Stone Swi_zps2f4713b6

City of Stone Std2_zps78bc96d1

City of Stone Stu_zps56069245

City of Stone Trk_zpsc82e8d0f



City of Stone Br_zpsc33a2df9

City of Stone Lvr_zps9751a1a7

City of Stone Dng_zps62cb442d

City of Stone Lib_zpsbe025501

City of Stone Atc_zpsc88b3c4d
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri May 30, 2014 5:45 am

The little tune Naomi kept humming hit a minor chord when a cold shiver started at the base of her spine just she was spooning sugar into her teacup, making her shake enough to artfully toss a spoonful of sugar across the counter like glitter. She cursed under her breath and reached out of old habit for a dishtowel to clean up the mess. Naomi had always been a bit of a klutz, her mixed heritage unfortunately gave her some very awkward proportions throughout her childhood. Always dropping things, spilling, tripping, and bumping into people or walls; it wasn't an attention problem, and there wasn't anything physically wrong with her. She could never figure out the mystical combination to coordination, but many years of her father's intense martial art and defense training had finally paid off when she hit 20 and everything fell into place. An attractive, fit young woman whose child-like features belied the severity with which she could kick your ass.

The strange air of anticipation permeated the whole house, and Naomi eyed the walls suspiciously. Thank goodness her aunt wasn't fond of portraits and the art on the walls had no eyes to watch her with. The teakettle's shriek whistle pierced through her thoughts and she at last poured her cup of tea and sat in front of the plainly wrapped package with both hands wrapped tightly around her teacup for warmth. She sipped gingerly and stared wide-eyed at the shipping label, the creases and folds of the paper, the knot in the string...
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High Monarch
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Join date : 2012-03-28
Age : 40
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri May 30, 2014 5:56 am

The silence was broken by the light flutter of wings as Naomi's only companion soared through the kitchens archway. Landing lightly on one of the many, easy to miss, perches scattered about the house. Offering Shard a birds eye view of whatever room he chose to occupy. The large crow's wings were so black that in the right light the edges of his feathers bore a midnight blue sheen. His clever black eye twinkled curiously down at Naomi from his spot on the tall back of her chair. Pointy little black claws clutching the wood without scratching it.

The well intentioned, obsidian menace had been a gift from Aunt Heather. Who had been firmly against the idea of Naomi being alone in the house. Though one would think a large dog would offer more protection then the nosy, feathered companion she found herself with.

City of Stone Black_Crow_zpsae9bf16e
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri May 30, 2014 6:36 am

Stunned out of her wonderment by the giant bird's breezy entry, she smiled and set her cup down to turn halfway in her chair to stare intently at the bird in one of his glistening obsidian eyes. She raised one eyebrow and the raven cocked his head to that side. She started switching eyebrows, he mimicked her with his head twitches. When she finally cracked a smile her feathered friend spread his wings wide, showing his strangely iridescent black belly and to complete their little ritual Naomi 'tickled' his ribs as he cawed mocking laughter, making her giggle. She always felt better when Rue the raven was around, though she'd been creeped out by him initially. Birds had always been sort of creepy to her, their jerky movements and indiscernible expressions made them seem completely unreal. Her mild (and unspoken) phobia had never been an issue in her life, since she always lived in highly populated cities, and pigeons were easy enough to avoid.

But then her scholarship was approved, and she arrived at Aunt Helen's London flat with all her worldly possessions in two suitcases to an impersonal envelope taped to the door. A key and a note was her warm welcome, and when she discovered a huge black bird staring at her from his impressively wrought cage in the front parlor she almost had a heart attack. As much as she disliked it though, she couldn't -not- take care of this animal left in her care. Eight months in an opulently empty apartment is a long time to spend alone though, and eventually she changed her attitude from "feed, water, and clean the pet' to an open-minded relaxed demeanor of someone who needs a friend. One day she closed off the parlor and cautiously opened his cage and stepped back, allowing him free reign of the room, the giant crow hop/flew to the closest perch to her and, as she stood perfectly still in hard-wired panic, gently touched his beak to her cheek and made a cooing sound. Had a bird just kissed her cheek?

Since then, Rue had been her best friend; she talked more to the raven than anybody else she knew. So when he cooed inquisitively and looked over her shoulder at the package, Naomi rolled her eyes. "Nosy little bird, it's not addressed to you."
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High Monarch
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Join date : 2012-03-28
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri May 30, 2014 6:48 am

Rue hopped impatiently from foot to foot, as is to say. "Yeah, I know, but tell me!" Head wiggling to offer a satisfactory amount of theatrics to the comical maneuver. Hopping off the perch, he glided lightly to the tabletop, and hopped toward the package. Eying it with an appropriate amount of birdy suspicion.

He broke the silence by cawing loudly at it, and promptly jumping backward, so as to observe it from a safe distance. When it did not immediately launch a counter attack, Rue looked back to Naomi. Head bobbing again, as if he was offering his approval that it was in fact, not a threat.
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri May 30, 2014 7:43 am

Naomi chuckled at his antics, amused as ever by the inquisitive bird. They shared an intense curiosity about the world, always finding something new to investigate; they also both had a fondness for overdramatics, and she considered the raven to be better company than most humans.

"Watch your tail!" Rue's backwards hop hadn't accounted for teatime and his long-feathered tail knocked over Naomi's cup of earl grey, splashing most of the hot liquid harmlessly onto the floor. But upturning Aunt Helen's delicate gold-rimmed teacup rolled it to the edge of the table where it was rocking precariously, balanced only by the intricate decorative bit that pretended to be a handle. Naomi gave an involuntary gasp and held her breath, watching as the rocking stopped and the cup rolled off the edge.

Her reflexes acted quicker than her indecisive mind, and her old training lunged her forward and deftly snatched the cup out of midair. Exhaling with relief, she smiled down at the unbroken cup and set it gently in the sink, deciding that mugs would be just fine from now on. "You're a damned menace," she scolded with a smirk on her face.
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri May 30, 2014 7:52 am

He chirped approvingly at her when she caught the cup, her movement graceful enough that she hadn't even bumped the table she had been tucked into. When she looked back at him he ducked his head, tucking it under a wing to express his chagrin at his part in the near disaster. The grey stone floor was particularly unforgiving to delicate china.

To apologize for his clumsiness, when she set down her fresh cup, he hopped over and retrieved two cubes of sugar from the dish, and dropped them one by one into the cup without disturbing it this time.

Hopping back over to the package, he tentatively leaned over and plucked at the brown cord that held it closed. Huffing as he looked back to her, he could only put off his curiosity for so long.
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri May 30, 2014 8:06 am

"Aww, you sure know how to butter a girl up Rue," she said sweetly, running her hand over his impossibly silky head and back. "Alright, down to brass tacks," she said, pulling the package closer to her gently. Naomi's curiosity was piqued just as high as the raven's, so without any further ado she slipped her pocketknife out, flipped it open smoothly and cut the string. The thick brown packaging paper was just as easy to remove, especially with an eager winged helper.
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptySat May 31, 2014 12:43 am

Rue hopped excitedly back and forth as she finally opened the package. The cheerful crinkle of the brown paper, to an over active imagination, sounded like a roaring crowd of the faceless masses. Peeling back the wrapping revealed a glossy wooden box. The dark grey wood was sanded and polished to an impressive shine. The back bore two engraved hinges, and the front sported a matching latch. There was a spot for a small lock, but thankfully there was not one.

Rue pecked lightly at the hinges, and seemed satisfied with their structure. He cooked his head to the side and chirped curiously at her. Now the large raven was fully invested in the revealing of her newest treasure.
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri Jun 06, 2014 3:35 am

"Hmm," Naomi said, crossing her arms to concentrate (and heep her curious hands from opening it immediately) as she evaluated what was before her. She started murmuring under her breath as she observed every detail of the exquisite box before her. After a long enough silence that Rue could not resist tapping a claw in that "I'm obviously waiting" way, snapping Naomi out of her deep analytical daze.

Without reaching a conclusion about the nature, origin, or intentions of the box there was no option left but to just open it. She sat down and turned the wrappings so the box's latch was facing her.

"Here goes ol' chum," she said to Rue as she pushed past the kaleidoscope of butterflies in her stomach and in one swift motion flipped the latch free and opened the lid.
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri Jun 06, 2014 3:41 am

The black wood was so smooth it almost felt soft to her fingertips as she gingerly lifted the lid. Inside was a glittering clockwork marvel, the likes of which had only ever been discussed by the like of John Clute, and H. G. Wells. The engraved copper orb looked like it was made to sit on one of aunt Helen's shelves. It was not a large device, just big enough to sit comfortably in one's palm.

Rue huffed at it, and hop glided up to Naomi's shoulder, to peer speculatively down at it from an improved vantage point.

The hand beaten spherical brass was protected by a segmented layer of oak and then encased in a cage of dressed copper and brass. A small portal in the front, covered by a four pointed star, looked like it could be opened.


City of Stone Compass_zpsa51b4340
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City of Stone Empty
PostSubject: Re: City of Stone   City of Stone EmptyFri Jun 06, 2014 3:58 am

Breathtaken, Naomi almost jumped when the huge bird landed on her shoulder, instead let out the breath she had been holding since her eyes met the impossible marvel before her. It must be a trinket or replica, she supposed, because this is the sort of object one only reads about if they have good taste in literature. She carefully touched the clasp, hesitant for a reason she couldn't fathom, but was prompted again by the raven's insatiable curiosity to get on with it, so she unlatched the intricate little clasp and gently eased it open.
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