The First Age

((OOC: My students have a concert today, so I might not get a reply in today, but I will definitely post tomorrow for sure. I just didn't want you to think that I had disappeared ))

Elyse smiled at the fisherman. He removed his coat, showing tattooed arms. The tattoos didn't bother Elyse. She actually found them quite intriguing.

Elyse was about to answer when a familiar voice interrupted.

"Elyse! I see you're not in jail for murder or arson, so you must be well! What did you tell the police when they showed up?"


Elyse turned to face the newcomer. She of course remembered Jaxen. This time, however, he was fully clothed. The incident Jaxen referred to was one she wouldn't likely forget - the exploding ship and it's passenger that died upon rescue. She had met Sierra and Elias that night as well. Elyse wondered about Sierra - it wasn't often she met others like her.

"They asked me some questions and I responded by telling about the ship's accident, and how the survivor died after he got to shore. As I wasn't guilty of anything, they let me go."


Elyse kept her tone matter of fact. She had been able to sense the teasing in Jaxen's tone, but she felt that particular incident was no laughing matter.

Jaxen's smile turned coy at Elyse's matter of fact statement of events. He lingered on her a moment like he was about to add something else to their rhetoric but instead turned to her company.

The man still ebbed of power although it was held in check. It actually reminded him of Elias, another ancient like themselves.

"Jaxen Marveet",
he stated and paused. Jaxen usually paused after introducing himself. He never liked to miss a reaction to his famous name.

"So. How long have you been able to...?"
he waggled his fingertips at the innocuous flask. Yeah yeah they said to be careful about revealing himself to strangers, and Jax knew they had a point. He'd stared down the barrel of one Atharim gun already, but he was itching to learn more. There was only one way to do that.

Manix was mildly surprised that the strange turned from the woman to introduce himself. He did not know the name, but being a recluse in a strange city, not really surprising.

Manix Lir, at ur service
, with a tip of his hat.

The 2nd question caught him off guard. So he could feel the power, he knew that was possible and helped him understand what he has felt from time to time. The reference to the flask changed his demeanor to a stony look.

waggling his finger, feinting ignorance: Forgive me, able to what?


He had no intention of talking about this in public, and not with 2 people he did not know. Not when he was still unsure what had happened to his flask in the first place. He knew how to use his gift or curse, but what happened to the flask was still beyond him.

Elyse listened as the two men introduced themselves. Elyse knew of Jaxen's powers, but still hadn't determined whether or not he was a good man. He was certainly full of himself, but that didn't mean he was a bad guy.

Manix tried to feign ignorance, but Elyse knew he was lying. She could smell it. She didn't know how she put the emotion and scent together, but she knew.

Being in the presence of two channeler's again caused a burning sensation to go to her forearm where the ouroboros tattoo was. Covered by her shirt, the two men wouldn't notice it. Her feelings on channelers were that each should be judged on their merits - power didn't inherently make one evil, but since she got here she had met three channelers and a fellow wolfkin.

Elyse stayed seated on the fountain, not speaking as the men exchanged words. The world was changing and Moscow was the center of it all.

((OCC)) I'm here, waiting on Jax

((I'm here. Just have no muse. Damn this wordifyin thing is hard.))

A sly smile quirked Jaxen's mouth, but he bit his tongue. Painful, metaphorically, as it was. It was entirely possible Manix, great name, was ignorant of what he did. Jaxen had been also for a long time himself.

In that case, "trust me friend, you did something. Any strange sicknesses lately?"


Sickness. That word could strike fear in sane people's hearts. For them, it meant a sudden isolation and remanded to quarantine until they were forgotten about and the government denied ever taking them. The Sickness was pretty dangerous word to throw around. But, Jaxen wondered if he might know the cure.

"It's alright. Don't have to answer that. If you have been through it, you'll know. And trust me, if you did, then you're something pretty damned cool."


He turned to Elyse. "Am I right?"

He Knows!
Manix thought. He kept very still and very quiet, listening.

After Jaxen had spoken to the girl and turned back to Manix, Manix gave Jaxen a simple yet telling nod.

A thin thread of air whispered around Jaxen's ear, Yes, you are right, while I know some, the more i learn, the less it seems i really know.

Elyse was there - with two men who were channelers. She was pulled in two directions. Her duty to the Atharim said they needed to be killed, but her conscience said that not all men with power were evil. Jaxen's words proved that they were channelers. The sickness was the key, and Manix's reply confirmed it for the fisherman too.

Jaxen spoke to her directly, but Elyse was thankful that Manix responded before she did. In all honesty, Elyse didn't know how to respond to his question, so all she did was give a shrug. Sitting down on the fountain, she crossed her legs at her ankles and placed her hands on the fountain, hoping that the two men didn't feel the need to get into a channeling contest right there.