SceneSys: Scene #1034

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No title.

(2013-04-08 - 2013-04-11)

No description.

Count Valos	Out on bail, is Valos Gidarch. The Count is known for having very few trusted cronies, who know him on a personal level, so who put out the money to liberate him until the final trial was indeed a mystery, but the reality is.... whether or not anybody knows this, Gidarch -does- have a cohort. He's simply failed to mention the existence of his lackey, to..... just about everyone, including the church, and even though his assistant paid for Valos, it was done anonymously, so as of yet, the dark elf's enigmatic patron has yet to be accounted for- making him, arguably, even more mysterious than Valos himself, assuming there's any mystery at all, to Gidarch'; that is entirely up for debate. Regardless of whether or not anybody would ever find out who Gidarch's associate is, or was, the fact remains that the mineralized drow is sitting in his home, doing.... practically nothing. On the outside, the nondescript building is on the small side, being only one story high, and without any mentionable decorations. To get into Gidarch's abode, there is a door that has a welcome-mat on the porch, except that it doesn't have any words to signify that he harbors warmth for anyone who might want to visit him. It's not in the best part of town, but also not in the worst- Glabados never imputed him with a high rank, so his salary was meager, and being utilitarian, to the nth degree, the dark elf saw no justification to engage in lavishness, at least as far as the exterior is concerned; the interior's appearance is yet unknown to nearly everyone in the city.
Cressida	Cressida had been busy elsewhere, dealing with the mysterious church ruins outside of Mullonde, to keep up to tabs with Valos' current situation. However, she had heard the rumours of the church letting him out on bail, based on so-called insanity. Somehow, she was doubtful that it was as simple as that. Valos certainly didnt seem insane to her..Disturbed, obsessive perhaps..But he was too intelligent to be passed off as insane. So what was really going on? Only one way to find out.. And so she is here, on his front porch, ringing the bell and waiting patiently outside for someone to answer it. Where else would he be but at home, afterall?
Count Valos	The force was strong with Cressida, and her intuition served her well, in her belief that Valos was obsessive- as a hardcore stickler for details, he almost never left any loose ends in an equation, and had everything accounted for; as a logician, there was no other way to be, lest one's mathematical equations be flawed, but then their credibility as one who specializes in the field of deduction would be sunk, and who would give deference to such an individual? Clearly, even though Gidarch -is- able to formulate sensible arguments, the church might've rearranged his statements in such a way that they'd've made little sense to most people, save for those with a potent penchant for ascertaining even when yielded few clues. It was easier to simply label him with some disreputable title in order to debilitate his name, so that people would avoid him, than to deal with all the ins and outs of actually prosecuting him, especially when Gidarch knew of a few skeletons in certain bishops' closets. This was a convenient arrangement for both, since the dark one had scant interest in other's perceptions of him..... for the most part! When the bell is rung, Gidarch calls out from inside, "The door is unlocked." If Cressida goes inside, she will bear witness to what'd be aptly designated as the most drab home of all of Mullonde. Inside the building, there is a stone floor, with bare walls whose only defining traits are the moulding where the floor meets said walls- and a door towards the back of the room, which ideally leads to another part of the facility. Inside the room.... there is nothing but Gidarch himself, who sits cross-legged on the floor; peculiarly enough, there are no tables, no chairs, no furnishings, there is no carpeting, there are no rugs, no lamps(luckily for Cressida that it isn't night, yet), and.... not even any windows. If there was any way one could possibly test their ability to endure boredom, it would have to be by way of camping out in Gidarch's home for over a few hours, consecutively.
Cressida	Unfortunately for Valos, Cressida herself tends to be a little overly analytical, relentlessly pursuing the truth if only for her own morbid curiosity - or was there more to it than that? It's hard to tell with one who guards her secrets so well.. When he assures her the door is unlocked - another interesting piece of information to be stored for future use - (Why would one who has committed a crime in the eyes of the church, and who no doubt has acquired a few enemies as a result be so casual about his own safety?), but for now, she focuses upon the present. When she steps further into his house, she immediately notices the distinct lack of furniture or anything else of interest. Well..This is certainly interesting. What was he, some sort of a monk or something? "Count Valos. It has been a while. So they let you go, hmm?"
Count Valos	The fact that Cressida has an eye for detail might be a trait she shares with Valos, and for this reason, it's entirely possible that they share more in common than the drow does with Morrighan, one from his own race. The reality was, Gidarch's racial background was not the sole determinant in his mental makeup, and mayhap not the only element that played a role in his debut within Glabados. But as she stores the information about Gidarch's door being unlocked, is she already working things out in her mind, or is she merely saving it, and waiting to connect the dots, after more dots make their presence more obvious; they may already be existent, but their emphatic nature is not so vibrant for which one might hope! When she addresses him as Count Valos, he nods to her in affirmation of her observation, which, to his mind, sounds favorably accurate- the fact that she didn't call him by his first name was also courteous, since his dossier, certainly available to Cressida, could've provided her with that information. Thus, she'd've had an opportunity to address him by his primary handle, which.... ironically, is never primary in its desired implementation, "They were.... encouraged to increase my ability to gain access to the territory outside of the cell where I was supposedly confined. If it can be argued that I was indeed, without a doubt, their prisoner, then it is safe to say that they did let me go." He shrugs, seemingly indifferent to whether he was their prisoner, or not.
Cressida	Indeed, very interesting..She's starting to see something of a patern here, in his simplistic lifestyle. But yet he was also a Count..Which seemed strange, given his bare essential living quarters. Werent Counts usually enjoying the lavish life? Hmmm.. "I see. I suppose you must have had a convincing argument to allow you to be set free..Or perhaps it is as you say, you are still their prisoner, confined within your home, without any luxuries at that..Or was that of your own doing? In any case, what was the verdict...Insanity, was it?" Yes, she'd heard things but had not yet read the report herself. She's a busy woman afterall. The look on her face is as always, sharp, keen..And very controlled in regards to emotion. She's fishing for information but giving little in return.
Count Valos	A number of things didn't fit together quite properly, in the conventional sense, for Gidarch held the title of a nobleman, and expected not to be called by his first name, but preferred anonymity, and no type of frivolity- then again, if he was so easy to figure out, then he'd've been somebody's unwitting patsy, by now.... this was evidently not the case. "Hmm... To determine if I was ever their prisoner or not, calls for a few prerequisites, and I'd say it fair to assume we both agree that a prison is to be defined as being located in a place where one has no alternative but to remain where they are, against their will. Most people perceive that as being physically contained within a small enclosure, and few amenities.... but that is still inaccurate." He nods, and raises a hand, "....If a person were to be within this so-called World of Ruin, against their will, with no means of easily escaping, then this expanse would be revered as a prison, by that definition." He raises the other hand, with his hand perpendicular to his arm, as if weighing something, "Yet.... If one is within a mansion that one purchased for themselves, and yet.... at some juncture, that person desires to be somewhere other than where they are, such as in their backyard, on a sunny day.... then, until they are able to reach the doorway, they are a prisoner within their own home. Why....?" He shrugs, "Because, their potential for happiness has been displaced into the future, on the basis of being allowed to reside in a location that they've not yet been able to reach, just as a man in a jail may be quite at ease being there whilst reminiscing as they recall some fond memory- expecting to stay for a good while, only to have the jail-master open their cell and escort them out, even if they were right in the middle of a delightful daydream. One that they may not have wished to've been interrupted, if they'd been given the choice, and because they had no real desire to be anywhere besides where they were, in that moment, they were not imprisoned." The dark one lowers his hands, "With this information in mind, you must ask yourself.... What was my own doing, in the end? To be here? To have been there? To hope to eventually be somewhere else?" he nods his head, hoping this makes sense to her.
Cressida	Well, isn't this interesting. She studies his face intently as he speaks, searching for any subtleties in his mannerisms, in the lilt of his voice - anything that might give away his true intentions, his true emotions - do Drows even have the normal range of human emotions? Both he and Morrighan have kept her doubting that they do thus far. "I wonder, what might happen if you tried to leave this house, or Mullonde, for that matter. I doubt the church would allow you too far out of their sight, not after the trouble you caused thus far.." She smiles a cold, calculating smile as she steps nearer, as if she were to whisper conspiratorily into his ear. "And I still wonder, what were your true intentions? Is this all just a game to you? Were you being manipulated, or is this truly all to do with your obsession with that girl Morrighan? A crazy, last ditch attempt to win her sympathy and perhaps her heart too, hmm?" Cressida steps back and smirks as she paces around the room. "Indeed, I wonder very much, what was your doing, and if this was what you intended. I also wonder why a Count such as yourself, whom you might expect to be lavish and rich in the lap of luxury, would live in such a bare and barren place..Or is this too, of your own doing? Your way of..Punishing yourself, perhaps?"
Count Valos	What might surprise Cressida would be if she were privy to the fact that dark elves did have a standard range of emotions- but like any sapient individual, these kinds of things had to develop more heavily based on the recognition of patterns, and awareness of self, which in turn would give rise to one's understanding that certain behaviors tend to yield certain stimuli that either favor the seeker of said stimuli, or oppose their cravings. The Count is not much different in this respect, but with his having become enlightened to the nature of his own 'existence', he knows why he's done the things he has done, and therefore, by understanding the mechanics, he has learned how to /undo/ them, to an extent. Most people, on the other hand, who buy machines, use them until they break, then simply buy a new one, or get a technician to repair the machine in question. Gidarch Valos, when he finds that something is starting to malfunction, systematically disassembles it, examines it, and reassembles it while inserting more efficient parts to make the thing work at its normal levels of output, or, in some cases..... if he understands the machine, he calibrates it so that when he reassembles it, the thing works even /better/ than it did prior to his rearrangement. Such is the difference between the lazy mind, and the diligent one! Most people are content to function at 'tolerable' levels of efficiency- Gidarch does not settle for second-rate quality, not in himself, and not in others; this may be precisely why he associates with so few people proactively, for if the dark one is to hold council with others, it'll have to've meant that, in the majority of cases, they'd beseeched him. Gidarch Valos has rid himself of many crutches that others are content to depend upon, out of their defaulted, weak willpower. Casting his gaze up at Cressida as she asks him what his true intentions are, he replies, "I told you my intentions. I seek to encourage people to face their own worst enemy; themselves." He nods, reaffirming that he believes exactly what he's said, though if he were lying, it might be hard to discern, since his face rarely conveys much. "You'll have to clarify what you mean by what I perceive as a game, if you wish an accurate answer to your second inquiry." It clearly wasn't rhetorical, since she was asking him- instead of simply postulating out loud, which she did when guessing as to what would happen if he tried to leave Mullonde. With so many questions, and with the liberty to choose which questions he feels are pertinent, Valos skips ahead to the final one she asked, "By existing in the capacity in which I currently exist, I am punishing myself, but the more I gravitate towards impartiality, the less degree there is to which I inflict harm upon myself. Right now, I gather you penalize yourself far more than I do unto myself, Miss Cressida." The nobleman stretches out a finger to point at her, not necessarily accusingly, but inquisitively, "To what, or whom do I owe the honor of your visitation today, if I may be so bold to ask, incidentally?" Her visit, in his mind, seemed a bit out of the blue, but maybe there were events unfolding far beyond his scope which led to her arrival at his humble dwelling.
Cressida	Cressida arches a brow at Valos, as he attempts to explain herself. Of course, she remembers how he had explained before his intentions to apparently try and help people become stronger by facing themselves. It has her a little amused all the more. But it still didn't explain everything. "Hmm of course, I saw how you toyed with Morrighan, apparently to help her understand herself better, or so you say. Still, it seems you went to far greater lengths to do that, lengths which may have just jepoardized your career, if not your life. For now it seems they are content to let you go on the basis of 'insanity', but to me, you seem quite sane. And I am certain there is more to this than simply 'helping' Morrighan to discover herself. So tell me, who else are you seeking to 'help empower', us poor, ignorant churchfolk, as a whole?" She chuckles at that in fact, a rare sight on one who is usually so serious most of the time. But Valos amuses her to no end. "As for why I am here, I was simply curious, that is all. To know that you have caused the church so much trouble, it would be wise to keep an eye on you, should you cause them further trouble." Cressida had other questions that went unanswered, but for now she will leave it at that. Of course, the comment about penalizing does not go unnoticed either, but either she is ignoring it intentionally, or focusing on other, more important matters..For now at least.
Count Valos	The Count sits motionlessly, waiting for Cressida to speak her mind, since she's clearly interested in having some kind of conversation, though it strikes Gidarch as odd that she brings emphasis to his focus on Morrighan, not to far into the past. Nodding to Cressida, he remarks, "I will help empower whoever seeks me out. Right now, that is yourself, it seems." Her musings about his career and life choices are not really questions, so the dark one doesn't have much cause to say anything about those matters- if she wants information, she has to ask questions. If she simply dangles opinions in front of him, he'll acknowledge them, but since the dark one is apathetic to society's perspective on himself, majorly, there's no incentive with enough potency to draw out speech unless those others in question state, with pure clarity, exactly what they wish to know. Though, because he is concerned for her welfare, to a remote extent, he extends a hand forward, "I think you would be more comfortable if you elected to give rest to your leg-muscles. I've got a hunch that you're planning to be here for some time; it sounds like you are fishing for information, but I doubt you're actually asking the questions that will produce the answers you truly wish, so for you to get the vital clues you want, you may need time to relay the correct queries." He nods, and withdraws his arm, hoping that she'll seat herself, even if it is a hard floor, it's better than standing, right?
Cressida	Cressida peers intently at Valos, her visage quickly turning to a neutral appearance. His word games are familiar as she had seen him play the same ones upon Morrighan. And he does not answer the questions that she wants either, but seems to prompt her to try again. "That still does not answer my question, Valos. So far, you do not seem to have empowered Morrighan, only angered her. And what of the church? Your apparent treachery has not empowered the church, only angered them, although..." Although it seems he has managed to reveal some weakness or somesuch in the church. Afterall, who had sent him to seemingly betray the church? Still, it's a very risky game he is playing, to imagine that he is superior somehow to the church, that he might have a lesson to teach them all..That has her thinking for a moment, before she quickly snaps back to attention when he attempts to turn the tables on herself. "Believe me, I do not seek to become empowered. I have enough - more than enough power as it is, thank you." And she leaves it at that, not caring to delve any deeper into her own, dark history. "However, let us focus upon you and your motives, shall we?" Of course, he does not offer her a seat but only suggests she sits on the hard floor, and her eyes narrow slightly at that. "These are hardly hospitable accomodations for guests now, are they? Or is this another attempt at empowerment, trying to do without such luxuries?"
Count Valos	Gidarch shakes his head, and raises a finger, as if to make a point, "It is correct that Miss Alazne is angry at me. That was necessary to encourage change- she was dishonest with herself, and refused to see the truth for what it was." The dark one lowers his hand calmly, ".....She is not at her destination, though, I didn't escort her to the end of her quest, because I did not have time. I did..... however, guide her back to the correct path, from which she may again stray, if her vision remains obscured, or.... she might remove the impediments from her line of sight, and trek it for a good while before she leaves it, again." He shakes his head, when she makes her statement, "Tell me, Miss Cressida.... if you'd be so generous.... If it be the case that you do not seek power, then why did you come to my abode, with every intention of acquiring whatever knowledge I have, that you apparently do not. Knowledge is almost always said to be the equivalent of power, and if you already had the power, you would not yearn in the slightest for what I have, that which out of whom you are trying to draw. You are free to argue with my logic, but I would not advise that." The dark one then crosses his arms over his chest, and twists his head to one side, as if indicating that he's giving his room a thorough scan, then returns his gaze to Cressida, "You may focus on my motives if you wish, but I have already told you what they are, in a rudimentary sense. The problem is, you.... like Miss Alazne, have impaired vision, so when I say what I say, you do not recognize its merit." He shrugs, "Empowerment, Miss Cressida, is the abandonment of the need for what is traditionally perceived to be a source of power." He places his index finger against his temple, "Everything I need is right in here....." The dark one spreads his arms outward, directing her attention to his surroundings, ".....not out here. Is that enough focus upon my motives to satisfy your line of questioning?" He seriously doubts it, but he poses this inquiry to bait her into asking more questions, with every suspicion that the next volley will also not be incredibly useful to her.
Cressida	"Of course, anger is part of the changing process, is it not?" She smirks, "Of course, eventually, you hope, she will come to see the 'wisdom' in your words and acept the change. she will seek to better herself, and somehow that will make you feel..Accomplished. But I still do not understand why. Why go to so much trouble? What's in it for you? I find it hard to believe that you are truly so selfless that you take joy in helping others, even at the expense of yourself, my dear Count.." She still has not taken a seat on the floor, as if in doing so she might be giving into him somehow. "You are correct. Knowledge IS power, and right now, I see a powerful man before me, one who is a potential threat to the church if that knowledge is not used properly. Yes, you have told me how you believe you have empowered Morrighan, however you still did not explain why you chose to attack the church as a whole, rather than focus merely on her." And he is becoming quite irritating too. Perhaps he truly IS insane. "Impared vision you say? And why do you believe that? I merely have the church's best interests at heart." He does manage to answer at least one of her questions however at she nods, still quite amused by him. "Fair enough. Then you are some sort of monk who seeks inner riches over outer riches. But you, my dear, will have to ask the right questions if you seek to learn more about me, and what exactly it is that I WANT from you." There's a playful shine in her cold blue eyes as she says that, as if she were playing her own game. But can she outwit him?
Count Valos	Gidarch nods when Cressida confirms that anger is part of the changing process, and watches a smirk creep across her lips as she begins to speculate further into his motives, and reasoning. "I don't think you would truly understand what's in it for me, at this point in time." He shrugs, "But I shall tell you anyway. The more I help her.... the more I help you.... the more I help anyone, is the more I actually help myself, because we are all connected." Though Cressida is worried that seating herself might be playing right into his hands, Valos seems unconcerned with the fact that she remains standing, and that she chooses to do as she does. The dark one does raise a finger, "....Did I attack the church, or did I help it? Am I to know the grand scheme of things? All I can do is calculate, based on observation, and hope that my.... calculations are correct. Therefore, it may just turn out that I did not attack the church, but assist it. Your question is inherently flawed, in that you've already concluded your perceptions of my actions are the correct ones." His expression is a tremendously lazy one, in that he hasn't shown much real emotion as far as being favorable or objectionable to anything in particular, but if he didn't care at all, about anything, he'd've likely just sat there mindlessly as Cressida asked him questions, until she got fed up and left him. "That is correct.", he says, when she states that he'll have to also administer the correct questions, in order to find out about her, though, he thinks he has her pegged, for the most part- it's just a matter of finding out the tiny clauses in the totality of the article. "The question I want to ask you is....." he tilts his head to the side, and rubs his chin thoughtfully, then lowers his head and levels his head so that it's no longer angled crookedly, "How long do you plan to linger in this shelter where I currently dwell, assuming I have no problems with your occupation, which, incidentally, I do not?" It seems like a rather odd question, but if Gidarch is all that she thinks he's cracked up to be, there must be a reason to his rhymes.
Cressida	"Try me. I'm curious. More importantly.." She leans a little nearer, staring down at him from a closer vantage point. she might even seem threatenning to some, but she imagines Valos doesn't feel threatenned by anyone or anything. She's starting to doubt he can feel anything at all. "Connected, hmm? That's an..Interesting way of looking at the world. I suppose you will say that what seems to be hurting right now is actually 'better for us in the long run' too, hmm?" She begins to circl around him, peering thoughtfully at his environs with quiet curiosity, although she does not make any more idle chatter about his abode, keeping it mostly to herself. "Alright then, let us assume that you did not attack the church, but somehow exposed...Weaknesses..In the church in your attempt to help and empower us. Lets suppose that its right, just for now..Even so, I wonder how far your unsolicited attempts to 'help' people will go." She pauses again, arms folded as she stares back at him. "The answer to your question is simple: I will stay here only until I am assured that you do not pose a significant threat to the church. And, that you can be trusted. That is all." The last question in fact, is the most important one of all, as she had other reasons to seek that trust too, and so she peers at him intently with those cold, piercing eyes, waiting for some sort of reaction, in his body language as well as his words.
Count Valos	Gidarch, as expected, doesn't seem to react much outwardly to Cressida's encroachment, but he still affords her his full attention as she starts to announce her theories about what he believes, or how he sees the world. "Some pain is useful, some is not, thus, in the long run, what one feels varies as to how viable is its worth- some pleasure can be destructive, as well." He doesn't follow her as she revolves around him, speaking her mind, issuing various suppositions, but because of his uncanny ability to hear, and feel vibrations, his 'blindness' doesn't really incapacitate his wariness to her exact location, even as she moves completely diametrical to the position his face points. "Then I will tell you what I think." The dark one puts his hands in front of him, on the floor, as if framing the words he's about to speak, "You are fiercely protective of the church, going beyond the call of duty to ensure its safety, which tells me that they helped you in a time where you were weak." He nods, and continues, "You were swift about going out of your way to convince me that you had plenty enough power already, which means you don't want to be perceived as feeble." The dark elf pulls his arms back a little, as if scrolling down the 'image' he's theoretically created, "You don't want to be seen as weak because you failed at some point in time, which most likely resulted in some harm coming to somebody you cared for, and if you reveal any vulnerability, then somebody may learn of it, which is something they might be inclined to use against you. You have mentioned a few times the word 'threat', over the course of our association with one another, which hints to me that you are trying to steel yourself enough so that eventually you'll be able to truly protect the church, since they might be your chance at redemption, to succeed where you once failed- this is something that Mister Senra is also seeking, after a fashion." He nods and then brings his hands to his lap, finishing the tale, "You came here because, as I've already pointed out.... you failed at one time, and you think I can either help you to feel less ashamed about your failure, /OR/ provide you with a way to become stronger, so that you won't repeat your past mistake..... I am not entirely sure which, in all fairness, for even my ability to extrapolate goes so far. But....!" He turns to her, finally showing some movement, which may even hint at a bit of enthusiasm, proving that he's not completely a machine, as he states, "....You clearly are in desperate need of somebody's help, whether mine or that of another, because you're willing to remain for an unspecified amount of time, informing me that this is something that is extremely important to you. You've also dropped a clue that you want me to pry into your story, by asking you the right questions, to find out who you are, so that I can help you find what you haven't yet discovered independently..... And you, in turn, want to figure out who I am, because if you can trust me, then you can trust that the advice I give you is not useless- mayhap others before me have given you unhelpful information in the past...." He resumes his standard, upright position, "....Would you say this is accurate, to some degree?"
Cressida	Cressida pauses, no longer walking around. In fact, she seems to consider sitting down on the floor, but no, that would make her seem vulnerable. And then he speaks of his hypothesis of her, and she frowns ever so slightly. How...How did he know? Was it that obvious, inspite of her best precautionary measures? Or had he met others like her...She did not know Faruja well, but she could only guess how a Burmecian joined the church, considering the fate of his kind.. Finally, when he finishes speaking, she merely smirks and shrugs, arms still crossed as if protectively so. "Perhaps..You may be right. Then again, you may be wrong. Supposing you are right, I would not seek out the help of someone who guards his secrets well. Let me get to know you a bit better and I might just do the same for you." But now, she's learned enough information from him for tonight. Abruptly she turns on her heel and heads for the door. "But that is for another day. Tis late, and I have other matters to tend to. But I may well visit you again at a later time. Til then,farewell, Dear Count."

This scene contained 18 poses. The players who were present were: Count Valos, Cressida