The Brightest Light Burns Quickest [Fat Candle, LE0]

[Akh Uur Hoon]

She enjoyed this place of little light and many whispers, where no-one was looking into another person's plate, cup, or teeth. Privacy of a catacomb in a darkly comfortable atmosphere.

[Cyprian Kircheis]

Tired and ready to drift off, Cyprian found this little corner of the district at the end of a day's worth of exploration. He made his way inside and immediately found the atmosphere to his liking. And naturally the low light really didn't bother him all that much. He could see perfectly well. Yet somehow he still tripped like a klutz walking past Akh Uur Hoon.

There's a litheness to Cyprian, but his fall was far removed from grace. Maybe he was protecting his instruments, or maybe he was distracted by the lady's elegant features. Either way he still wound up a graceless pile on the floor.

[Akh Uur Hoon]

The woman was quick to react to help the man up, though her grip on his arm was rather light.

"Get uaqp quickly." Shqe whispered. "Berks here might not enjoy you making a ruckus, and you are drawing the knights' attention."

In the darkness, she used her sense of smell to determine what kind of creature this man was.

[Cyprian Kircheis]

He did as she suggested and dusted himself off. Keeping his voice low he inquired,

"Knights? Forgive me, I'm rather new here."

He is indeed a dhempir, and you might also detect the smell of mint, juniper, and perhaps other familiar ingredients from the soap he uses. I won't guess how good your sense of smell is.

[Akh Uur Hoon]

"Being clueless is dangerous around here..." She seemed to dislike the word 'clueless', but she used it nonetheless for its semantic utility. "Knights of the post, thieves of all kinds. Sigil is replete with them. I assume you're a victim of an uncontrolled passage?"

She spoke quietly, making room at her table by moving her chair to the side. There was some alertness in her manner, perhaps out of a realisation of what he was, but she remained kind. If he was perceptive, he might notice something familiar to him about her, if a bit difficult to pinpoint outright.

[Cyprian Kircheis]

"I thank you," he takes a seat without his typical ceremony. "And yes I'm afraid so. Lovely as your city in the clouds is, I'm not here on holiday."

He pulls his pack under the table between his knees. That way he might feel a rummaging thief easier. Then taking a moment, he observes her features more closely. There is a strange familiarity, but perceptive or no, no one has ever accused him of being too smart for his own good.

There is an absence of color but all other clear signs of embarrassment show. He'll remove his hat and extend his hand. "My name is Cyprian by the way, Cyprian Kircheis. I hope you'll forgive me falling for you earlier."

[Akh Uur Hoon]

"I'm not originally from here either. But one can get stuck in Sigil for a variety of reasons, something some of those who consider themselves locals tend to detest. A few hours ago I witnessed a rather inflammatory speech about how Primes should go home." She accepted the handshake with her skinny palm. She was as impervious to blushing as he was. "I am Akh Uur Hoon. You are quick to stand up after falling for, aren't you, Cyprian Kircheis?"

[Cyprian Kircheis]

He grins charmingly, "Yes, some would say it's a character flaw. But I rather think it necessary in a universe devoid of permanence."

He does start to take note of her complexion. And the wheels slowly begin turning as he pays extra attention to her teeth.

"I am amusingly enough pleased to hear that bigotry exists even at the center of the multiverse. Perhaps hate is a universal constant? It's at the very least something I'm quite familiar with... as a Dhampir."

There's nothing threatening in his tone of speaking. Just simple honesty with a healthy dose of curiosity.

[Akh Uur Hoon]

"But full of transience, where ripples are made with every crushed dream, big or small." She refrained from smiling in a way that would reveal the truth of her canines. "Everything can die, even hatred. The path to death is just more formidable for some things than to others... Some get caught in the middle, unable to move either forth or back."

There was a passing disquiet in her expression the moment he confirmed his nature. A small halo lit up just barely around her head, circling gently as a chain of discrete symbols, just as if she wanted to illuminate him for a brief moment. "A dhampir... Bigtory is present in this city, but it doesn't seem to be setting its tone. Depending on your prior experiences, you may find your stay relishing, even exciting."

[Cyprian Kircheis]

He looks curiously at the halo. It's clear enough that he's still at a loss. But there's a softness to his eyes as he searches for a connection, a memory, an explanation to the familiarity.

"In my experiences I've known hatred to fester in the dark and die in the light. Much like vampires." His eyes shift from the halo to his folded hands. "I understand why people hate in my case. I do thirst after all. But I'm open and honest because I'd rather live in the light. And whether it proves beneficial or not, I couldn't care less."

He looks up at you again.

"Were you caught in the middle?"