Knighthood [D0LA; Bloodgem Park] (Open)

[Dare Shah]

"Calibration. The armor should be like a second skin, yet it's still struggling with certain kinds of movements. Something to do with the arcanic energy not flowing properly in every bodily position.

An issue that can be qualified as ‘not critical until it becomes critical’. Meaning it's unlikely to come up in most real life situations, but, if it does, it will be real bad.

For example, you don't want the knee articulation to start acting up when you're running away from something dangerous."

[Gabriel Morningstar]

"Calibration. The armor should be like a second skin, yet it's still struggling with certain kinds of movements. Something to do with the arcanic energy not flowing properly in every bodily position.

An issue that can be qualified as ‘not critical until it becomes critical’. Meaning it's unlikely to come up in most real life situations, but, if it does, it will be real bad.

For example, you don't want the knee articulation to start acting up when you're running away from something dangerous."

Gabriel nodded earnestly. "Certainly." He let out a smile that was...not really a smile, really. "You never know when you need to bend the knee to avoid an axe to the head, but the new angle gives you a great way to disembowel someone." He let out a chuckle at the memory.

"Certainly seems like a project worthy of attention. Perhaps Lady Shah would be interested in sparring sometime?"

[Dare Shah]

"Bladed weapons? In this day and age? In Sigil? At your rank? Is that a personal preference thing?

Fencing is definitely a noble sport. If the objective is killing your enemy however, thaumaturgic fire and thunder seem far more efficient.

So, while I have no objection to the two of us facing each other with boxing gloves, blunt foils, or chess pieces, I'll decline anything too close to actual combat. Too high a risk of collateral when your weapon is literally lightning fast."

[Gabriel Morningstar]

Gabriel smiled that smile again. "Oh, I don't know. Call me old fashioned, but there's a certain...vivacity in slashing open the intestines of an abyssal abomination. Seeing its desperate hunger turned to shock and surprise." He shrugged, then chuckled. "Well, I can certainly offer a game of dragonchess, if that would be your preference?"

He tilted his head curiously. Meanwhile, Rufus decided this was boring and started running around. No doubt trying to eat something.

[Dare Shah]

"A fan of big game hunting with the whole package then, the mounts, the hounds, the halloo, the coup de grâce?"

She articulated the later words as "kew da grass".

"While not exactly my cup of tea, I'm curious how such events translate in other planes. Sulfurous mountains instead of forests? Nightmares replacing horses? Bats standing for falcons?"

Looking at Rufus:

"The dogs have more heads on average I would hazard.

And indeed, while I adhere to mens sana in corpore sano, my own tastes tend more toward intellectual sports. At chessboxing, I win by checkmate or not at all, never on the ring."

[Gabriel Morningstar]

"A fan of big game hunting with the whole package then, the mounts, the hounds, the halloo, the coup de grâce?"

She articulated the later words as "kew da grass".

"While not exactly my cup of tea, I'm curious how such events translate in other planes. Sulfurous mountains instead of forests? Nightmares replacing horses? Bats standing for falcons?"

Looking at Rufus:

"The dogs have more heads on average I would hazard.

And indeed, while I adhere to mens sana in corpore sano, my own tastes tend more toward intellectual sports. At chessboxing, I win by checkmate or not at all, never on the ring."

Gabriel smiled, then nodded. "Though at some point it feels like a cross of hobby and duty, in the Blood War. Still, it's something to pass the time. Chess boxing, eh?" He raised an eyebrow. "Any other hobbies, Lady Shah? Tell me, what truly motivates you."

[Dare Shah]

"Knowledge, what else? Didn't you read my card? What else did you expect from a member of the Fraternity?

Knowledge of the kind that has yet to be discovered. Not the one you can trade your soul for. Not interested either in any form of immortality or similar facilities whose price would make the acquisition of such knowledge void, by preventing me from sharing it or making anything of it.

Oh, and as for hobbies, I'm, among other things, a theater girl. Tell me my dear Mephistopheles, yourself, how did you come to be what you now are?"

[Gabriel Morningstar]

"Knowledge, what else? Didn't you read my card? What else did you expect from a member of the Fraternity?

Knowledge of the kind that has yet to be discovered. Not the one you can trade your soul for. Not interested either in any form of immortality or similar facilities whose price would make the acquisition of such knowledge void, by preventing me from sharing it or making anything of it.

Oh, and as for hobbies, I'm, among other things, a theater girl. Tell me my dear Mephistopheles, yourself, how did you come to be what you now are?"

Gabriel chuckled. "I must admit, I skimmed it." He shrugged. "Oh, me? Three square meals a day, an upbringing in the cloister of Asmodeus, lovingyet strict parents, and lots and lots of bloodshed." He shrugged. "The usual, really. Not much for theatre myself...more of a reader really. What catches your interest there?"

[Dare Shah]

"The fantasy of people being able to pull up good verse after good verse as easily as they breathe.

Kidding. But, as any joke, with a pearl of truth. Theater is a distorting mirror of life, with everything taken to a degree that isn't actually found in this reality. Passions burn, heroism and villainy are clear-cut, everyone is excessive in everything. Nothing adds up if you look at it from too close, but in an entertaining way. Therefore it's a the perfect break after too much mathematics.

Unless you're only reading non-fiction, it's not that different from what can be found in most novels really. Just condensed in a few hours, and with the added benefit of being a proper social occasion."

[Gabriel Morningstar]

"The fantasy of people being able to pull up good verse after good verse as easily as they breathe.

Kidding. But, as any joke, with a pearl of truth. Theater is a distorting mirror of life, with everything taken to a degree that isn't actually found in this reality. Passions burn, heroism and villainy are clear-cut, everyone is excessive in everything. Nothing adds up if you look at it from too close, but in an entertaining way. Therefore it's a the perfect break after too much mathematics.

Unless you're only reading non-fiction, it's not that different from what can be found in most novels really. Just condensed in a few hours, and with the added benefit of being a proper social occasion."

"True. One does need to dress up, though compared to reading leisurely at home. Then again, that can be the fun of it, after all." He tilted his head in thought. "Any favorite plays?"