Damianos of Akielos (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
barbarus) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
maskormenace2016-09-05 07:58 pm
barbarus) wrote in maskormenace2016-09-05 07:58 pm
1 cuff | video | joint post
[ The video turns on to reveal a large man, who is providing it with a close-up shot of about half of his face, and one strong, muscular shoulder. Most of his skin is bare, aside from a white tunic-like garment pinned at that shoulder. It's evident that someone is in the room with him, since he's focused on them and not on what he's doing. ]
Is it working? I cannot tell if --
[ Another voice interrupts, directing his attention back to the camera, and then Damen adjusts it so that his whole face is on screen. He is dark-haired and dark-eyed, and his olive-toned skin is well bronzed by sunlight.
He could not look less comfortable with a camera in his hand. His smile is a somewhat awkward attempt at friendliness, but it's obvious this is new to him. ]
Hello. My name is Damen. [ His eyes flick away from the camera at that, looking again at his companion. 'Damen', and not 'Damianos'. A pet name given to a network of strangers. He sees no reason to hide their true names - but he’ll do it, even so.
While he is introducing himself, the person who had his attention earlier decides to make an appearance. Or better yet, he decides to slide into the space by ending half on Damen’s lap, one hand lazily lifting to sweep a little of his hair back from his forehead. Where the original man is large and olive skinned, Laurent looks fair and slight in comparison. He isn’t actually in miniature, a fact he will press upon people at some point, when perspective is brought up. And where there is bare skin on show behind him, his is all covered up by the kind of clothing that looks restricting even by modern standards. ]
And mine is Laurent. [ He somehow manages to look like he’s smiling without following through, which is a power he possessed before the Porter ever decided to bless him with new ones. ] As you might have guessed, we’ve only recently arrived to this wonderful place.
[ Damen has rearranged himself to give Laurent space, and slide an accommodating arm around his waist. At that comment, though, he rolls his eyes up at his lover. Be nice, Laurent.
Laurent catches that look out of the corner of his eye, mouth twitching slightly like that smile he’s been curbing is threatening to break free. ]
We would like any advice you can give about acclimatising while here. This world is unlike our own, your buildings, modes of transport, ways of communication - [ Lifting his brows upward as if to indicate the device . ] - they’re all unfamiliar. We would not like to remain ignorant.
[ Then Damen leans in, tagging onto the end: ]
And I have need of a place to train. I prefer the sword. If any of you would test your skill against mine, I’d welcome it.
[ The glance they share then seems to be one of mutual agreement. Laurent shifts slightly, reaches out to turn off the feed. His sleeve obscures the view, but to those with extremely good hearing they might catch the as if anyone could best you before Damen interrupts his own smile to reach forward.]
Wait - there was something else. [ There’s a brief scramble for something beside him, and then Damen lifts his file into view. With his eyebrows lifting and expression dubious, he reads from the page. ] Can someone tell me what-- ‘Sunday School’ is? I am supposed to teach it.
[ He glances up at Laurent, nodding. ] That’s it.
[ It’s settled then, Laurent angles the camera once, so that his sincere ( no, really! ) expression can be caught. ] We appreciate the aid.
[ ooc: Damen is red and Laurent is blue. ]
Is it working? I cannot tell if --
[ Another voice interrupts, directing his attention back to the camera, and then Damen adjusts it so that his whole face is on screen. He is dark-haired and dark-eyed, and his olive-toned skin is well bronzed by sunlight.
He could not look less comfortable with a camera in his hand. His smile is a somewhat awkward attempt at friendliness, but it's obvious this is new to him. ]
Hello. My name is Damen. [ His eyes flick away from the camera at that, looking again at his companion. 'Damen', and not 'Damianos'. A pet name given to a network of strangers. He sees no reason to hide their true names - but he’ll do it, even so.
While he is introducing himself, the person who had his attention earlier decides to make an appearance. Or better yet, he decides to slide into the space by ending half on Damen’s lap, one hand lazily lifting to sweep a little of his hair back from his forehead. Where the original man is large and olive skinned, Laurent looks fair and slight in comparison. He isn’t actually in miniature, a fact he will press upon people at some point, when perspective is brought up. And where there is bare skin on show behind him, his is all covered up by the kind of clothing that looks restricting even by modern standards. ]
And mine is Laurent. [ He somehow manages to look like he’s smiling without following through, which is a power he possessed before the Porter ever decided to bless him with new ones. ] As you might have guessed, we’ve only recently arrived to this wonderful place.
[ Damen has rearranged himself to give Laurent space, and slide an accommodating arm around his waist. At that comment, though, he rolls his eyes up at his lover. Be nice, Laurent.
Laurent catches that look out of the corner of his eye, mouth twitching slightly like that smile he’s been curbing is threatening to break free. ]
We would like any advice you can give about acclimatising while here. This world is unlike our own, your buildings, modes of transport, ways of communication - [ Lifting his brows upward as if to indicate the device . ] - they’re all unfamiliar. We would not like to remain ignorant.
[ Then Damen leans in, tagging onto the end: ]
And I have need of a place to train. I prefer the sword. If any of you would test your skill against mine, I’d welcome it.
[ The glance they share then seems to be one of mutual agreement. Laurent shifts slightly, reaches out to turn off the feed. His sleeve obscures the view, but to those with extremely good hearing they might catch the as if anyone could best you before Damen interrupts his own smile to reach forward.]
Wait - there was something else. [ There’s a brief scramble for something beside him, and then Damen lifts his file into view. With his eyebrows lifting and expression dubious, he reads from the page. ] Can someone tell me what-- ‘Sunday School’ is? I am supposed to teach it.
[ He glances up at Laurent, nodding. ] That’s it.
[ It’s settled then, Laurent angles the camera once, so that his sincere ( no, really! ) expression can be caught. ] We appreciate the aid.
[ ooc: Damen is red and Laurent is blue. ]
no subject
I've been here a few months now. Enough time to learn my way around the city, generally. But this place still surprises me often enough. You'll have to get used to that, I'm afraid.
no subject
[ She hadn't said so, but it's the one Damen's in now. It had been chosen for him. The heat reminds him of the farthest southern reaches of his country. Ios and beyond. He'll like that better than Laurent, he thinks. ]
It's where we were assigned. It's larger than anywhere I've seen. How different is your world from this?
no subject
[She thinks for a moment about how to describe her world.]
By this world's standards, Heropa is actually a very small city, but it's larger even than my nation's capital. There's another far to the north of here called "New York" that staggers the mind to behold.
But like yours I imagine, the warriors of my world fight with sword and spear and bow. We light our way with torch and candle and ride horses when we have need of speed. There are... other nations, much smaller than ours that have weapons and vehicles closer to those you'll see here, but they're rare and always hoarded.
no subject
Yes. That is what my people do. But that is what every people does, so far as I know. There is no place in my world that is like this, unless I’ve yet to hear of them.
Do your people seek machines like this? Mine would, if we knew of them.
no subject
Some do, but they are rarely found working, and too few of my people have the knowledge to fix them when they're broken. Searching for tech is usually both dangerous and not worth the effort.
And the fact that some of the machines are considered taboo doesn't help. Stories of children stolen away in the night by Mountain Men just for touching the sorts of weapons every common watchman here carries have been whispered by mothers for generations. It's a hard habit to break.
no subject
[ What does that mean? Raiders, probably. That concept doesn't take any adjusting at all. People make stories about that which scares them, but it's usually grounded in some kind of reality.
The rest makes him frown, though with interest instead of confusion. ]
You make it sound as though the machines are from an earlier time, as though they've decayed. In my world it's not so. We've never had them, and there's none to find. Our children fear enemy soldiers, and mercenaries on horseback instead.
no subject
We have those as well, but yes. It's likely that my land was once much like this one, before war destroyed nearly all of the civilization and technology and killed most everyone. But that was generations ago, and the histories are scattered and unclear.
no subject
[ War can consume everything around it. Damen knows that now. It used to be that he saw only the glory in such a thing, but now he has seen it from the other side. His feelings have changed. ]
Perhaps in time, your world can recover that knowledge. Do you remain at war?
no subject
Perhaps it will. Before it can be attempted though, there must be peace, and that...
My people have been at war, with each other and with outsiders, for a very long time. Only recently was any sort of peace able to be reached, but it has been a tense and tentative one, with many threats against its chances of lasting. I can only have faith that our leaders are up to the task of sustaining it.
no subject
[ Says the man who is pretending not to be a leader. Damen's feelings about this have strengthened during his time in Vere. If a King cannot protect his people, what good is he to anyone at all? It is more than a matter of duty. It does deeper than that, a test of one's worth to carry out the role. He's already seen too many people fail at it in recent days. ]
Peace is worth having. I would never run from the threat of war, but people deserve better than that. These people, as well as my own - as well as yours. I hope it can be found for them.