Private Finished Shopping for Antiques

Zora · Jul 9, 2018

Natasha couldn't help but smile when Salem/Ezra leant over her hand and "kissed" it. She definitely did not know what century Ezra was from, but the old-fashioned, but very gallant, gesture instantly sent her back to a moment in time where there were fashionable gowned women and men in coattails. Natasha, very oddly, almost felt like she should be curtseying - the gesture was that powerful.

"Yes," she agreed with Ezra, nodding,"I felt, and do feel at times still, that the island is rather overwhelming. It can be difficult to find somebody who hasn't already lived here for a long time." Natasha said. She knew new people arrived at the island daily, but a lot of them had been here before or quite simply had friends or family here that could show them the island. There weren't as many like her, alone, and starting fresh in a place she really didn't know. Though, Natasha had to admit, her whole life seemed like that. As a child, she had been forced from her home to the lonely life of Russian court, and from there, she had been banished out into the world alone, learning to adapt to new places and people for centuries.

"Golden Hills Estates, yes I know the area. I have a friend that lives near there. She actually has a home near the beach." Natasha said, thinking about her best friend Zoraida Del Bosque who lived up that way and her amazing beach house. It was a very fancy area indeed."

At Ezra's very earnest question, she stood up and considered a few books. Wondering what his guardian may or may not have already read. As she scanned the bookshelf, she spotted a book. It was by a Russian author. As she moved towards it, she pulled the book out and turned it around to look at the title surprised to actually find a tome left anywhere. "I think you're guardian may like this book," Natasha said as she showed Salem the old leather tome. "It's about ancient magical lore," she explained. "It was written by a person I used to know," she added as she presented Salem/Ezra with the book.

@ArcanaFate

ArcanaFate · Jul 18, 2018

"Agreed. The island is rather large and the people here seem rather busy with their lives."

The puppet could only nod in response to Natasha's comment about the island. As far as Ezra could tell, their guardian seemed to know everything about this place even though she barely stayed on the island herself. It was very likely that due to her age that she had, at some point, stayed on the island much more regularly before conducting her latest research project. Salem shifted, looking up at the woman as she mentioned knowing the area of their current residence. The spirit debated on inquiring further on what parts of the island she knew but held back, as it could be seen as invasive.

Probably.

But their gaze shifted on the book that Natasha now held. It definitely looked old, the leather binding seemed slightly cracked in some places and had felt the brunt of time. But for how old it appeared, it was in rather good quality. The language written on the cover was in a language that Ezra did not understand but the white-haired woman apparently did. Not only that, but she even knew the author? Apparently, Asteria was not the only one who aged gracefully.

"Thank you, Miss Natasha." Ezra stated, holding out the plush cat's paws to take the tome from her. "Although I must admit that I am a little curious about your background. This tome appears quite old and it is in a foreign language that I do not understand. What information do you have about this book? I would like to be prepared if Asteria asks any question about it."

@Zora

Zora · Jul 18, 2018

"Well, let's see," Natasha mused as she looked at Salem/Erza and decided to sit down on the floor of the shop. "The book was written in Old Russian in 1698," she said taking the book from him, and then gently opening the book and showing him the Cyrillic numbers on the front page that spelled out 1698. "See these symbols, they represent numbers in the Russian alphabet... " she explained, "And here, is the name of the author, Gregor Donoski." which was also written in Russian.

"Gregor was an ancient druid, wizard, and he was a man that knew a lot about the origins of legends and how certain myths started. He also knew a lot about magical lore and the magical creatures that lived in the forests, mountains and lakes. It was said he could speak and understand any language of any creature living or dead..." Natasha told Salem/Ezra with a smile. "Although, I cannot really say whether that part is true or just legend," she confessed with a soft laugh, remembering Gregor fondly now and his antics.

"Your guardian, Asteria, should actually have no problem reading the book since there is a translation spell that can be used on the book if she needs to," Natasha said as she gave the book back to Ezra with a warm smile.

@ArcanaFate

ArcanaFate · Jul 30, 2018

"Curious."

Ezra stated, the plush's eyes glancing over the interior of the tome. As Natasha explained the time period that the book was written in as well as the language, the spirit only nodded along in response. What more could they say? They had an alright grasp of the English language thanks to Asteria's teachings, but this language was far beyond their current comprehension. What was the "Old Russian culture" like? Were they similar to the history of England, where Asteria claimed to be from? Perhaps they were entirely different? Humanity's societal standards were very odd and varied. So complicated and confusing yet held a uniqueness that drew the spirit into further desires to understand.

At the mention of Gregor, Natasha's attitude seemed to shift. As she spoke of the author and his plethora of skills and knowledge, she seemed to be smiling more? Like he wasn't a figure of myth and legend or a man who left his mark on history during his time, but an actual person that she could see and feel. A real being that she had a connection to, in some form of emotional tie. This would be a wonderful learning experience if that were true. There was a possibility that she did not actually know the man, and Ezra was just terrible at reading people. Easiest way to learn was to experience, no?

"So, were you acquainted this Gregor? You seem to know quite a lot about the man. Or maybe you are a researcher like Asteria and gathered information upon him? He does sound like quite the power magic user."

@Zora

Zora · Jul 31, 2018

At Salem/Erza's unexpected question about Gregor, Natasha found herself smiling, rather amazed by his perception that she might have actually known the authour of the book in question.

"Yes, I knew Gregor Donoski," she said with a little nod, "He was a very good friend of mine. I'm afraid we lost contact many, many years ago. I assume that he passed away a century or so ago." she stated thoughtfully, knowing druids could live a long time but 200 years more seemed rather excessive to her.

"He was already fairly old when I first met him," she said, her thoughts going back to the first moments she had met the druid wizard and writer.

"He was teaching some local boys to make fire using a piece of glass..." she explained to Ezra, remembering the moment she saw Gregor. The old druid had been entertaining a small group of young boys telling stories and showing them tricks. She remembered it had also been a crisp winter's day and she had been taking a walk out near the lake.

"They all thought it was magic or some sort of witchcraft." she laughed, remembering the looks on the boys' faces when Gregor had lit the small bundle of dried grasses with the clear piece of glass.

"He was a good man, I miss him actually," Natasha said with an almost sad smile as she looked at Ezra/Salem. Then after a moment,

"Is Asteria your guardian? " she asked Ezra/Salem kindly and with genuine interest.

@ArcanaFate

ArcanaFate · Aug 4, 2018

"I see. I apologize for your loss, then. Losing a friend must be quite a difficult feeling." Ezra stated flatly, the small black cat puppet staring blankly at the woman. Although they had lost their entire tribe with their disappearance, it was nearly impossible for the spirit to comprehend the actual feeling behind that loss. The year they had spent bonded on and off with Asteria had left the spirit with a small comprehension of basic emotions, but knowing what something was and actually experiencing were too very different things.

"And yes, Asteria is my legal guardian for all intents and purposes until I have matured into a proper adult. She is a very... interesting individual, to be certain. If I had to use a word to describe her, it would be capricious." Salem nodded, small black paw moving to its chin. "She is constantly enamored by the latest interest, letting the wind sweep her away to who knows where. Based on my observations, the fact that she spent well over a year with me in my homeland and even brought me home to the island is quite surprising. She could easily spend the rest of her life theoretically in her home without ever having to work or worry about finances, but she refuses."

Despite not having any facial muscles to actually move, it would almost seem as if Salem was smiling slightly. "She enjoys the work she does. It is... respectable. I believe that is the proper word."

@Zora

Zora · Aug 4, 2018

"Thank you, Ezra. Yes, losing a good friend, a loved one is never easy..." Natasha smiled very kindly, and with a hint of sadness at Ezra/Salem. She had lost so many people in her life over her two centuries of life and it never got any easier. It was the only thing she hated about immortality. Loss seemed inevitable.

"Asteria sounds like a very fascinating person," Natasha remarked with a smile after Salem had described her to Nat. Wondering what she was like in person. She sounded like a very focused, but kind, individual.

"And may I ask just how old you are?" Natasha then asked Salem/Ezra, now curious to know more about them. Salem looked young, cute ... but how else did a plushie cat look? However, Ezra seemed quite mature but in an odd childlike way. It was a quite odd picture she had in her mind.

@ArcanaFate

ArcanaFate · Aug 4, 2018

"How... old I am?"

The puppet seemed to tense slightly, head tilting off-kilter as they gazed up at Natasha. Age was a foreign concept to the empathy spirit as their people did not have a yearly celebration. There were only four notable marks regarding the passage of time for an empathy spirit: being 'born' into the world, forming your first true soul connection, becoming an 'adult', and the near permanent state of 'soul-bonding' with another. Ezra had only experienced of the first two, although their people had said that when it happened, they would know. It was a complex situation, but how to explain it to someone who might not comprehend that lifestyle? But Natasha seemed knowledgeable enough to comprehend their meaning.

"It's a bit of a complicated answer, Miss Natasha. My people did no- apologies, do not celebrate our ages like most human customs do. My people celebrate a few major rites of passage, one of which is the reaching of adulthood. According to Asteria, I am- in physical appearance, at least- about fifteen years old." The small cat plush made an awkward cough noise, something they had picked up from Asteria when she was in an awkward social scenario. It sounded rather forced and out of place, as Asteria would laugh hysterically every time they did it. "It is very possible that I could be around fifteen years old or I could very well be over five thousand years of age based on the Gregorian calendar system. So, as previously stated, it is a bit messy to figure out."

The cat plush tapped its chin again, another habit that Asteria helped Ezra develop. She had told them that it signified that they were thinking, as Ezra would often just remain motionless when attempting to process things and would 'creep her the hell out.' "Miss Natasha, if it is alright, may I inquire about your knowledge of the Russian language? I know very little about the country itself beyond some historical pieces and minor geographical statistics."

@Zora

Zora · Aug 4, 2018

"I understand, don't worry about it..." Natasha said kindly. It wasn't until after she had asked the question that she realised that here on Manta Carlos age was an extremely relative thing. "I was just curious since Salem looks, maybe, 4, 5 years old, but you speak like someone older..." she explained.

Watching Salem's gestures while Ezra talked, made Natasha smile, he looked quite adorable - like an old-fashioned gentleman in a plushie's body. At his question about her Russian knowledge she smiled, wondering where to start.

"I was born in a small village near St. Petersburg. When I was about eight or nine, my parents sent me away to live at court. They were poor, and well, I was just another mouth to feed... " she explained.

"I think they thought I'd be a scullery or chambermaid," she informed him, "Instead, I became a companion for the children at court, I was taught to read and write, some music, art, and that's how I know Russian," she told Ezra/Salem with a warm smile. It was a very shortened version of her life.

@ArcanaFate

ArcanaFate · Aug 8, 2018

"Identifying something by age is somewhat complex, Miss Natasha. I could not tell you how old this puppet actually is as Asteria has given me very little clues to its origin. Your assessment of it being a few years old does have some merit due to the minor fraying that Salem sometimes gets from constantly walking around. I do my best to keep him repaired but I am by no means an expert with needle and thread. This age dating analysis you have done with Salem makes me wish to attempt to do the same. I apologize if I offend but I find this to be an analysis I can do based on our conversation so far.."

The puppet began to give Natasha a look over, from the tips of her shoes to the top of her head. The gaze was unblinking and unwavering as it stared, head tilted slightly before finally realigning itself and staring straight back towards the woman's eyes.

"You stated that you were given away by your birth family and raised in the court of the Russian monarchy, expected to be a servant. You instead became a friend of the children of nobility and received your education from within the court, presumably to be able to be somewhat as knowledgeable as the other children." The puppet nodded softly, the plush ears bouncing slightly as its head swayed. "Which means you had to have been alive during the time of the previous monarchy, which ended with the Bolshevik revolution in 1917 and the death of Tsar Nikolai II and his family. Based on your personal experience within the Russian noble court and the previously mentioned the possible passing of your friend, Sir Gregor Donoski, 'a century or so ago' means you were alive over at least a hundred years ago, but I surmise a few more years beyond that as you had to be able to remember your time in the court. I will hazard a guess at one hundred twenty-five years of age."

There was another pause, and the plush cat began pacing back and forth on the hardwood floor of the bookstore. The taps of fabric tapping along the ground as it moved. "From here, I can only offer conjecture as I do not know much about Russian culture. You mentioned that Sir Donoski wrote this book in 'Old Russian' and identified the year of this book's publication as the year 1698. The idea of 'Old Russian' implies that there is a more recent 'version' of the Russian language and you are able to identify the difference between the two. Which implies that either: A: Sir Donoski taught you the difference at some point during the time of your friendship, B: You learned it within the court as nobility seems to have a strong hold of tradition, or C: You are older than my initial assessment and grew up learning the 'Old Russian' dialect. The evidence of your friendship with Sir Donoski could support that theory. If you were a young girl when you knew him, it could be assumed that you would refer to him as a mentor or teacher or a title referring to a superior rank. But you call him 'friend', which means you would have been closer to colleagues than a mentor/student relationship."

The puppet stopped pacing, plopping onto the floor with a small noise and let out a long sigh. It was almost as if the puppet itself was out of breath from talking so much. Salem looked up from its seated position, paw under its chin. "How was my assessment? Was it satisfactory or was it too invasive?"

@Zora

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