Storms and Sunshines//[OPEN]

[scryingphantomii]

”A wonderful job you’ve done here, boy!” praised a rather gruff voice, as a ruffling indicated a piece of paper being sat down upon an antique desk. The middle aged merchant had continuing his prattling, as if he were cooing to a child whom was recently brought into this world. Sereno had sat in silence; his boney fingers brushing against the maroon fibers of the chair in a caressing manner. He had grown fond of this chair, the fabric cool to the touch. It was a dying shame the chair was going to be sent off to a library; only to collect dust unless Sereno would visit. ”Wonderful work, my boy. Now, to get your pay…”

On that cue Sereno had pressed his palms into the arms, pushing himself out of the delicate chair. Clattering had echoed the quiet shop, as payment was placed before the young male. Sereno gave a swift gaze to the pouch, as if hesitant to take it. ”Come now, it won’t bite!” the elder man let out a howl, amused by his own joke. Sereno’s pale pink lips gave a weak smile, as if to show amusement. He had little interest in gil, mainly of this much. Yes, he did need it – but often he felt handouts were put too often in his direction. He would seldom complain, for he did need cash in order to buy his materials for artworks. Faint scraping came, as the calloused hands brushed the pouch closer to Sereno. He had received the hint, and his dainty hand grasped the beige, linen, bag. ”Thank you,” whispered gratitude.

”No, thank you. Your talent in calligraphy has truly a gift. My daughter has thoroughly enjoyed your lessons. A pity we’ll be taking our leave. Hopin’ to find a better world, ya know?” Sereno gave a small nod as a reply, letting raven hair sway. ”Alexandria was once grand, now look at it. Hardly worth raising a family I say. If we do find a better place, we’ll contact you. Then you can move your family there, how about it?” Silence fell thickly, as the now graying-haired merchant sighed; knowing full well he hit a touchy subject. Catching the porcelain doll’s eyes glisten with pain, the merchant awkwardly cleared his throat. ”Er, we’ll contact you. Anyway, it’s best be time I shut down shop. Gota pack, after all.”

With his cue to leave, Sereno ushered his generous reply once more. ”You’re welcome, sir,” came a reply that could rival crystal, clear, water. The petite figure that had spoken had his head facing the wooden rectangles below. Raven hair cascaded to shadow all but the brim of his nose, contrasting against porcelain doll skin. Said locks fluently flowed, twirling among one another as the figure rose. Two loose strands rippled downward kissing tenderly at his right eye, making the golden iris distinguished from the royal violet left. ”It has been a pleasure to work for you.”

”Same goes for you, boy,” with that, Sereno gently picked up his items and turned to leave; listening to every creaking of the panelings below. Hearing a bell chime, as the door shut behind him, he let out a sigh. The man had spoken the truth; Alexandria was becoming a former shadow of itself. Sereno ventured down the staircase, his footfalls hardly audible. Once his foot hit cobble stones, Sereno veered to his left. His arms were crossed as he held onto extra scrolls, inks of various colours, and the linen pouch.

The robes danced loosely among his stroll, picking up every little breeze. A clean breeze came through the city’s streets, causing him to stop in his tracks. The transparent, top layered, fabric tickled his skin as lashes fluttered shut. He had inhaled, taking in the current peace he had. Sereno opened his eyes, casting them to the sky to see an airship traveling freely into the sky. How magnificent they were, truly, that even he had to marvel at them. ”Marvelous. Perhaps, someday, I may travel upon one of those…”

____________________________________________
“You make me feel
My history’s real
Stay with me in the firelands
You cant believe the risk of the night
Come with me to the firelands…”
“Firelands”// Tracey Hewat
(If anyone read this all – I give my congrats to you!
I would've gone into better description - but this is his current outfit for the thread...)

[val2]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,370px, true] He remembered flying over this area a couple times before. It never really appealed to his eye like most of the southeastern continent, with ruins littering the cities and gradually becoming deserted. Maybe it was about time to check out more of it and, who knew, he might even come across something valuable. It didn't hurt to check, right? Carefully, Rei adjusted the steering, pulled multiple levers, and pressed a few buttons before the aircraft descended towards the area known as Alexandria. "With a name like that, there's bound to be something there," he murmured thoughtfully. His landing was starting to improve and after the ship's door lowered, Reilestis looked out at his surroundings, hands on his hips. Just a few piles of dirt and remains of a building. Up ahead his eyes could clearly make out a village so he headed down the small ramp and easily balanced on a small boulder with his heels. The ship's door raised to close itself and Reilestis hopped down from the piece of rock, maneuvering through the rubble and debris as he rushed to the nearest city. The townspeople he saw as he entered were unusually stubby and... rather adorable. He ignored the stares in his direction and continued along the pathway, looking over every booth and stall he came across for anything that even seemed valuable. Everything looked like a bunch of clay to him. Reilestis stopped in his tracks, a hand on his hip as he glanced ahead and tried to make out the back of a figure. That fabric and those colors were absolutely gorgeous, and the person wearing them seemed to be of normal height. "Hey!" He rushed over to them and examined them closely, from the pale features to the shoulders and hips. "A pretty boy, huh?" he concluded, an amused smile on his lips. No wonder he had such good taste. "You look relatively normal. You from around here?" TAGGED sereno WORDS 323 OUTFIT black & white backless longsleeve w/turtleneck, white lacy short shorts, black over-the-knee socks, black ankle-high boots w/platform & 4-inch heel & white shoe strings

[scryingphantomii]

As orbs peered toward the sky the male had continued his walk, his pace had slowed ever slightly. Much like an artist he was, his imagination had begun to run wild. From various worlds, unpredictable creatures, the type of people he would’ve possibly met. Even the worldly fashions had Sereno in near giggles – my, the possibilities would be endless to choose from! The lips curved upward, as Sereno was transfixed to the point he hardly heard the audible exclamation.

”Hey!”

The five foot eight male his attention diverted from the sky. It was not uncommon, to hear people call to one another. Yet, by the time his gaze had dropped, Sereno had been startled. Lashes fluttered, a puzzling expression painted his features. He did not need words, already knowing the taller male was skimming his appearance. The scribe hadn’t moved a muscle, taking in the rather amusing smile he was receiving.

”A pretty boy, huh?”
“You look relatively normal. You from around here?”

”Ah, yes, I’m from Alexandria here.” Diligently the figure shifted the items within enclosed arms. Once the items were secured with the left arm, Sereno held his right hand out. A common curtsey gesture, yes, but Sereno was raised with such manners. ”My name is Sereno Marcellus, a pleasure to meet you, Sir.” Sereno’s expression melted into a warm smile; his cheeks beginning to paint a shade of soft tea rose. ”I hope I do not intrude, but what vocation of yours would require you to stop in Alexandria?”

Of course, Sereno had noted the taller male was not from Alexandria. It was obvious, seeing how the other had ushered his questions. In such a silken tone too; which had left a rather pleasing impression on the scribe. The moment of silence let the two pigment irises skim over the foreigner. A flawless complexion; yet well hidden beneath a black turtleneck. The same went with the rest of the attire, yet Sereno could not help but take in the silk. Sereno mused about shopping for fabrics later on…

___________________________________
(Sorry for the extremely short post).

[val2]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,370px, true] Reilestis watched as the other shifted the materials in his arms and looked over what he could see; rolls of paper and various inks? Not something people carried around often but it only interested the feminine male further. As Sereno held out his hand in a rather outdated greeting for the people of Ivalice, Rei reached to grab his and gently shake with a small smile. "Pleasure's all mine. I'm Reilestis, call me Rei." He noticed the smaller male's cheeks as they tinted a light blush and found him to be absolutely adorable. Rei's hand was back to his side and when the question of his reason being here was brought up, he glanced around the area. Hands on his hips, lengthy legs paced a couple steps and he looked back to Sereno. "Well," Reilestis sighed, "I thought there might be some sort of treasures or valuables around here, but I've found nothing so far." He'd have to do a thorough search. "And it doesn't hurt to explore every now and then, right?" He stepped back over and stood before the other male again. "But it seems like a quiet town, nearly deserted. Why is someone as vibrant and gorgeous as you still here?" Sereno should've been out exploring, having fun with friends, meeting cute guys in other worlds because the guys here just didn't cut it at all. TAGGED sereno WORDS 229 NOTES trust me, it's more than enough xD OUTFIT black & white backless longsleeve w/turtleneck, white lacy short shorts, black over-the-knee socks, black ankle-high boots w/platform & 4-inch heel & white shoe strings

[scryingphantomii]

Smooth. Sereno mused, as palms were clasped together. As the hands parted, his fingers brushed the skin. Perhaps a few calluses? Former training? His arm went limp, all items supported by the left. ”Reilestis is a rather interesting name, Rei. Rather fascinating to speak, if I may add.”

Sereno observed the taller male placing a hand on a feminine hip, and gazing around. When the words were spoken, Sereno let his head nod. ”Yes, it’s best wise to explore uncharted places. Mmm, I have to apologize for you not finding much in Alexandria. This once grand place has fallen, which is rather depressing.” He couldn’t help it; Alexandria was quite a depressing place now to live. ”It’s at the point, now, that I’m losing a student. The family is hoping to find a more suitable place to raise her. Shame, she had such lovely penmanship.”

”But it seems like a quiet town, nearly deserted. Why is someone as vibrant and gorgeous as you still here?”

”You flatter me, Rei.” Though the cheeks were still flushed, Sereno grew hesitant for a moment. He would love to travel, fascinated into any cultures stories to clothing; he wouldn’t mind to see it all. He gave a quick brush at his raven hair, before returning his arm to balance out the various objects. ”Family matters have caused a lot of dilemmas.” A light nod, as he gave his answer. With little attachment to father and grandfather, he could leave if he desired. His grandmother, whom had raised him, only knew him as a child – never realizing he had grown fully (all he was now, was just a servant whom helped her about the house). Memory was such a puzzling subject.

Sereno gave a light chuckle,”I would adore traveling.” Within moments the eyes shun with excitement. ”Courageous tales from each world. A splendid new adventure, while learning the possible knowledge of the world! The dangerous are periling, yes, but worth it once you escape by the skin of your nose.” A content sigh as the scribe could only imagine. ”You must have marvelous stories…”