Leucistic [For Armande]

[iprince]

It was a cruel irony, truly, if there had ever been one. Kaemonji had wandered Europe, Asia, and Africa without fail, navigating with naught but his own sense of longing, following nose, ears, eyes and the words of what few people he trusted with the knowledge of his search. He’d found his way out of jungles as deep and thick as the Amazon, through deserts as expanse as the Sahara. And now he was truly and irrevocably lost in a small, English hedge maze. Mere entertainment for the park’s visitors.

It was most disconcerting.

Heavy white paws guided him around a bend, steering him directly into a face full of leaves, gleaming darkly in the moonlight. Kaemonji’s ears snapped back against his skull, buried in his mane, and he let out a gruff snort before turning (a tight squeeze, for such a large creature), and trotting back down the path he had only just come from.

The English and their games!

Immediately regret poured into Kaemonji’s mind, and he lowered his head, ears flattened but no longer aggressively so. Perhaps this was a smattering of punishment for him. He should be searching for Jiaro, not wandering the maze meant for entertainment…not a petty game. Perhaps it was his need to find his cousin that allowed his obviously less-than-perfect sense of direction to straighten itself out.

…but it had been such a long time since he’d allowed himself a bit of recreational fun. If he truly could not find his way out he’d merely have to jump the hedge.

A guilty smile curved Kaemonji’s lips and he hurried forward, the ebony tuft of his tail flicking back and forth between leucistic ankles. Cowed, but not yet ready to make himself subservient to the desire to abandon his fun.

Who’s to say the mighty Jiarokumo did not partake in maze wandering, anyway?

[silverdust]

He could tell you of grand theatres and spin the stories of their labyrinthine bowels, layered thick with the grotesque and the entrancing. He could speak of traps that made one wish for death, of eternities of endless passage. The nightmares those lurid gothic romances were made of, carceri, bastille. And this maze but a shallow imitation, and oddly all he really needed tonight. A place to remind him, in its quiet solitude, of the chains that made him.

At least, he had thought he was alone. It was dangerous for him to remember like this, to lose himself so far in the past and the winding passages that he failed to notice those around him. He turned a corner and...

"Oh."

It was more a drawn breath than an exclamation, softly voiced as if it weren't a few steps shy of being a collision. But it wasn't the most uncomfortable of situations to be in, and the gentleman's allure reasserted itself like oiled clockwork. He bowed, sweeping his tophat in an arc before him, a perfect show of humbled chagrin. "Excuse me, I was not paying attention."

He glanced upward, through the cobweb-fine mane and delicate beadwork. "I did not disturb you, I hope...?"

((jeez I'm rusty ^^;)

[iprince]

Kaemonji’s head jerked up at the whiff of something else, some other being, upon the air…only to find himself already nose-to-nose with the stranger. He recoiled immediately, paws scrabbling against the terrain…but only for a moment, and only out of surprise. Relief came to him upon the realization that this a fellow Euclides. One, it appeared, who was willing to be courteous.

Kaemonji’s eyes followed the trail of the chiroptae’s top hat, his tail swaying in discomfort. He was not unfamiliar with the ornaments of puppet masters, and he, a lowly puppeteer, was quick to humble himself before one of such a rank.

But no name was given, and Kaemonji could not be positive of a rank without that…hat or no hat.

He smiled pleasantly at the words, dipping his head hastily in turn…an action that gave him a few moments to fumble through the translation. He was so terribly unfamiliar with English, after all. He understood enough to catch the bare meaning of the chiroptae’s introduction.

“Ah…no,” Kaemonji shook his head,” I was only…” Only what? What was he doing? Taking a break. Having fun. Distracting himself.

“…playing.” He supposed, was the correct word.

His smile broadened slightly, weakly apologetic in nature,” I am sorry. My English is not good.” And, indeed, even his few simple words were thickened with a deep Egyptian accent.

“I am lost a little, I think.” Not that he wanted help, of course. That would ruin his fun. But he’d been traveling alone for such a long time…a bit of company would be gratuitously welcomed.

[silverdust]

"Playing?"

There was no scorn in Armandejah's voice, only a mild bemusement. He straightened in a single fluid motion, shaking the mane from his eyes, a distant smile gracing the aristocratic features. There was not many a Euclide around, at least not that he had encountered, that would so willingly admit to play; no, they were much too prideful. Then again, it could be attributed to the difficulty with the language.

He tilted his head slightly, trying to recall. He had known Egyptian once, but that had been another life and he could not remember but a few meaningless phrases. There was little he could do but speak slower, not in the eloquent lilt that was normal of his rank and type. Convery meaning through the voice and not the words. Strange for him, but...

"I can walk with you, until you find your way," he offered, again inclining his head. The leonine was worried about humbling himself, when he was the one who should offer apology. He extended the spindly tip of a wing, the bands glinting mercury in the bright moon. "It is the least I can do, for startling you."

[iprince]

Kaemonji’s ears flicked back at the inquiry. Had he chosen the wrong word? Was ‘play’ incorrect? No…the stranger was smiling. He hadn’t taken offence. If Kaemonji had used the term incorrectly, it hadn’t been terribly so. At the smile, Kaemonji’s grew as well…merely an attempt to mimic the Englishman. He hadn’t found anything bemusing, after all.

His second statement was clear enough. “Walk with you” was a simple and plain, and the rest filled itself in easily enough. Kaemonji nodded his head, his little snake-trinket bobbing between his forelegs,” Thank-you. That would be very kind.” This…offering of his wing was unusual. Was he to grasp it? Surely, in any other form than this one, he could…but it was an unusual appendage. Not meant for holding.

Ah, perhaps it was an ushering. Yes. That’s it. Very well then, he’d start them off (or rather, lead them in the continuation of their wandering). Kaemonji flicked his eyes toward the proffered limb and started toward the chiroptae with a swish of his tail.

“My name is Kaemonji,” he offered, lowering his head a little as he passed the stranger…still unsure about his rank. Kaemonji had been taught to honor his betters. Discipline amongst puppeteers had been well taught in his old cast, sometimes painfully with an annihilation as Puppet Master. He eyed the chiroptae’s hat once again…

…he was a dazzling creature, covered in gold. Surely the rank of Puppet Master was befitting of him. It was always best to inquire, though, rather than assume and act incorrectly.

“Are you…” he faltered. Rank translations were difficult,”…like pharoh?” There. That was close enough. Hopefully he would understand.

[silverdust]

Confusion, that he could see. There was a divide between their languages, and now widening with his actions. He hadn't meant to, of course, but the charm had become such a part of him that it was difficult to let go. In the proper crowd it was a gift, but here it seemed more an awkward pretense.

"Kaemonji," he repeated softly, rolling the name off his tongue. There again was the taste of Egypt, something that he had once known so well.

He shifted aside, allowing the leonine an easier path. While the other was certainly lithe in build, they were both rather large creatures in a passage that was meant for three humans abreast, it seemed. He returned the nod as the other passed, amused by his sincere...servility wasn't the word, was it? He was certainly not simpering, but it seemed that he had been taught to know his place. Armande had almost become used to puppeteers acting like masters of their own.

The next question explained, however. He had forgotten to introduce himself, and with all this ornament, the youth had taken him to be...something he was not. He laughed lightly, a sound something like glass but honest in its feeling.

"No, I'm sorry, I..." Stop, hold your tongue. The other would not want to be burdened with the reasons of why he had made a habit of forgetting to give his name. He drew a breath and thought out his words.

"No, I am not a pharaoh. I am..." how to translate Director? "I am...something like a vizier, do you recognize the word? My name is Armandejah, forgive me my rudeness for forgetting it so long."

He wondered if he had spoken to fast, but, in any case, he would be glad to repeat it as many times as it took.

[iprince]

Lithe? Yes. But perhaps not as much as he’d like to be. Since his arrival in England he’d gotten…slightly more round about the middle. Quite perturbing really, even if it wasn’t terribly noticeable (at least not yet). England’s ‘prey’ was much too simple a catch, he supposed, and as he’d reached his destination Kaemonji had not seen fit to spend every day walking mile upon mile. Perhaps his metabolism had gotten ahead of himself.

Ah, but what fickle thoughts! Musing on vanity! Kaemonji whisked his mind away from himself, returning attention to the stranger.

Vizier? Yes. He understood that. Not a puppet master then, but certainly not someone to be looked down upon.

“Vizier Armandejah,” Kaemonji parroted, his eyes rolling upward in thought. That was pleasant. Very elegant. Keamonji held his earlier thought; this gentleman deserved to be a puppet master.

“You have a very…rich name.” Like kings. Such a name would be sullied by the hard syllable ‘ku’. Kaemonji had never taken kindly to the eccentricy of their species’ naming traditions. Such unusual, crass names they produced. He was thankful that his own was not so terrible.

“It is very pleasant, I like it.”

He carried on through the miniature labyrinth, turning them about a bend he was sure he had not yet ventured through, a longer line of hedges greeted him, branching off twice to the right and once to the left. He continued slowly…perhaps his gentleman would see fit to give him a clue.

…for more than one thing. Jiaro would not have ventured to some foreign town without making his name known throughout all Euclide (and Amuni) kind. Surely if this stranger had been a citizen here for long, he would have heard his cousin’s name.

“You are English, yes?” Kaemonji inquired, tilting his head back at the chiroptae, ”Do you know Jiarokumo?” It was not only caution that kept him from voicing his connection to Jiaro, or his reasons for asking about him…but experience. Jiaro left him mark, oh yes, yes indeed…but it wasn’t always a pleasant one, and the name of Jiarokumo did not always bring pleasantries.


{{psychology is a terribly boring class, when one has a teacher who's not meant to dabble in the subject. Thus, I did this;

www.geocities.com/euclidestheatre/armandekaemonji.jpg

X3 Inaccuracies and the like are due to not having a reference. I think Armande might be a bit too big. Also tired making Kaemonji somewhat chubby, being preggers and all.}}

[silverdust]

Vizier Armandejah. Yes it was elegant, at least coming from the other's tongue. Unbroken, fluid, and nothing like it had been before. All that remained was the liquid finesse, the gentleness. Perhaps it was something he would want to hold more dear, from this point on.

"Thank you, Kaemonji," he wasn't sure he could put into words what the other's name brought back to him, other than to say it as if he held something precious in his mouth. A fine Egyptian spice that he could've sworn he had lost forever. "Yours has an exotic grace in itself."

He noticed the falter in the other's step as they neared the crossroads, and he could guess what Kaemonji was subtly asking. He smiled, and he reached out his claw and touched the other's shoulder lightly. "Stay a moment."

He indicated the path the other had started towards. "That one brings us back to where we met."

He did not give the ends of the other paths; after all, Kaemonji seemed like he needed the release. The mention of the other name, though...it was odd, and a bit unsettling. Jiarokumo...he had not heard the name come up with favor lately, even though he himself had no standing quarrel or interaction with the 'god'. He wondered, vaguely, why Kaemonji would want to know of the infamous Puppet Master, but he was not in a position to ask.

"I have become English enough to know the name Jiarokumo," he said lightly. "From what I have heard, he is caught up with increasing his cast, and his progeny as well."

((Eee, Mem's mad drawing skillz!! They're adorable, and Armande doesn't look that off. It's almost fitting he seem bigger...preggers, lol ;D Eep, SD's taking psychology next yr...^^;)

[iprince]

Kaemonji stared blankly, smiling still although he was clearly puzzled. His habit of attempting to please foreigners outweighed his desire to ask what…those rather long and jumbled words meant. ‘Thank-you’ he understood, and he believed the last piece to be compliment but it was difficult to say. Best to simply nod in response, that couldn’t be taken impolitely.

He paused at the tap on his shoulder, head craned about his shoulder and brow raised with curiosity. So his gentleman friend had understood his slower pace.

“Thank-you,” his smile turned softer, genuine, and he continued languidly down the second path at their right. This was pleasant, wasn’t it? Kaemonji no longer had to fear finding himself wandering in circles (as he most certainly had been, after spending hours crawling about between the hedge rows), and conversation was ready at hand to keep his mind from wandering too far. It had been a long time since he’d felt comfort like this.

Since his naga, in fact. The thought caused his heart to clench and he quickly whisked his mind away. Zar knew when he’d see him again, if he’d see him...or if he’d grow old and fade away before Kaemonji could return to him. Best not to think of such a thing on quite so wondrous a night.

From what I’ve heard…

“You have not met him then?” Kaemonji’s eyes lifted upward toward the chiroptae’s face,” You would not know where he is?” He paused. Something of his quest would have to be revealed,” I have been looking for him.” A search that had taken him nearly a century to complete, and now it was only a matter of finding his home within the English city.

{{X3 I'm glad you like it. It was fun.
Mrah, my dislike for psychology stems from the teacher, who's the school's only art teacher and should stick to her subject. We make posters in psychology. It's terrible. x.x; We even did a Dr. Phil test. Grah.
I'm very upset with the whole thing, most especially because one of the school's teachers is a psychologist. Grah x.x;; }}

[silverdust]

"Searching for Jiarokumo?"

It was surprising to hear those words; from his experience many tended to stay away from the great cat. Those in his cast he had sought himself. At least, that was what was said on the streets. Armandejah would warn Kaemonji against such action, but those eyes told a different story, one that he could not judge until he heard it for himself.

"No, I have not met him," he kept his voice soft, but not as if talking to a child. In all honesty he was a little disappointed that he could not help the leonine, but tangled in that was a relief and a genuine concern for the youth who courted death.

He brushed a strand of hair from his eyes, glancing vaguely over the hedges. "I have met a few of his children. They might know."

His eyes turned again to Kaemonji's face, and he could see...something. Somehow this youth desperately needed to know, for a reason that, while he didn't comprehend it exactly, he understood all too well.

"We can seek those children, if you so desire. They may be able to take you to him."

((I don't know much about the teacher, but I've heard ours is good. *crosses fingers* ))

[iprince]

“I would like that very much.” To see Jiaro again…to see him soon. When he rid himself of this maze. Oh, he could be moments away from a reunion he’d waited years to have. A wash of excitement overcame him, sending a rush of adrenaline through his veins. It caused a visible shiver to rack his form, the thick fur about his neck rising in anxiety.

He was so close to his goal.

…but his gentleman friend seemed rather put off by his request. Kaemonji could not truly feel ill will toward him because of that. He knew all too well his cousin’s reputation. Although Kaemonji had never had the pleasure of meeting one of Jiaro’s offspring, he doubted the apple could have fallen too far from the tree.

Kaemonji’s excitement dwindled and he paused beside a second bend, his tail flicking anxiouslt back and forth, lifting only inches off the ground. His ears flicked backward, not out of anger or fright, but of a semblance of subservience.

“But only if you do not mind, Vizier Armandejah. I do not wish to be the…what is the word? Inconvenience? Burden?” The only person he had ever truly inconvenienced with his quest had been thoroughly repaid for his efforts. Kaemonji did not like making himself burdensome toward others.

[silverdust]

There must be a good reason behind Kaemonji's quest, if he could judge by the boy's reaction. His excitement was near tangible, and Armande was caught somewhere between pleasure and regret. But surely nothing terrible could come of this, as long as...no, forget it. Too much of his time was spent on fatalistic musings.

But there again was a falter of step and he was again surprised by Kaemonji's ready humility, even though it was far from necessary. Could the other truly believe that everything he asked for was such a burden? Armande shook his head, the beads glancing gold over the small grin gracing his features.

"There is no trouble at all, Kaemonji. I do not believe that you could ever be a burden. And you need not call me by my title any longer."

Absently, he reached out and ran the top of his wing across the other's cheek, as if to ease some of the anxiety he saw all too clearly in the delicate face. But he withdrew quickly, with a slight disconcertion flickering in his eyes. What exactly had possessed him to do that?

"Ah, I'm sorry. That was too...forward of me."

[iprince]

Kaemonji’s mouth split with glee. His gentleman companion was willing to aid him then, and with no ill-will caused by the possible inconvenience of his quest. He could not have asked for a better guide, even if Armande insisted he drop the title, as elegant and…homely as it felt against his tongue. Rich in every sense of the way. Very well, he would abide. It was the least he could do in return for the chiroptae’s help.

He moved to turn back to the path, but the action halted at the gentle brush of fur against his cheek. Kaemonji’s eyes flickered downward, following the limb as it retreated. Black lips parted slightly, gaze lingering on Armande’s wing. It had been quite some time since he’d felt the comfort of a simple touch. He flicked his ears back and raised his eyes, mouth falling shut with a quiet curve of his of lips.

“I…do not mind.”

His tail snapped between his ankles once again, and he looked away, down the path. No…no…he didn’t mind at all. That little touch had blossomed pleasant memories in his mind.

But he had to find Jiaro. He had to time to…to…become affectionate with his gentleman. And besides, it was simply a touch. It didn’t have to mean anything more than that.

[silverdust]

Armande felt the slight stab of awkward shame at seeing the other's reaction, but he was glad that it had not been of a different extreme. But he wouldn't broach the issure further, better to just forget that little slip had ever happened. He still couldn't fathom why he had done so; it wasn't something he often did, words more than contact giving the edge to his charm, refraining from touch even with Marionettes.

He had given up that kind of game, long ago.

"Come then, shall we continue?" he followed the leonine's gaze, his voice even and pleasant. It was as if nothing had passed, just a simple gesture to be pushed aside. "I believe the end may be near."

How strange, to be slipping so often. He didn't know if it was Kaemonji himself or the faint impressions that the other reminded him of, a time forgotten, a self forgotten. To be sure, it was a subtle charm in itself, this sudden persistence of memory. But he would not let these strange impulses rule him any longer; as a Director he was more than capable of dissembling his emotion.

[iprince]

Innocence then…or a mistake. Neither bothered Kaemonji terribly. Simple affection, especially in innocence, was just as heartily welcome. An odd thing for a Euclides, nay, one of the mighty Jiarokumo’s lineage, to think. But his naga, entirely un-euclides in habit and appearance, had rubbed off on him. There was no shame in affectionate friendship.

Continue? Kaemonji bobbed his head,” Yes. I am…eager to see Jiaro.” He bit off the ‘again’ that danced upon his tongue, still ever unwilling to explain his reasons for seeing out the formidable feline. He turned away, succeeding without interruption this time, and sauntered down the path. He turned twice (without a choice, the path did not fork) glancing back every so often to be sure his gentleman was still behind him.

They came upon another branching path, one that carried forward, an inevitable turn seen up ahead, and one at either side. The fork looked familiar, something, perhaps, from the entrance. He’d made his way back to the beginning, apparently. Very well. Finding the end wasn’t nearly so important as finding Jiaro. He could always return to the maze, after all. It wouldn’t move or travel, seeking fortune and fame without him.

His heart hammered against his chest, fresh, unstifled air bathing the pathways with it tantalizing scent.
And yet, he was still uncertain. Three branches meant two chances of wandering for hours yet.

…perhaps not so terrible a thing, with such kind company.

Kaemonji cast Armande a quiet smile from over his shoulder, “You know the exit, yes? Do you wish to…leave quickly, or…can I wander more? Are you…in hurry?” He didn’t want to take up any more time than the chiroptae was willing to offer, after all.