2014-09-03 - Stabby Pencils

The hall is loud with the hum of many voices all trying to be low and furtive. Combined, it sounds like bees live in the walls, though there is the occasional coherent word here and there. Politics, meetings, old opinion hoping to survive the infusion of the new. Most of the people here are dressed well, of Houses or courtiers. They are thick in knots all along the hall but for one end, which has an inordinate space around one man seated on a divan, reading a scroll in one hand, resting on his knee. Caine is not dressed as well as others, and the occasional glance up from his reading has the air of annoyance, or the repelling force of a tacit 'Wait'.

There is a mark in the palm of his right hand, visible if uncovered, the design chaotic and different from minute to minute. If the desc or posing includes mention of gloves, this is not visible to you right now.

This golden belt looks like it has been strung together from lizard scales. On the front, serving as the buckle, is a flat plate inlaid with gems in the shape of a serpent. The tiny gems are a dusky pink, the shade you might get if you burned cotton candy.

Krishna is one of many in the hall, though she is not speaking to anyone. she is dressed well, but wearing pants as a female and surprisingly casual even with the great style and quality - the latter thanks to Gerard's tailor who would not have any less no matter how simple the style! The scars she proudly wears in the open may gain a few stares as some appear...questionable. Her sword however is peace bond, though she still wears it. Her dagger also peace bond. Krishna's hazel eyes are currently trained on the paintings as she studies each very carefully, looking at the brush strokes, the use of colors, how they are blended as well for shadows and depth....

In the buzz of palace business, there are disturbances of opinion and mood, but as some of the more... sensitive, shall we say, courtiers stare at Krishna's scarring, the dance of movement in the room suffers a tiny break out of the norm and the buzz takes on a slightly different tone. Caine glances up again at it, dark eyes flitting over faces to home in on the source. Yes, the young woman admiring paintings, it seems. As the prince tilts his head in study, there is another shift, as people standing near Krishna simply take steps further away. There is an abundance of caution in this room.

There are whispers of course, suspicions that she is a Mandrake, but she never publicly declared herself. The fact her arms colors are so much like Prince Corwin's and she uses a rose though black in her coat of arms along with a dragon...Krishna...a pupil of the Princess Amy....though picturing this woman painting is perhaps a little...difficult.

Krishna raises a hand and runs it through her dark hair, least the side that has long hair. She lets out a growl of annoyance when someone doesn't get out of her way fast enough, before moving to the next picture. If the whispers don't stop soon enough...Krishna may get kicked out for punching someone...her expression is one of growing annoyance.

However, Krishna is getting closer to Prince Caine when she notices him looking her away. "Bloody hell, what are you staring at? I got food between my damn teeth?" She has a slight accent...Lyonesse. She likely has no clue who Caine is.

And the hall just goes dead quiet, and somewhere, some asshole snickers, a mean sound. Caine ignores the sound and the now-stony audience, regarding the woman with a neutral expression. "The more pressing question now is if you have anything between your ears." The man's tone just opens its coat, as it were, to show the arsenal within, before closing and smiling pleasantly. "Who are you, and do you have business with the Royal Seneshal?"

"Na...I think it got knocked loose some years ago," comes the woman's smart reply. "I can spell my name while standing to piss in snow too." A shrug comes from Krishna. "Not unless the great and mighty Royal Seneshal knows painting techniques, then they wouldn't be particularly useful to me." She mmms, "Or could send a message to Corwin. I haven't seen his ass around lately. Life is boring without Corwin causing some sort of chaos. So..let's see, what other controversy thing should I spit out like a brainless twat?" Krishna is grinning wickedly now, a playful light in her cold hazel eyes.

"Go on, you're on a roll," Caine says, tugging a pencil out of his doublet and turning his scroll over. "Say I can get a message to Corwin, let that be your incentive. I haven't seen a more fascinating introduction since that strip-o-gram I got years ago." No one laughs. The prince begins sketching on the back of the scroll, frequently checking on Krishna's progress with a squinty look.

"Damn, I'd take a strip-o-gram over the crazy shit Dirk sends me. Jealous now...wait...Dirk might try to be his own strip-o-gram." And Krishna shudders at that. "I'm...going to have nightmares tonight."

"Anyway, if you can seriously give him a message, tell him Krishna said drinking contest this week sometime at Death's Ally. Got something to tell him anyway. Hopefully it won't end up with him stabbing me through...with his 'sword'. And not the kinky one." Krishna then moves to flop down beside Caine of all people. "So...The Royal Seneshal huh? Which one are you? Obviously, not up to the politics. I know you aren't Prince Eric, he's awall last I heard. And I've seen King Random and Prince Brand, and met Prince Gerard and Prince Corwin." She starts ticking off fingers. "Man..there are tons of you," her brow wrinkling.

Caine smiles slightly at the comment about Dirk, focusing mostly on the sketch taking form. Close up, it's revealed to be a very good one, thin and thick lines giving the drawing of Krishna strength and fragility all at once. "Well," he says, not looking up as she sits next to him. "I think what Corwin might need to know is how to identify your body when I'm done with you. Because I'm the one who doesn't stand for showing disrespect to a Prince and Seneshal of the realm in front of a hall of people. I am Caine, and I do what none of them will stomach." He glances up at Krishna then, gaze steady on her.

A quiet mmmm, "That be disappointing. Survived this long through all the evils, sure I could survive you too, no matter if your looks could kill." Krishna leaves it open if it's because your looks are that good, or that bad, but she does lean toward you. "Hey...that's really good actually, not that I'm a good judge of art work yet. I'm still learning. It's nice to have something that doesn't involve death and destruction for once, you know?" Krishna just seems to take Caine with a grain of salt. She notices Caine's hand, but doesn't comment on it. "Caine huh? You are one of the actual bad ass Prince's I think. Heard Benedict is one of the greatest swordsmen too. But usually it's you and Corwin that make people tremble and whimper unseemly, with a little Eric thrown in as well."

His expression's still neutral, though Caine's eyes seem amused, though at what is anyone's guess. He's not spitting lightning out them, or anything like that. "I know a thing or two about art, actually. Painting, definitely." He twirls the pencil around his thumb as he talks. "Ah, so then you've heard of my artistic specialty." And the twirling of the pencil stops in his grip, and the prince moves suddenly, attempting to stab the pencil into Krishna's shoulder.

Krishna doesn't even bother trying to move. She actually takes the pencil in her shoulder purposely. Not that it does much damage as it's a bloody pencil and she's tough, though Caine is also...very strong. So blood it does draw which luckily isn't too staining on an already dark red shirt....the shirt being pressed into broken skin. There is a wince from her, pain reflecting in her eyes that she strives to hide, but she didn't pull away....sheer determination is the only thing that made her refuse to budge...but she wasn't able to hide her reactions entirely. "So...," the sound 'off' at first, and she has to clear her throat to steady her voice, "You trying to draw with my blood or something?" Her fingers are curled in fists to keep from lashing out, knuckles white.

Caine leans in, his gift still closed around the pencil, holding it against her where he's driven it to his fingers. He's /watching/ for that wince, the pain, like a man watches for flame under the strike of flint. Something... flows out of his hair at his temple, a ripple of rot, necrosis made alive on his skin. The mottled skin lurks shyly in his hairline. "You could say that," he breathes, before turning to look at the aghast audience. "Out." And with the hurried clamor of fancy people trying desperately not to be witnesses, the hall empties as the prince looks back at Krisha thoughtfully.

"I kind of pity you Caine," Krishna states almost softly, refusing to simply back down. It doesn't matter if her heart pounds, she will not whimper and cower. Krishna then moves her freed arm upward, her hand reaching to touch Caine's skin if he doesn't pull away or stop her where the rot was showing. "You...are Chaos tainted, aren't you?" Her brow wrinkles in thought. "Corwin attempted to tempt me with it, the power it offers. I can understand the temptation, but...in some ways, it makes you two seem so sad. Withdraw the pencil Caine and let it go." She doesn't seem afraid of the Chaos, but she doesn't seem overly tempted by it either...fascinated, but not tempted.

Whether at the approach of her finger or some other reason, the rot begins retreating as she touches it. "This may sound strange," he says. "But I very much value that people do and feel what they think they should at the time. Be genuine, even if it's pity. Though my brother's situation is very different than mine, I imagine it wouldn't change how you feel about it." He leans back, sitting up straight again, and pulls the pencil straight out of her. "Don't be insulting me in public again," he adds.

A bit of a wince, "Big baby," since everyone went running out. "Fine, I'll keep it in private." Krishna then checks her tunic, hrming..., "Should be able to get the blood out...," more worried about her clothes than the wound. Her wound will heal. "And you and Corwin are very different...he laughs at my jokes. Geez...these are new clothes...I had to wipe out a priate ship practically solo for these clothes....bastards killed someone under my care. Luckily, she got better. They didn't though." She smirks lopsidedly at that.

"Any other tips and advice, hopefully without the pointy end of a pencil Mr. Dark and Gruesome?" Krishna sighs at the last part. "Maybe I do need a filter...I always attract the attention of Chaos people. Next it be Mordred and...ugh....that be horrifying."

"You'll work out what the proper audiences are for those jokes... which were very good, by the way." Caine is looking over the bloody pencil as if not sure what to do with it now. Pausing, he signs the drawing of her with a slight mix of lead and blood, and offers both. "You'll want to clean it thoroughly, least someone use blood magic against you. Mordred..." And if Krishna didn't inspire anger in a stabbing attack, that name summons up wrath in the prince's eyes. "Would avoid him if I were you. And I mean that seriously. I take it you're a relative of some level."

"You don't need to tell me twice. I hear he eats fairy heads. I would delightfully go in the OTHER direction as Mordred." Krishna reaches out for the two items, actually smiling a bit at the drawing of her. She nods at teh emntion of blood magic however. Though she then blinks, "You...you are the only one to have actually guessed that," seeming surprised. She then grunts, "Not your bloodline though." She really does seem surprised at Caine's observations.

"Oh, I know, I only father male children." Caine has a very good deadpan, though it wouldn't be a joke if he didn't give it away a bit. "It was that or Corwin's lay, and he has one currently. You rattled off a good number of names already." His gaze strays to the bloody hole in her shirt often as he talks. "Is it a problem that I've guessed?"

A quiet hrm..., "Oh really?" Krishna rolls her eyes at Caine's deadpan statement. "Anyway, not particularly. I will come out publicly about it sooner or later. Though I rather tell Corwin myself. He always seems to have issues with...'family'. It's either that or have someone else do it and dive for cover...," a pause..., "but I'm not the cowardly type. Anyway, I favor women, it have to take one hell of a man for me to consider bedding one of those." Krishna smirks at that, "So not Corwin's lay, though I am fond of him. I'm sure he will get me into terrible trouble one of these days, and it will be fun and horrible at the same time."

Caine's jaw drops just a tad at the implication that Corwin doesn't know, then firms up and he nods. "I think you've gotten a glimpse of the fact that -everyone- has issues with family. I agree it would be better if he learned it from you, rather than someone else. As to when is a good time..." He shrugs eloquently. "Though if I were to hazard a guess, you could provoke a fight with him, let him stab you, then tell him right then so his guilt counters anything else he might feel that is not in your best interest. And, ah, not the big sword he has, Gram, arrange for him to have a normal one. Trust me, that scenario will work for you."

"Why would he feel guilty about stabbing family? I wouldn't." Krishna says that so straight-faced! "I rather get away with not being stabbed by anything. Maybe I'll get him completely drunk first. Last time I couldn't drink him under the table cause I had a concussion." She sighs at that, "Stupid bloody Graal Knights," a bit of venom in her voice. "Anyway...still don't get why he feel guilty stabbing me." Krishna doesn't comment how cute Caine was when his jaw dropped.

One of those rare occurrences, surely, catching Caine by surprise. There does seem to be an act at work here; with the crowds he was quietly menacing, but now he seems almost normal. Amiable. Good thing he dismissed all the witnesses already. "Because he's Corwin," he replies. "Not you. It'd work, but if you want to try something predictable and non-bloody, I'm sure it'll be fine." Not as entertaining for him, perhaps, as convincing someone to try to get stabbed by Corwin of Amber. "I'll hazard another guess and say you could take such a plan." He nods down at her arms. "Business or pleasure?"

"Yaaaa. I'm not testing that theory out, thanks. You just want me to bleed more," Krishna states with suspicion. She then looks at her arms, and answers bluntly, "I was a child slave. Torture, rape, you name it. Killed my way to higher status. My...mentor didn't like that though, thought I should know my place so betrayed me and tried to kill me. So now I'm with House Mandrake and bodyguard to the Duchess Celeste. Their loss, my gain." There is no shame in what she survived, her tone is confident and matter-of-fact.

Krishna's hazel eyes look directly into Caine's own eyes. "I'm a survivor Caine."

Her guess is almost on the mark, if the mischief in Caine's eyes says anything. It's still not an entirely wholesome mischief, and it's tempered with the tale she tells. Nodding, he says, "You walk into the royal palace bearing marks that lessor people would try to hide, and you could have, easily. Then you sass the one person in a room full of people that you shouldn't. Now, I've seen my share of dumb, and dumb could have done that. But I didn't see dumb in you." He pauses, and this might be where some apology might be placed, sorry about the stab with the pencil because of reasons involving princely ego, appearances, or whatever. "I've seen people come out a lot worse from that." But nope.

A grunt at Krishna, "Then good for them." Not much compassion in Krishna in reality. "Wait...did you kind of just apologize?" She then smirks, "Don't worry, I wouldn't dare whisper a word of it, well...properly bribed." A playful grin is playing across her lips then. "Come out with me for a drink sometime." Great...she kinda likes Caine, the poor man.

Caine scoffs at that. "No. Being stabbed is character building. Would you want the past to have played out differently than it did, standing here and looking back on it now? The scars tell a story. Might not be a pretty story, might hurt to think back on, but it's yours. You work for Celeste, ask her about where I got a certain door-like scar on my torso from." He traces a square on himself, one that is without one side. "I don't apologize for anything." He re-slouches. "A drink. Oh, you need help getting stabbed by Corwin, right..." His grin is immediately wolfish. "I want to watch that."

"Well...if it played out differently, my mother might still be alive. She...was beautiful Caine. Everything I am not. Sunshine, joy...she...liked art, doing crafts and things, she made beautiful things." But Krishna then shakes her head, a flicker of pain in her eyes..the only thing that did seem to draw a deep emotional response from her. "Anyway, you can't turn back time, so it doesn't matter anyway."

But she then says, "You are not helping me get stabbed by Corwin." Krishna then reaches out and pokes you in the shoulder. "Behave Caine. Anyway, it be better to get Amy's intended stabbed by Corwin, I'm sure she will appreciate it greatly. Anyway, that be more fun, might get a war out of it."

There is no retaliation for the scolding and poke, because there are no witnesses. Instead, there is the local princely version of the devil on everyone's shoulder, perking up at the mention of stabbings leading to /war/. "Really now." Ideas are clicking behind his eyes, fitting relationships and capabilities and grudges and throne envy together. "Mmm. You're right, though, you can't turn back time. And you will make beautiful art and already have great mouth on you. I was listening. And... pain suits you." He looks thoughtful. "You wear it well."

"Great, glad to know you just looove my issues. Believe me, I know them well enough, the Pattern made sure of that." Krishna wrinkles her nose at that. Yes...she survived walking it, but it was hushed. "Anyway, what about Death's Alley? Usually my favorite place to get a drink."

There's an eye twitch at the mention of the Pattern, and nothing more about it. "We all have our issues," Caine says with a smile. "I can just relate to yours, probably at a level not fit for polite company. Or witnesses. Death's Alley... well, if you insist on going amicable with me in public, then certainly. You're buying, you owe me."

A snort, "Why do I owe you? I'm broke anyway." Krishna states. "I'm trying to mooch." Though she looks curious at the eye twitch. "You can't go to that...can you? Amy was speaking of wards, protections...," against chaos. Krishna keeps it vague, perhaps in a way to not push Caine's buttons as hard.

There are buttons aplenty there, ranged like a minefield. Caine shades right into guarded, close to that neutral pleasantness he was wearing when there was a court hanging about. "Yes, they have sealed the Pattern from me. And," he adds, lightly, "You owe me for the pencil." Then he's standing, brushing the touch of blood on the side of his hand off against his trousers. "Fine, you're broke and I'm filthy rich, so I'll buy. It will help keep your secret a bit longer, possibly replace speculation with rumors about us. You can squash those, though, of course."

"Whatever. People can say what they want. What matters between us, is what you and I know Caine." Krishna moves to stand, taking her picture. "Perhaps one day you will really talk to me, perhaps you won't. Either way...I think you are an interesting person to know. I hope our continued interactions will be...a little less stabbing with me at the point." She grins a little at that. "Though I wouldn't mind helping you stab others. I like being on the non-pointy end myself," a bit of humor in her eyes. "So...should I exit from a different direction and let people gossip that you murdered me and buried me in the gardens?"

Caine's smile is ironic, and the button about the Pattern is dodged. "Oh, I think they will be. I want to hear about your pirate experience, I've a little interest in the sea, myself." He considers again, studying her. "No... I think you should leave out to the entrance hall, proudly, and let them all say you survived Prince Caine. A chance of pace is refreshing and confuses people. I'll let you know when I'm free for that drink?"

A chuckle comes from Krishna. "I see, very well, we will do things this way. And story for a story. I'll share my pirate experience, and you share a tale with me. As for letting me know, send a message to House Mandrake." She then winks at Caine, "Happy to have survived you." She will then move to take her leave unless stopped by Caine.

Caine murmurs as she goes, "I liked that pencil." But he doesn't stop her, and probably looks less dignified and terrifying as he watches her depart.

When Krishna departs, she is proud, and all smiles. She even winks at some of the ladies for 'special effect'. Though Caine will find a message delivered to him later. It will have all the blood removed from his 'pencil', and a black ribbon will be tied about it in a bow. There is a message...in Lyonesse of course, so hopefully Caine can read it: 'Try not to stab me next time with this, I won't give it back again Mr. Killer Looks. - Krishna De'Mandrake'. Yep...she's a Mandrake too...on top of being family...Corwin is going to LOVE it when he finds out.