I picture it, soft, and I ache
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
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#15
Oh all I ever wanted was
a life in your shape
"At least with you I'm not worried I'll end up with the Old Gods at my door...it's a concern with Amalia." Sam laughed quietly, though it wasn't really funny, and the mention of his sisters name, which he had almost surprised himself with, made him feel momentarily uncomfortable, especially given the last time they had seen each other.

Hearing of Amun's old world was a welcome distraction. "That sounds...horrible. Did you see many monsters yourself?" He asked, frowning with concern, finding that he didn't like the thought of Amun alone in a world of beasts; perhaps it was a relief that he had come to Caido. "...I almost became a bookmaker in the same way. My parents kicked me out and the bookmaker in town had no one to pass his trade onto. He offered me a home in return for learning and continuing it." Sam smiled, eyes drifting briefly off to the far corner of the room, which had once been where his mentor's desk sat. Now it was empty, a dining table having taken over the space years ago, but the memory prevailed.

"...Well. Immediately, quite stressful. I was in the Spire, when it was taken down, and it was not a pleasant time." Speaking of his mentor, that was when he had been forced to hit the man, or at least something that looked like him, with a rock; the visual had never quite left his mind. "Afterwards, though? It was very nice to finally feel free to explore...though the rest of the world was not happy about the sudden influx of Ascended in their lands."
Keep my eyes on the road
As I ache
SAMUEL
Base Code by Sky!
Amun Arlun
Potter

Age: 41 | Height: 5'7'' | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 11 - Strg: 31 - Dext: 34 - Endr: 28 - Luck: 30 - Int: 1
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#16
Amun

You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes
You're going to have to make a few compromises
Amun chuckled. "You don't know. I could be super close with Safrin." Laughter fading away, he smiled at Sam. "You and Amalia haven't made up yet?"

Shrugging at the bookmaker's question, the potter focused on a particularly tricky bit of painting before responding. It required his smallest brush and his brow furrowed in concentration. When he was finished, he grinned and stepped back, wiping the back of his hand on his forehead (leaving a streak of reddish orange paint behind). "I did. But I found it more exhilarating than anything else."

Humming at the other man's explanation of how he got into his current profession, the advisor lifted his glass of wine in a toast. "To mentors." He sipped from it, then went back to his artwork.

"I didn't know that. What were you doing there?" Leaning past the canvas so he could see Sam, Amun smirked. "Hey, they shouldn't have left the key in the jail if they didn't want us getting out."
For now we're happy if not overjoyed
And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
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#17
Oh all I ever wanted was
a life in your shape
"I'll believe that when I see it." Sam replied dryly, unable to imagine any Ascended being a favourite of the star Goddess, who seemed to be bitter and hard to please towards those she did like, never mind those of the New Gods.

As for Amalia...he sighed and shook his head, momentarily forgetting to hold his pose and picking at the end of the chair arm, a troubled look on his face. "We've drifted too far apart. I don't think there's any going back now." Amalia had chosen her path, and him his, and they'd never be able to meet in the middle. He'd seen the look in her eyes on the beach, even through his illness fogged brain, and he knew what it had meant.

Unable to imagine fighting off monsters as 'exhilarating', Sam looked up to see Amun's expression, then laughed as he instead saw the streak of paint on his face. "Um, are you painting my hair?" He asked, unable to imagine another use for the bright orange. Happy that something had happened to distract from any conversation surrounding Amalia, he gladly lifted his glass and drunk from it, making an effort after that motion to shift back into his original pose.

"I honestly can't remember how I got caught up into it. ...There was a man there with us, an Ascended...he died, but I can't even remember his name." He sighed; there seemed to be no way to discuss his life without the conversation dipping into tragedies. "I ran away when it actually happened. I was scared...it was a lot, all at once, and I thought it was going to start a war. ...I still think it might, just...delayed."
Keep my eyes on the road
As I ache
SAMUEL
Base Code by Sky!
Amun Arlun
Potter

Age: 41 | Height: 5'7'' | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 11 - Strg: 31 - Dext: 34 - Endr: 28 - Luck: 30 - Int: 1
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#18
Amun

You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes
You're going to have to make a few compromises
Chuckling at Sam's doubt, Amun grinned. However, it softened as the bookmaker spoke about his relationship with Amalia, or lack thereof. "Have you actually spoken to her? Sometimes she just needs to get whatever is bothering her off her chest, and when she's spoken her piece she's surprisingly reasonable." He shrugged.

Nodding, the potter winked. "Of course I am. This is a portrait, after all." Cocking his head to one side, he waggled his eyebrows. "Unless you'd like me to paint you bald. Just say the word." He gestured with his paintbrush at the other man.

"No point in worrying over things that haven't and might not happen." Returning to the art, the advisor glanced past the canvas at Sam. "And the Ascended will stand together, come what may."
For now we're happy if not overjoyed
And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
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#19
Oh all I ever wanted was
a life in your shape
"She's gotten everything off her chest. Sometimes...sometimes you can't fix things, and instead of bothering people by going after them all the time, I think I need to learn to let them be." Sam was clearly troubled by this realisation, but it was something that had been in his mind for a while now; he used to go chasing desperately for approval, and part of working on himself had to be cutting the habit down.

This was all however, very depressing chatter for a date. "I don't...really want to talk about it. It's complicated, and there's some things that you..um...don't know." That hopefully Amun would never know, or at least not for a long time. Letting out a silent sigh at the odd tension in the air now, Sam tried to move along, hoping that Amun's easy nature would benefit the conversation more than his own awkward way of things.

"It's just that you seem to have painted my hair on yourself." Sam laughed, pointing to his own forehead in the spot where Amun had the orange smudge, glad for something to distract from the topic of Amalia. "I'd rather you didn't paint me bald. That's one of the things I'm glad won't happen, being Ascended." It seemed they were going to manage to make it out of awkward subjects so he relaxed a little more into the pose, unawares of it growing more natural as he was conscious of it less.

Amun's faith in the Ascended was comforting, in a way; Sam had never been able to possess it himself. "You arrived here Ascended, didn't you? Most Outlanders that arrived Ascended struggle a lot with it. You seem to like it."
Keep my eyes on the road
As I ache
SAMUEL
Base Code by Sky!
Amun Arlun
Potter

Age: 41 | Height: 5'7'' | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 11 - Strg: 31 - Dext: 34 - Endr: 28 - Luck: 30 - Int: 1
ZHANSHI - Mythical - Landshark (Airbending)
Played by: Crooked Offline
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MP: 3415
#20
Amun

You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes
You're going to have to make a few compromises
Opening his mouth, Amun hesitated when Sam requested they drop the subject. Nodding, the potter zipped his lips shut. Instead, he just focused on painting the bookmaker, switching to a creamy skin tone now. Laughing, the advisor lifted his finger to his forehead and smeared the paint a little more. "Hazards of the trade, I'm afraid. You'll see when it's your turn to paint me."

Grinning at the other man's comments, Amun hummed a few notes as his strokes danced across the canvas. "It was a shock, yes, but I got over it. I wasn't exactly human before I came here, after all." He leaned towards the painting, squinting as he tackled a particularly the particularly fiddly bit of Sam's hands.
For now we're happy if not overjoyed
And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
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#21
Oh all I ever wanted was
a life in your shape
Thankfully, Amun let the topic of Amalia go. If they did continue to see each other, if this did become something, it would undoubtedly have to come up again later, but for the moment Sam was content to push all memories of his sister to the back of his mind and attempt to enjoy the date.

"I think when it's my turn to paint you I'm going to be too busy trying to make you look not like a blob." He laughed, casting an awkward smile over at Amun. "I've never been good at making my own things. Just copying and refining other peoples." Maybe it was something to do with his self esteem, deep down, but Sam had always found it easier to start from an already made solid foundation then do his own work, rather than start from scratch.

He was about to be good and sit quietly for a while to let Amun paint him, Sam's eyes just about picking a spot on the wall ahead to focus on, when Amun said he had not always been human; immediately he glanced over with wide eyes. "You weren't? What were you before, then?"
Keep my eyes on the road
As I ache
SAMUEL
Base Code by Sky!
Amun Arlun
Potter

Age: 41 | Height: 5'7'' | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 11 - Strg: 31 - Dext: 34 - Endr: 28 - Luck: 30 - Int: 1
ZHANSHI - Mythical - Landshark (Airbending)
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MP: 3415
#22
Amun

You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes
You're going to have to make a few compromises
Amun frowned at Sam's warning. Taking a break, the potter set down his brush and stepped aside from the canvas. Then he smiled at the bookmaker. "Think of it this way: you're still copying. Only, instead of copying another painting, this time you're just copying from real life." Pausing, the advisor raised an eyebrow at the other man.

Returning to the painting, Amun lifted his brush again, moving on to work on Sam's clothes. Hesitating for just a moment at the bookmaker's question, the potter sighed. "It's...kind of hard to explain," he admitted.

Working in silence for a few moment, he hummed a low note. "By day, I looked human. By night, though, I was transformed. I had horns and I glowed and I took my sustenance from the moon. I was beautiful in an otherworldly and ethereal way. And I was immortal, though like now I could be killed."
For now we're happy if not overjoyed
And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
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#23
Oh all I ever wanted was
a life in your shape
Amun's take on what it would be to paint from life made Sam pause and reconsider the idea; the way the other man said it it sounded so simple and he was sure in practice it would not be, but there was something appealing in the way of thinking presented. "I suppose you're right. I've just never had it work out quite right." Not that he'd tried too many times, but the few brief attempts he had made at original art had been swiftly balled up and thrown away.

He waited patiently while Amun thought over how to explain the details of his old life and when they came, they were certainly worth his patience; Sam stared, a half-amazed laugh coming to him when he couldn't think of anything to say. "Wow. Um...so were you...some kind of God?" The confidence to call oneself 'ethereally beautiful' certainly seemed like it would have to be divine.
Keep my eyes on the road
As I ache
SAMUEL
Base Code by Sky!
Amun Arlun
Potter

Age: 41 | Height: 5'7'' | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 11 - Strg: 31 - Dext: 34 - Endr: 28 - Luck: 30 - Int: 1
ZHANSHI - Mythical - Landshark (Airbending)
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MP: 3415
#24
Amun

You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes
You're going to have to make a few compromises
Pausing, Amun peered past the canvas at Sam. "Well, when you first started copying images, were you perfect? Or did it take practice?" Returning to the artwork, the potter continued tracing thin lines. Stepping back, he glanced over the work, before making a few adjustments.

Chuckling at the bookmaker's question, the advisor shook his head. "Not quite." Setting down the brush and picking up another, he began working on the background of the painting. "Not even a demi-god. But..."

His voice trailed off with a sigh. "In a past life, I was a devoted servant of the god of the moon. As a reward, when I died he placed me in the heavens. But someone or something tore a hole in it and I fell back to earth. So god-touched, I guess you could say." He blinked away a bit of fluid that had gathered in his eyes.
For now we're happy if not overjoyed
And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#25
Oh all I ever wanted was
a life in your shape
"...I suppose I wasn't great, you're right. Maybe I'm just scared to be bad at something again...when you started making pots, were they bad?" Sam asked, an amused smile taking over the rather melancholy expression he'd adopted for this discussion so far, imagining Amun turning out lumpy bowls and lopsided plates. Maybe if he had friends and people like Amun around him in the future, he'd be more comfortable letting himself fail and try again.

Green eyes watched Amun paint as he told Sam of his past, but he wasn't really watching the progress; he was trying to imagine Amun bedecked in moonlight and horns as he said he had once been, resplendent against a night sky.

"Someone...tore a hole in the heavens? How...I mean, if you don't mind talking about it...how did you die?" Perhaps Amun didn't want to answer questions (Sam had noticed the nearly-there tears), but there were so many that could be asked.
Keep my eyes on the road
As I ache
SAMUEL
Base Code by Sky!
Amun Arlun
Potter

Age: 41 | Height: 5'7'' | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 11 - Strg: 31 - Dext: 34 - Endr: 28 - Luck: 30 - Int: 1
ZHANSHI - Mythical - Landshark (Airbending)
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#26
Amun

You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes
You're going to have to make a few compromises
Laughing, Amun nodded at Sam's question. "So, so bad. So bad that my master wouldn't even consider displaying or selling any of it, just shattered it and used it to line his fire pit." The potter grinned and shook his head at the memory.

Thankfully there was a moment of silence so that he could actually work on the painting. "Stay still," he reminded the bookmaker, flashing a smile at the redhead.

Shrugging, the advisor dipped his brush in a cup of water, making sure to get all the color out before selecting a new one, this time for the other man's clothes. "I don't really remember, to be honest. Memories of my past lives are...fuzzy. But I...I think I burned to death." Amun swallowed, freezing in place for a moment.

Then his whole body shivered and he stared at the painting, not looking at Sam or meeting the redhead's gaze.
For now we're happy if not overjoyed
And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
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Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#27
Oh all I ever wanted was
a life in your shape
"Oh, wow. You know...speaking of pots and the fire..." Sam laughed, sure that his vase (or pot, or whatever it was he'd ended up making) was ugly enough to deserve the same fate, but asking nonetheless: "Did you ever take my pot out of the kiln? Did it survive?" He knew that sometimes items could explode or shatter in the heat, and Sam knew he was inexperienced and unlucky enough for that to be a distinct possibility.

The reminder drew a nod and he sat back up still in the position he had first adopted, trying to make sure his gaze was steady and focused on the spot he had chosen on the wall.

He broke his focus though as Amun froze, Sam's eyes flicking back to him behind the canvas. For a moment he chewed at his lip, not sure what to do...but he'd often been in Amun's position, suddenly upset and cold in a conversation, and all he'd ever wanted was some comfort - it wasn't like he couldn't sit back down after. Sam stood and walked over to behind the canvas, reaching out to touch Amun's upper arm. "I'm sorry for asking. Are you okay?"
Keep my eyes on the road
As I ache
SAMUEL
Base Code by Sky!
Amun Arlun
Potter

Age: 41 | Height: 5'7'' | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 11 - Strg: 31 - Dext: 34 - Endr: 28 - Luck: 30 - Int: 1
ZHANSHI - Mythical - Landshark (Airbending)
Played by: Crooked Offline
Change author:
Posts: 2,317 | Total: 9,913
MP: 3415
#28
Amun

You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes
You're going to have to make a few compromises
Smiling at Sam's question, Amun nodded. "Yes I did and yes it did. It's waiting for you to pick it up whenever you're ready."  Now that the bookmaker had settled down a bit, the potter made sure to get working on the painting. He put the finishing touches on the redhead and the chair while the pose was held, choosing to eschew the background for now.

Grinning, the advisor chuckled at the other man's concern. Reaching up, Amun clasped Sam's hand, getting paint on it in the process. "Don't worry. It'll take more than a few memories to shake me." The potter lifted the bookmaker's fingers to the advisor's lips and kissed them. "Thank you, though."

Releasing the other man, Amun gestured at the artwork. "It was supposed to be a surprise, but I guess that's ruined now. Still, ta-da." The background was mostly bare beyond some suggestive shadows, but in the center of the canvas was an image of Sam lovingly rendered, from the shock of reddish-orange hair, to the long lines of the redhead's fingers, to the last button on his shirt and the laces of his shoes.
For now we're happy if not overjoyed
And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid


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