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Modern Day Difficulties (Iris and Erythreus)

Technology. Erythreus was one of many in the manor who didn't bother with it. He didn't understand a single thing about modern day technology, if anything, he'd proved that when he nearly crashed the computer in the library that Alva had to help him with during a job hunt. As he sat there re-reading old pages of his journal, and drowning his insides with whiskey, Erythreus pondered on what to do for today. The Aspect of Death had been bearing a lot of weight lately. But, Erythreus would gladly wear the weight of the world on his shoulders, if it kept it off his people (the other Aspects). Life for Erythreus had never been a pretty picture, nor had he ever tried to paint a life of magic, due to his own being tragic. And with everything that'd happened with Vladimir, and previous incidents on certain missions he'd been on, Erythreus needed a way to reach the others immediately. There usually was no time to tell the other Aspects / guards when you were in danger while being on missions.

This all had brought fourth the idea of getting a cell phone for himself. Firstly, he had no idea how to work the damned things, and secondly, he didn't know what kind of cell phone to even get. It seemed that this generation was controlled by them though, and he didn't like the idea of not being able to communicate with people face to face. The cell phone would merely just be a way of reaching other Aspects and Guards during times of emergency. Sighing, he glanced down to his journal, but chuckled as he read a few more lines of a past entry. God he was so emo sometimes. Broody was an understatement to how Erythreus was, personality wise.

"I'd be lying If I said that everything was okay. Or that ive not stayed up until 5 in the morning, staring at my hands trying to come to terms with the fact that they'll probably never get to touch you, the way that they use to"

The journal entry at one point had held some meaning, and some truth to it. But now, all the Aspect could do was laugh. Slamming the book shut, Erythreus gathered his flask and wallet, before sliding his long leather trench coat over his tall frame, and topping it off with his grunge boots and leather fingerless gloves. Erythreus normally got stared at, or whispered about when he made his way into the public eye because of his very mr tall and dark appearance, but he didn't mind it, he never lived for the opinions of others and felt just fine in his own skin. After slipping away from the manor, Erytrheus caught himself a cab and went into the city. It took him over an hour to even pick a cell phone, and that was with help. The woman who had assisted him, was probably ready to lose her mind on him at this point. "Sir, ive told you five times over. When you take the phone home, you have to first activate it before you can use it. You can't just buy a phone and immediately make a call" she expressed, pure aggitation in her tone at this point. Erythreus was stressed at this point himself though, he hated not knowing how to do something. And something this simple, made him feel.. well, simple.

"Sounds like you need a drink.. let me take you out and ease some of that frustration" the Aspect spoke smoothly. But, not smoothly enough he guessed,after the heft slap across his face, he figured it was best to buy the phone and get lost. Even with the sells lady slapping him, Erythreus gave her a wink after paying for the phone and shuffling to the exit door. Shaking his head, the Aspect flagged down another cab, since the one who brought him here had left ages ago. The ride back home didn't seem to take long at all, and once he'd gotten there, Erythreus went back to his room, and opened his new phone, tossing the plastic package on his bed. Ery stared down at the phone blankly. "How the fu-?" he started, and flipped the phone over, looking desperately for instructions on how to 'activate' it. The booklet inside the package had step by step instructions, with that Erythreus followed them through and through, and once he finished, he'd tried making a call. But, it still didn't work.

"goddamn technology!" he shouted, and clutched the phone tightly, trying to keep himself from throwing it against the wall. After toying with the device for over an hour, the Aspect's nerves were shot. As he thought of just the person though, he smiled happily and sprinted down to where Iris was set up. "Is it okay to come in?" he called out to her through the crack of the door. Iris was a guard, a brilliant one at that, but she was one of few that Erytrheus hadn't had the luxury of meeting yet. "It's Erythreus" he added, and glared down to the phone that had him so distraught, pacing as he waited for her.

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Permalink Reply by 14pu6fm4l1tuv on August 17, 2019 at 19:23

The manor house of the Ailward was a massive monstrosity of stonework and architecture, thrown together on the south side of the city. Boasting enough corridors and rooms to be classified as a mansion that building needed enough space to house eight supernature powerhouses with eccentric personalities and plenty of room to breathe. Plus need personal rooms for their extensive entourage of warriors, training rooms to keep skills sharp, a kitchen big enough to feed an army and an assortment of other rooms to fill with entertainment equipment because warriors get bored too. All in all, finding a place big enough had been the hard part, the fun part had come after when all of the renovations had been planned. Thankfully none of the Aspects had had a clue how to navigate through the modern world which left a select crew of Guards to oversee the acquisition of the manor and Iris had made sure she was one of the main people on that team.

Iris wasn’t like most of the other Guards, defending the Aspects and the balance of the world had been a cause she had been born into. Though her father had made her wait until she was old enough and mature enough to make the decision, the female had always known that this was the path she had been meant to walk. It was easy to see the good that they did when you were surrounded by warriors of the cause and by the Aspects who protected the world. What was more, she was able to see things from a unique perspective which gave her an edge that most of the others didn’t have. As a result, Iris had single-handedly brought the Ailward’s into the modern age, incorporating technology and telecommunications into their lives. When the Isle of Skye fell it had been hard on them all but they had needed to press forward even in the face of such loss and find a way to establish themselves within the actual living realm.

The mansion had been a fun project, the architect had been great to work with and the bones of the building were ancient but sturdy. On the first run through Iris had despaired of ever finding her own little nook within the grounds but upon closer inspection, she had finally found her own little sanctum within which to lay claim to. With the plans in her own grasp, she was able to retrofit the entire building to her own specifications, making the manor a virtual fortress and building herself a command center in the basement that couldn’t be rivaled. Once the renovations had been completed the Guard had then filled the place with banks of computers, TV monitors, security equipment, and a host of other electronics that she deemed necessary. Now that the Ailward was established everyone knew where to come to with all of their electronic woes and Iris had settled into her basement lair nicely. It was the perfect place for her, far enough away from her father to get some distance and yet centralized so that she still knew everything that was going on amongst the grounds.

Country music played through the sound system that was wired in all corners of the room though not loud enough to drown out the episode of Star Trek Deep Space 9 that was playing on the big screen TV that dominated one entire wall. Sitting off to the side in front of two computers, her foot tapping to the beat of the music Iris was scrolling through the dark web chat rooms looking for clues about her uncle and other possible leads. She pulled up two possible hits, putting them into a search engine and went to work on tracking them down. At any one time, she had a few projects going, most for the Guard and one or two for herself. Multitasking at it's best, though few if any people knew that she was searching for clues about Vlad, unsatisfied with letting the others simply languish in their grief.

The knock on the door startled her a bit, her mocha hues rising to the monitor that showed the other side of the door to her sanctum. Surprise registered, Ery had never visited her before, let alone talked to her outside of the occasional greeting or pleasantry in passing. Curious Iris put her personal computers on sleep and rose to get the door, sliding her glasses up onto her head as she looked up at the taller Aspect with a smile. "Hi. Umm, hello. Come on in."

She ushered him inside, glad he was wearing a coat. With all of the electronics, she had made sure the airflow down here was to notch, keeping the temperature in the room at a constant 65 degrees so that her tech never overheated. As a wolf she didn't feel the cold the same, in fact, she was wearing a tank top and a pair of skinny jeans with her favorite red Tom's. Pushing a rolling chair towards him she hopped up onto one of her working tables and folded her legs under her, "So ummm, why does the specter of death darken my door? Today is not a good day to die." She gave the Aspect a crooked grin, both curious and only slightly nervous.

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Ailward AspectPermalink Reply by ✓ Erythreus Ailward ~Admin~ on September 1, 2019 at 20:12

Erythreus could hear the music echoing through the very small crack under neath the door, and couldn't help but chuckle as he waited for her to answer. His foot had began tapping to whatever she had been listening too, finding the beat quite settling. That was the one and only exception the Aspect of Death supposed he had made for 'modern day luxuries'. Music was pretty soothing to someone like Erythreus, who constantly had the dead and their voices trapped in his head. The music had started helping tune them out a little, because even when he wasn't reaching out to them, there had always been a faint, hopeless whisper of them trying to reach him. Some who died, weren't ready to do so, which meant they never rested, and that meant Erythreus never rid himself of their voices. It was pretty tiring, and mentally draining, but after 1500+ years, he guessed he was used to it.

The door had finally opened, and Iris's greeting seemed a little odd, as though she may of been surprised to see him. In his grasp, laid the phone that'd made him nearly have a nervous breakdown, but he nodded with a smile nonetheless. Iris had been notoriously known for bringing the entire Ailward faction into this modern day technology phase. Erythreus had been one of few who still didn't know jack about it though, and it agitated him more than anything else, ever. The furthest Ery had went, was a feather pen to write with, and blank paper in his journal, while mostly everyone else now texted, or used social media which was brought him to the decision of this cell phone he now needed help with.

Erythreus's eyes bugged out a little as he began scanning her rather huge lair of technology, after she ushered him in. "Nice set up" he complimented and gazed to the chair pushed to him. "I take it you want me to sit.." he joked lightly, and took a seat. After watching her hop up on one of the work tables, Erythreus leaned back and folded his arms, making the chair tilt a little when his full body weight laid on the back of it. Hearing her ask why the specter of death had decided to darken her door though, made the Aspect chuckle, and he quirked a brow at her. "That's definitely a first, but i'll take it" he said in response, flashing her a smirk before he opened his hand to reveal the phone he'd been clutching onto.

"Well you see, the thing is.." he breathed out annoyed, and looked from the phone back to her "I have no fucking idea how to work this thing" he stated, with a hint of doom in his tone. "Kind of embarrassed, but hey" he added, shrugging some. "I hate this shit" he grimaced, referring to technology before taking another look at all the things Iris had set up around her, before walking over to her stereo system "TThis is nice though..I think it's the one thing ive made an exception for. Music helps everything" he added, flashing a grin over at her, seeing that nervous, and curious energy around her.

At times, Erythreus kind of liked how intimidating he seemed to people, because those who knew him best, knew he was the exact opposite of intimidating or scary. While he may of been the Aspect of Death, Erythreus was the biggest cuddle bear in the manor.. and maybe the entire faction. "So, brainiac, can you help?" he asked, as he walked over to where she sat on the table, holding the phone out for her, and stood directly in front of her, towering over hear a few inches at least. Erythreus cleared his throat, being his typical awkward self and decided to walk back over to her stereo system. After tapping the arrow button, the 'song' changed to something more familiar to the Aspect of Death. As the song began, Erythreus hummed absently while he waited for Iris to either make jokes about his lack of knowledge for something as simple as a phone, or smack him for touching her snazzy stereo system, he figured one of the two would happen before she agreed to help him. After shooting a coy smirk at her, the Aspect reseated himself in the rolling chair, and began rolling the chair around the room, gazing at the many different electronics, curious as to what each screen did, etc.

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Permalink Reply by 14pu6fm4l1tuv on October 19, 2019 at 19:03

It wasn’t a strange or out of the box occurrence for one of the Aspects to travel down to her sanctum for a visit, after all, she was the main source of technological and modern-day information into and out of the mansion. Thanks to her the Ailwards had a working mainstream system that connected them to the outside world and enabled them to stay both with and apart of the world at large. Granted Iris didn’t like that they weren’t joining in with society as a whole, she thought that part was a mistake but since she wasn’t in charge that decision wasn’t up to her. In a way that was a good thing, being a tech and magical genius she often saw a little bit too much of the bigger picture and then again a little bit too much of the smaller picture of other things which didn’t make for a very good leader. At least in some aspects, not to mention Theo would have a heart attack if she tried to take a more active role in the Guard.

Rolling her eyes at that thought she quirked a grin as Ery took a seat in the chair she offered him, hopping up on her work table as he got his first look at her command center. “Thanks, and yes that was a not so subtle invitation to sit wise ass.” Shooting him a wink she figured his sarcastic quip had earned him one in kind, relaxing a bit as his sense of humor lined up a bit with her own. Theo often said she needed to keep her mouth shut if she couldn’t keep the sarcasm off her tongue but when you spoke sarcasm as a second language that sort of limited the amount of time one could speak period. She’d be mute if that were the case! Her cocoa hues looked down at the little phone clutched in his big paw of a hand, one corner of her mouth quirking up at the corner as he went on to explain the situation.

He changed the song on the stereo to one she was familiar to her and one that seemed to set him a little more at ease, the Diviner noting that the stereo at least he knew how to work. One brow rose up into her hairline as he came to stand right in front of her, towering over her perhaps in a bid to try and intimidate her. He was big, huge in fact compared to her. She was tall and lean for a woman, her strength hidden in womanly curves while his muscles and strength were right there on displayed when you caught glimpses from beneath the big duster he wore like a cloak. Plucking the little phone from his hand she gave him a flirty smile and batted her eyelashes a few times, “Of course I can help. I have a reputation to protect and this phone is a piece of cake.”

He moved away from her, giving her a little more room to work for which she was grateful. Pulling a light over she adjusted herself on the table, “So I need a little more information as to what is actually wrong with this thing? Is it a system error or is it a user malfunction?” She shot him another sassy grin as she hit a few buttons, calling up the infernal systems to check the running diagnostics. While she worked she hummed along to the song that was playing, singing a bit to the tune.

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Ailward AspectPermalink Reply by ✓ Erythreus Ailward ~Admin~ on December 22, 2019 at 2:48

The Aspect shot her a sly smirk in return to her comment, calling him a wise ass made him chuckle. He couldn't help but admire one who had a sense of humor. He knew his own humor was often dark and too dry, but without humor, life was pretty miserable. He'd met plenty of people that were way too serious for their own good, and they'd even commented on how he should have been more serious himself given his title. He hated the narrow minded opinions people seemed to have the moment they learned he was the Aspect of Death. Hell, some had even imagined that it meant he didn't even have a soul. Sad.

Erythreus watched her long enough to wonder whether she was about to mock him or not, especially the way her lip quirked and the way she watched him explain while occasionally glancing to his phone. "Trust me, Iris. I know how ridiculous I sound" he said in a defeated tone, chuckling because this was definitely amusing. As he stood there, towering over Iris, he couldn't deny that he'd been thinking about everything except for the phone. The Aspect may of been the Aspect of Death, but he was still a man, a man who saw visuals of their current positions in ways he shouldn't have. As she offered a flirtacious smile and without hesitation grabbed his phone, Erythreus quirked a brow, amused by her bold nature. "Speaking of cake" he cleared his throat, making a typical douche bag male-ish reference to her psychical appearance, "Wouldn't mind having a piece" he chuckled, and turned away to scope out her set-up again.

Erythreus had been old fashioned at best when it came to women, so never would he ever disrespect one, but he got the hint that he and Iris shared the same kind of humor, and he always liked giving as much as he received. The next question she asked, would surely have his pride buried. "It's just.. " he started, and ran a hand over his face, frustrated "I don't know how to even activate the damn thing Iris!" he expressed, clearly annoyed with his incapability to learn technology, something as simple as a phone. "I wanna add like the call minutes to it, where I can call in here at the manor when i'm out and about, in case something were to go wrong, and with the Vladimir situation.." he grimaced, unable to contain the sadness he still felt so strongly. "Just thought it might be best to have a way to contact the others, should I need someone suddenly and urgently." he added, sighing to himself.

Erythreus grinned as she hummed along to the song playing in the background "wouldn't have guessed you could sing too, I mean you already have so many advantages. Being both a magic, and technology expert, I find it unfair that you have a singing voice too" he teased, complimenting her Ery way, and smirked before changing the pace of music all together. "seems like you liked the last one I picked, let's try something totally different" he added, before hitting play on the next song, which was slow, and more country-like. "It's a wonder I even know how to work this damn thing" he shook his head, sighing a little. Ery grabbed a one of her computer chairs with wheels and rolled himself over to sit beside her as she worked. He figured the best way to learn technology was to actually pay attention. "Thanks for this, I'll figure out a way to repay you" he then said, grinning crookedly before humming along to the music.

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Permalink Reply by 14pu6fm4l1tuv on January 22, 2020 at 1:48

His tone of voice let her know just how frustrated he was with the technology he had just handed over to her. It seemed to be the common response from most of the Ailwards when they were dealing with anything modern. Tia and Argent seemed to be the exceptions though she believed it had more to do with the ladies' ability and willingness to learn. Not that the rest were willing but the willingness was also punctuated by a resistance that was born of age. “You don’t sound ridiculous.” She admonished him gently, adding in a smile as he commented on her looks in a flirty manner. Ery had always been an attractive individual and it was nice to have someone pay attention to her as more than Theo’s daughter. “You know dessert is usually at the end of the meal, dinner and a movie would go a long way.”

Shooting him a sassy wink the brunette took a seat at her main bank of computers and plugged the little device in. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she accessed the main systems and started running background diagnostics. The phone was an older model which meant the systems were not as complicated or extensive as some of the other cell phones she managed. Wrinkling her nose as he mentioned adding minutes to the thing the Diviner snorted, letting out a dramatically pained sigh, “Dude you do know that these things don’t run off of normal cell service right?” One of the advantages of being tech-savvy and a user of magic was being able to create her own services and control how those services worked. Once she had figured out the way cell services worked it hadn’t taken much time at all to create her own with some modifications that made them so much better than Verizon or AT&T or T Mobile.

Once Iris had things back in order with the device Iris started changing the coding and getting it connected to her system. Muttering a few choice words she infused the programing with a bit of magic getting it set up on Ailward system lines. This would enable the Aspect to call anyone, anywhere, at any time with no issues and it also enabled her to track him even if the device was turned off. That had been a little added bonus that she had installed in all of her devices since Vlad’s disappearance and one that she kept quiet. As much as she showed that she was alright with her Uncle’s situation she held in a lot of her emotions, pouring them instead into her work. There were enough people going around with visible scars that she didn’t need to add her own to the mix.
Chuckling at the second compliment Iris picked up the tune of the new song that Ery had switched over to, her voice rising in volume now that he was comfortable with her singing. “Flattery will get you everywhere my friend.” Grinning as he came up next to her, completely unaffected by his closeness as she continued to work. “No need to repay me for doing my job, but now that you have come to me we will get this phone set up right and I’ll even throw in a free tutorial.” Tapping in the last few codes and commands she hit enter and let the changes start uploading, including the wide range of contacts for the entire Guard and all of his brothers and sisters. Turning a bit to face him she tilted her head, studying him for a few moments before she spoke again. “How are you holding up? Stepping into leadership must be quite a change for you.”

Maybe it wasn’t her place to ask, maybe he didn’t want to have anything to say or wanted to speak with her period about all of this. However, he seemed as if he had a lot on his mind and they had time to conversate.

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Ailward AspectPermalink Reply by ✓ Erythreus Ailward ~Admin~ on February 10, 2020 at 7:53

While this was usually embarrassing, Erythreus appreciated the fact that Iris took time to understand, and even went so far as to telling him he didn't sound ridiculous. He gave a gentle nod, before returning a genuine smile. Out of all the Aspects, he knew he was the one with the most to learn. Erythreus was sure the others had tragic stories but his was one that resulted in him being torn from humanity and society by two wicked Vampires at just a tender age, and from there, the only thing Erythreus was ever taught was how to kill innocents. He became more of an animal than a human, turning into just a shell of what represented the young man he could have been. Had it not been for the seven others upstairs, Erythreus knew he would have been a lost cost long ago. His place here was very appreciated, and those in it had become his family. Except, when Iris mentioned how a movie and dinner would go a long way, it made him appreciate the small fact that she wasn't family. Because he would gladly take her some where for dinner and bring her back for a movie. "It would do you some good to get out of here for a little while, and assuming that was a subtle hint, you should let me take you out" he expressed, and flashed a charming grin over at her, nervously shifting on his feet again.

Erythreus watched as her dainty digits flew across the keyboard effortlessly. She didn't even have to look at where she was placing her fingers, which blew Ery's mind, considering he had the whole chicken pecking thing going on when he did attempt to type on one of those damned things. The Aspect quirked a brow in her direction when she said the cell phones didn't run off of regular service "So what do they run off of?" he asked curiously, thankful that the last part of his thoughts, hadn't made it into the sentence, he was going to add the word 'air' in there, but even Erythreus wasn't that much of a smart ass. It was his humor that got him into trouble with most, but Iris seemed to be taking it well enough.

Erythreus smirked when Iris began singing a little louder, and seemingly more comfortable. He was happy she could feel that way in his presence honestly. Erythreus knew Vladimir's disappearance had affected her just as much as it had the rest of them, but Iris hadn't said much about it.. so if a little singing, and flattery made her smile, then he was happy to do so. "Are you saying i'm doing a good job then?" he already had a massive ego, but something about being here in the tech's presence made Erythreus feel like a little school boy. His ego wasn't half it's usual size around Iris. All in all though, Erythreus seemed to have the worse luck with women.. so he wasn't sure if he should approach the Guard outside of what they knew best. As she said there was no need to repay her for doing her job, The Aspect looked down, grimacing slightly "I doubt you get any time away from it, it would be my pleasure to take you some where, honestly. No pressure though, if you decline, i'll leave you to your tech dungeon" he chuckled and grinned at her playfully.

Erythreus found himself a little floored when she asked how he'd been holding up with stepping in as Ambassador / leader to the Aspects. Besides Octavia, Iris had been the only one to even ask that question. "I really wasn't sure anyone would bother .. but thanks for asking about that, because let me tell you.. it hasn't been easy at all" he started, and chuckled just to mask the fact that it bothered him more than anything "I mean I kind of went from a raging hangover that morning, to a meeting room to be told I would become the Aspect's next leader" Erythreus remembered that moment, and how sick he felt as if he was standing here reliving it all over again. The Aspect of Death averted his gaze again though, making eye contact with the tech-savy Guard before him, forcing a smile "Im doing my best though, I guess that's all I can do at the end of the day. It was just a really messed up time for everyone to endure such a drastic change" while he was referring the Vladimir's disappearance being to big of a deal for there to have been a new leader appointed, he wouldn't say those words out loud. He was sure Iris was only masking the way she truly felt about it all.

Erythreus gazed back to the set of computers Iris sat in front of, before looking back to her with a crooked grin on his features. Taking a seat on the table, almost in front of her, the Aspect crossed his arms. "So how did you become such a fucking genious?" he asked in a playful manner, but truly was curious. Most people had always chosen something different as their dream than what they ended up with. But seeing how devoted she seemed, he wouldn't be surprised to hear her say this was something she had always wanted to do.

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Permalink Reply by 14pu6fm4l1tuv on April 13, 2020 at 13:21

“They run off of a system that I created. The cell service piggybacks off the towers that the mortal companies use for their own services. With a little bit of ingenuity and magic, I put all of the Guard and Ailwards on our own service. The signals are boosted so that no matter where the person is or what situation they are in a call or text message will always go through.” It had taken quite a bit of trial and error to get that bit of coding to meld seamlessly with the spell she had come up with to make it all work. “You will also notice that the battery capabilities are widely more powerful with our cell units.” Iris couldn’t help but smile, it had taken an immense amount of trial and error to get the words for the spell just right and then finagle the technology to meld with her magic.

While the phone was coding the brunette took a moment to cycle through her entire system of links, checking to see where everyone was and that everyone was working well. There were a few that were outside the compound, Tia at her new main home and the few Guards that were out on missions. Thankfully Damien made sure to keep her in the loop as to who was leaving on a mission and where they were going that way if something went wrong he knew who to come to in order to find them. While her hickory orbs were trained on the screen Ery made his subtle yet not so subtle invitation that made her pause and turn to look at him slowly. A flirty smile played with her lips while one eyebrow raised in perplexed surprise, “Are you asking me out Mr. Ailward?” It had certainly sounded like that and while she was pretty sure she wanted to hear him say as much.

It seemed a little surreal that the Viking of the Guard, the handsome heartbreaker that could literally get any girl he wanted was flirting with her. Iris wasn’t usually one of those self deprecating kind of gals that insisted she wasn’t attractive, far from it. The female was confident both in herself and her abilities, having carved out her own identity after finding out that her entire history had been a manufactured lie. With her new lot in life there had come a sort of freedom that she hadn’t enjoyed before and one that enabled her to create many connections. The Ailward though was one of the few of the eight that seemed permanently unattached and from her observations was never short of ladies throwing themselves at him. Laughing out with a little snort she tilted her head curiously, “My tech dungeon? I get out quite a bit contrary to popular belief.” She crossed a leg over the other giving him an intentional view of her long limbs as she crossed her fingers and continued to regard him with a smile. “Where exactly would you take me?”

The conversation then turned to his take over as the leader and the confusing time after her Uncle’s disappearance. It had hit them all hard; Vlad had been one of the cornerstones of the Guard and one of the pivotal people that the Ailwards counted on. The fact that no one seemed to be able to provide an answer as to where he had gone was even more infuriating and heart-wrenching. For Ery to be appointed leader in such a tumultuous time had to be difficult. “Doing your best is all you can do,” she affirmed with a firm nod. “Anything and everything else will come with time. Trust the people around you and trust your instincts.” That was about as far as she could get with the helpful advice. Iris wasn’t in a leadership position and had only recently been promoted with a personal guard. It was a welcome change and a rise through the ranks that she was proud of.

Laughing at yet another compliment she turned as the computer let out a sound that informed her the programming was complete. Pulling the phone free from the cable connection she tested a few of the applications and scrolled through the contacts to ensure that everyone was there. Calling up her own information she called her cell, ensuring that the dial out was functioning properly. “I didn’t want to be idle. Never have been and technology has always fascinated me. I had a slight accident with a carburetor a couple hundred years ago and managed to fuse it with some magic. Ever since I’ve been combining the two in new and exciting ways that keep me challenged.” Motioning him forward she called up his contacts, “Okay, you have the ability to program in 10 speed-dial contacts, who are they gonna be?”

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Permalink Reply by 14pu6fm4l1tuv on April 13, 2020 at 13:26

“They run off of a system that I created. The cell service piggybacks off the towers that the mortal companies use for their own services. With a little bit of ingenuity and magic I put all of the Guard and Ailwards on our own service. The signals are boosted so that no matter where the person is or what situation they are in a call or text message will always go through.” It had taken quite a bit of trial and error to get that bit of coding to meld seamlessly with the spell she had come up with to make it all work. “You will also notice that the battery capabilities are widely more powerful with our cell units.” Iris couldn’t help but smile, it had taken an immense amount of trial and error to get the words for the spell just right and then finagle the technology to meld with her magic.

It seemed a little surreal that the Viking of the Guard, the handsome heartbreaker that could literally get any girl he wanted was flirting with her. Iris wasn’t usually one of those self deprecating kind of gals that insisted she wasn’t attractive, far from it. The female was confident both in herself and her abilities, having carved out her own identity after finding out that her entire history had been a manufactured lie. With her new lot on life there had come a sort of freedom that she hadn’t enjoyed before and one that enabled her to create many connections. The Ailward though was one of the few of the eight that seemed permanently unattached and from her observations was never short of ladies throwing themselves at him. Laughing out with a little snort she tilted her head curiously, “My tech dungeon? I get out quite a bit contrary to popular belief.” She crossed a leg over the other giving him an intentional view of her long limbs as she crossed her fingers and continued to regard him with a smile. “Where exactly would you take me?”

The conversation then turned to his take over as the leader and the confusing time after her Uncle’s disappearance. It had hit them all hard; Vlad had been one of the cornerstones of the Guard and one of the pivotal people that the Ailwards counted on. The fact that no one seemed to be able to provide an answer as to where he had gone was even more infuriating and heart wrenching. For Ery to be appointed leader in such a tumultuous time had to be difficult. “Doing your best is all you can do,” she affirmed with a firm nod. “Anything and everything else will come with time. Trust the people around you and trust your instincts.” That was about as far as she could get with the helpful advice. Iris wasn’t in a leadership position and had only recently been promoted with a personal guard. It was a welcome change and a rise through the ranks that she was proud of.

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Ailward AspectPermalink Reply by ✓ Erythreus Ailward ~Admin~ on June 26, 2020 at 3:39

As Iris explained, Erythreus drifted a little, getting side tracked simply because it sounded like she was speaking a whole different language right now. Erythreus wasn't sure if he'd ever evolve as much as the others had, but he paid attention when he could and hoped to learn someday. "Yeah I maybe understood two words in that whole explanation" he grinned sheepishly and shook his head some, a little embarrassed at how clueless he really was. Being the Aspect of Death and leader to the other Aspects however, made him feel like maybe it was time he learned a few things. The smile adorning Iris's features was a proud one, which in turn, made Erythreus smile too. "So basically, we have better all the way around?" he asked with an amused chuckle. Erythreus knew of the human companies the city had, and they didn't compare to what Iris had set up for the Ailward's. "You should definitely be proud" he added, grinning some as he averted his gaze downward slightly to make eye contact.

Erythreus knew he didn't have it the best when it came to how he worded things, but the way Iris smiled assured him that he hadn't done too awful of a job. With a gentle nod, the Aspect grinned "I would love it if you said yes" he expressed, and never looked away from her, except for when she crossed one leg over the other, completely derailing the Aspect's train of thought. After clearing his throat, Erythreus gave an almost apologetic glance after that, because he knew male instincts had kicked in the moment his eyes locked on her long, perfectly toned legs. Her question definitely hadn't been unheard, but Erythreus's mind almost caused him to answer exactly what he was thinking.. where he would take her, especially in this current moment. "Well Iris, what do you like? I guess I should have gotten a hint of that first, but better late than never right?" he asked with a genuine grin approaching his features.

Erythreus was pretty bad at this, even if he was a hopeless romantic. He just wasn't good with verbalizing things. When Iris told him doing his best was all he could do for now, the Aspect gave an appreciative smile. He wasn't sure many understood, except for Damien, and then Octavia had been a shoulder to lean on, but besides Iris.. he didn't know where the others stood. Tia on the other hand though, he was almost sure she was against him being their leader, and he only hoped to make things with her a little better too. All of them were having it hard, and he couldn't imagine what kind of toll this had taken on Iris herself, figuring that she was just putting up a brave front for everyone else. "Thanks Iris.. I guess you're right. I just wanted to start this off on a good note, but how can any of us expect things to be good right now? I'm sorry though.. for your loss.." he wasn't sure if anyone had taken the time to tell her that..

The loud noise coming from one of Iris's many machines caused the Aspect to jolt slightly, shaking his head at the embarrassment he felt when he realized it only meant his phone was finished finally. Erythreus watched Iris scroll through the applications and contacts on it, and smiled a little when she used his phone to call her own "Isn't there a way to add who you want to a speed dial list?" .. the question sounded just like it should have for an old man who didn't know jack about technology. At times, the only thing Erythreus felt made him young, was his appearance, and skills he wouldn't mention in certain other places. Other than that, the Aspect of Death definitely played his age off well. "And can you show me how to send group text? is that possible? I just think it would come in handy when you need to quickly inform more than one member of something serious" Erythreus knew something was stirring in this city that shouldn't be here, and he wanted to be able to reach who he could whenever something happened. And maybe he was just stalling for time, just to get a few extra minutes with her in her work space, a place he assumed that Iris felt most like herself. It was refreshing to say the least.

"How long has it been since you've been treated to dinner, or I guess a date in general?" he then asked, a little too quickly however, unsure if he was stepping on personal ground now or not. He hoped he hadn't asked too much of a personal question and guessed he would soon find out.