"I'm sorry, but as I've told you repeatedly, the council is not to be disturbed while -"
"And like I've told you, this is important, so get out of my way!" I shoved the cretinous old man to the side. He sneered at me, but did not attempt to impede my path any longer. The door in front of me was imposing and inlaid with all sorts of engravings and filigree, making it look even more presumptuous than the council that met in the room beyond. I set down my package so that I could use both of my arms to open the door.
The door opened with the audible creak of a door that was not opened regularly, and all of the figures inside were staring at me. It was quite unnerving, but I held fast and pulled myself together as I took up my package again. Slowly I began to walk forward, all eyes still trained on me, and kept walking until I reached the center of the room. At some point the door closed behind me, although I am not sure whether the door closed on its own or if the old man had closed it. At that point it hardly mattered - I wasn't planning on leaving quickly anyway.
After a moment of silence as I stood in the center of the room, a booming voice spoke out as a singular figure moved forward from the herd of councilors. "What is the meaning of this? Angel, why have you disturbed this meeting?" In response, I took the package I was holding, and began to open it. I unwrapped layers of cloth, with the wrappings slowly piling on the floor. The room grew quiter and quieter as it became more apparent what I held in my hands: a human head. After what seemed an eternity, the same figure from before began to speak again, "I see. Wait here a moment while we discuss." I nodded, placed the head on the pile of cloth, and wordlessly stood there while the figure moved back into the shapeless herd.
Councilors were strange creatures. They weren't quite human, as far as anyone could tell. When they meet they don't quite speak in the way two people would. It's more that they speak in the same way people use their hands - speech aids communication by giving it emphasis and emotion, while some other factor portrays the message. It's quite unnerving to be in a herd of them to be sure. It almost sounds like an entire room full of mumbling people, and all of them were constantly looking at me, or at least in my direction.
I don't know how long the councilors have been in charge either. At the very least it's been as long as I have been alive, and no one I've met has ever remembered a time before the councilors either. I can't say it's been bad or anything - they are quite effective, and not despotic in any way - it's just strange having some other creature that you don't fully understand in charge. Most people I know feel the same way - it's strange, but not terrible. To be fair though, most of them don't have the same experience I do. For the most part people don't ever see the councilors, because the councilors spend almost all of their time isolated from society, whether it's in a council room, travelling, or in their mansions. I'm one of ten, well now nine, people who have actually been in a council room while the councilors were having a session. Most people probably don't understand how alien and strange the councilors are, and just thing of them as secretive humans. It's probably easier that way at least.
After twenty of so minutes, it seemed like the councilors had come to some conclusion. They split up into individual shapes, and the chattering began to cease as they took up positions around the room. Then they began to speak - not quite audibly, but in some other form I can't easily describe. It's how they normally talk as a group, at least how I perceive it - I understand their meaning, but don't hear or see anything. Everyone in the room will hear the same thing, but they describe it differently - some people see shapes and colors, others hear some strange language and just understand the meaning, and others might picture written words giving the message.
After a few moments, I bowed, and turned to leave the room. At some point the door opened up, because when I turned around the door was open and the hallway was visible. I hadn't heard anything, which was yet another unnerving aspect of the experience, but I've done this enough to not be too surprised at strange things happening in the council room. Besides, I had something to do that was more important than pondering the acoustic properties of a room I didn't fully comprehend.
"And like I've told you, this is important, so get out of my way!" I shoved the cretinous old man to the side. He sneered at me, but did not attempt to impede my path any longer. The door in front of me was imposing and inlaid with all sorts of engravings and filigree, making it look even more presumptuous than the council that met in the room beyond. I set down my package so that I could use both of my arms to open the door.
The door opened with the audible creak of a door that was not opened regularly, and all of the figures inside were staring at me. It was quite unnerving, but I held fast and pulled myself together as I took up my package again. Slowly I began to walk forward, all eyes still trained on me, and kept walking until I reached the center of the room. At some point the door closed behind me, although I am not sure whether the door closed on its own or if the old man had closed it. At that point it hardly mattered - I wasn't planning on leaving quickly anyway.
After a moment of silence as I stood in the center of the room, a booming voice spoke out as a singular figure moved forward from the herd of councilors. "What is the meaning of this? Angel, why have you disturbed this meeting?" In response, I took the package I was holding, and began to open it. I unwrapped layers of cloth, with the wrappings slowly piling on the floor. The room grew quiter and quieter as it became more apparent what I held in my hands: a human head. After what seemed an eternity, the same figure from before began to speak again, "I see. Wait here a moment while we discuss." I nodded, placed the head on the pile of cloth, and wordlessly stood there while the figure moved back into the shapeless herd.
Councilors were strange creatures. They weren't quite human, as far as anyone could tell. When they meet they don't quite speak in the way two people would. It's more that they speak in the same way people use their hands - speech aids communication by giving it emphasis and emotion, while some other factor portrays the message. It's quite unnerving to be in a herd of them to be sure. It almost sounds like an entire room full of mumbling people, and all of them were constantly looking at me, or at least in my direction.
I don't know how long the councilors have been in charge either. At the very least it's been as long as I have been alive, and no one I've met has ever remembered a time before the councilors either. I can't say it's been bad or anything - they are quite effective, and not despotic in any way - it's just strange having some other creature that you don't fully understand in charge. Most people I know feel the same way - it's strange, but not terrible. To be fair though, most of them don't have the same experience I do. For the most part people don't ever see the councilors, because the councilors spend almost all of their time isolated from society, whether it's in a council room, travelling, or in their mansions. I'm one of ten, well now nine, people who have actually been in a council room while the councilors were having a session. Most people probably don't understand how alien and strange the councilors are, and just thing of them as secretive humans. It's probably easier that way at least.
After twenty of so minutes, it seemed like the councilors had come to some conclusion. They split up into individual shapes, and the chattering began to cease as they took up positions around the room. Then they began to speak - not quite audibly, but in some other form I can't easily describe. It's how they normally talk as a group, at least how I perceive it - I understand their meaning, but don't hear or see anything. Everyone in the room will hear the same thing, but they describe it differently - some people see shapes and colors, others hear some strange language and just understand the meaning, and others might picture written words giving the message.
After a few moments, I bowed, and turned to leave the room. At some point the door opened up, because when I turned around the door was open and the hallway was visible. I hadn't heard anything, which was yet another unnerving aspect of the experience, but I've done this enough to not be too surprised at strange things happening in the council room. Besides, I had something to do that was more important than pondering the acoustic properties of a room I didn't fully comprehend.
![[Image: SSsW5Je.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/SSsW5Je.jpg)
