Masquerade Part 2.2: Klaatu, Barada... Necktie

[algae]

"Wait, what? What did you do to get the nobles that... Er, sorry, none of my business." That sort of thing would probably be a touchy enough subject under better circumstances, especially if he was still trying to find the 'truth' himself.

"You should be fine as long as they don't have a reason to look twice at you, though. I mean, do many of the guards and nobles know you're still here? Because I can't imagine them connecting some random flesh-and-blood mercenary in a small company to someone they probably know is dead." Though if his name provokes that much of a response in them even now, they just might... Which only brought up further questions, since (to Sonia's very limited experience), he didn't seem like the kind of person who would do something bad enough to tarnish his name so thoroughly. "Well, whatever happens, I hope you can find peace." Is that the right thing to say for something like this?

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall grumbled as he pulled out the remainder of the fee and took his tome, before exiting the building. It sure did seem sturdier, and he could feel the magic from just holding the tome - more powerful than it was before, that was certain.

Unsure of where else he could go during the day, Kendeall went back to the inn and tried to flop on one of the couches, not entirely caring who was on them at the time.

[Xinnidy]

Kadin figured her reaction would be somewhat reluctant. Of course. Tell only half the story, and you get them fishing for crumbs... myself included. "It is fine. I..." He briefly hesitated, "I believe I was framed, of plotting against the city, but I have no proof of the contrary." He kept it brief, almost extremely so.

"You are right, they should think I am all but deceased. They wouldn't come after the guild for me, I am sure of that." It was slightly optimistic for him to say it, but Kadin found some solace in speaking of the matter to someone. It was a weight off his chest that he couldn't just keep dumping again and again on Maja in good conscience. "Thank you. I hope I do find it, as well." Kadin returned a faint smile, I hope I will do no harm to Marius and Iuliana, either...

[eclipse]

Meredith jumped when she saw Trist move in her peripheral vision. "Oh, when did you get here?" She turned back to Sara, and shot her an apologetic grin. "Strawberry's fine, thanks."

[Juliette]

"I see... Well, I am self-taught," Heather began. "I started about twenty years ago, and have trained diligently ever since. Practice makes perfect, so they say, though I've much yet to learn still. I hope to work well with you on this mission- it is our duty to defend the frontline, after all."

[Bluedoom]

Morning came quickly, to Ferdinand's dismay. He thought that his fortunes would be better as the group rested in an inn, at least they were not on the road. Yet he lost more gold through gambling, and in fact, did not make enough money from the arena. Seeing that the group was traveling to a tundra region, he was skeptical about his fortunes getting better. Its like I'm drowning in despair! Oh, woe is me!

He took his time to get ready and show up at the inn's hall, spending as much time contemplating on what was to come and how he'd need to find ways to get more gold. Perhaps there would be some nice loot that he could get hold of in the battles to come. As he looked around, he saw Kendeall sitting on one of the couches, seemingly restless. He decided to strike a conversation with him- he needed to keep his pessimism at bay for sometime at least.

"Kendeall Soderberg! How goes your preparations? Are you excited about our journey?"

[Oersted]

"Really?" Lanos asked as he looked over the trinket. "I thought it was just a piece of jewerly or something. Kinda funny when you consider all the magical trinket's I've come across and used in hindsight." Lanos briefly wondered if he should wake up Vriska now that their food had arrived, he had no idea what she'd been mumbling in her sleep though, but decided against. If she still hadn't woken up by the time he was done eating he'd wake her up. He figured his food had cooled off enough and began to slowly eat it, if only to avoid making a mess.

[Xinnidy]

"Ha, yeah, it is!" Maja replied, proud she'd perceived it after the harpy admitted to glossing over it. "It is a pretty weak enchantment, though. I guess I wouldn't blame you, usually we found stronger stuff. Maybe it's our luck." She contemplated. There was that potion, and the trinket shop here has quite a bit... We had quite a bit of luck, huh? Maybe it has to do with being mercenaries.

"Well, if you or Vriska need anything else, just call me out. See ya!" She waved and turned back to head for the counter where the breakfast she was more than due to eat was put. Quickly walking the distance, she noticed Kadin was talking to someone from the group which was not her --quite a rare sight for Maja! "Oh, hi... Sonia! How are you doing? Have you had something to eat already?" She greeted.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Xinnidy

[riariadne]

"Well, I'm sure I'll need it! Cold tundra's not gonna be a nice place for a poor little bird like me, even with the nice vest I got yesterday. I hope boss got prepared herself for it all too, yeah? It must be a bit frightenin' for her to even consider the job..." Valha paused at that thought for a few moments. "But yeah, you're probably right. No more worryin', then!" A rosy tint came across Valha's own face upon realizing she must have been embarrassing the two elves. "Oh, sorry... thank you, Trist," she told him as he grabbed food for the pair of them. Edited March 26, 2015 by Reinfleche

[scorri]

"Ah, uhm, I just came from over there... I don't... don't think we've met? If we have, I'm sorry, I'm terrible with names. I'm Trist, I just joined up with this group recently. That is, err, assuming that you're part of this mercenary group?" He knew he was probably coming across as an idiot, but oh well. He'd met quite a few people very quickly and he couldn't be expected to remember all of them, right?

[eclipse]

"Oh, um, you too? I thought you'd been with them since the beginning? Ah, my name's Meredith, and I just joined up, too." The woman's heart skipped a beat when she took a good, long look at Trist. "It looks like we, uh, b-both have a lot of learning to do! So what brought you to this group?" She tried to tell the heat on her cheeks to get lost, but to no avail.

[scorri]

"Good to meet you Meredith. I suppose I should elaborate that my full name is Tristram, it's just usually easier for people to say Trist." He smiled at her, leaning on the counter. "It's nice to see other new members of the group. We'll have to stick together, right? Newbies and all. I joined up because, well, I was bored with my old job, everyone here seemed to be a good fighter and... It felt like a good next step. How about you? What's a pretty lady like you doing joining a group like this?" He winked at her, his smile widening.

Edited March 26, 2015 by scorri

[eclipse]

The half-elf swallowed, and forced herself not to bite her lip. "I, uh, joined up on business, if you will. M-my boss felt that a little outside experience would be good for me," she replied, the words tumbling out of her mouth. "There was some, ah, arena fighting yesterday, and the guys that I saw were really good!" The room tilted ever-so-slightly to the left. "Did you get a chan-chance to swing by the arena?" Meredith's heart desperately tried to free itself from her ribs, much to the annoyance of her other internal organs. Her stomach was especially vocal about it, and she felt a growl ripple through her. Of ALL the times. . .

[scorri]

Trist nodded, absentmindedly running a hand through his hair, making a mental note to pull it up before they set out. "Mmm, I see. Who's your boss? Does he have some sort of interest in the castle we're heading to or something else?" She seemed to be talking quicker than she had been before, odd. He hoped she wasn't nervous around him or something. "Yeah, I know, the fighters in this group are truly impressive. I did fight, managed to do pretty well, if I do say so myself. Managed to beat Marius, though I'm pretty sure it was a combination of luck and my being mounted. You can never underestimate the advantage a horse gives you. Did you fight in the arena? What sort of weapons do you use?" He leaned a little closer, clearly interested in the answer.

Edited March 26, 2015 by scorri

[algae]

Framed? And for something that might be high profile enough that they might still be after him? "If you were really framed, then maybe-" Sonia fought the urge to flinch away from the Rainbow Terror as she approached and greeted them both. Don't panic, she's not some brightly colored murder-demon or anything. Relax. "Hi. Er, not yet, just trying to get to know people until Sara's less busy." Which probably would be happening right around now. Oh well. "Last chance for a warm... well, anything before we get there, right?"

[Xinnidy]

"Then maybe...?" Kadin hoped to hear what Sonia had to say, but perhaps Maja's interruption was for the best? "Hello, Maja, your breakfast is getting cold. Are you done being Lanos' private barmaid?" Kadin joked, but, knowing the girl's nature, quickly interjected this time. "You know I jest. Still, do not hit the road on an empty stomach. The colder it gets, the more you will wish you ate well." He advised, then turned to Sonia. "That is fair, though Sara seems to be back to a better pace, you should see if she can help you now." His expression had softened some after their conversation. "Well, thanks for listening. I thought it would be more complicated to speak of than that. Maybe I was wrong."

"K-Kadin! Still, don't say those things!" Maja puffed her slightly flushed cheeks, When did you get all joking-like, Kadin? Gee, what if, like, Vriska heard that? She shook her head, trying to pay attention to the other guild member."Yeah! Better warm up before we go, Sonia!" Maja chimed in, "Hmm, but maybe we could use fire magic for cooking on the road? Well, I think Vriska and Kendeall can cast fire spells, huh? Hmm, the combat tomes would be too strong, but maybe we could take one of the training tomes? Better not set anything else on fire and that." She mused, it'd be pretty convenient if it were possible, at least. It did raise a curious question. "Say, you can cast light magic, right? Does it make heat?" Maja decided to take a seat besides Kadin and Sonia, taking her plate and (finally) getting started on her breakfast.

[Nanami Touko]

Far Off Land

"Just a bit... I can leave your arm alone, if you don't like my using it as a leaning post." She'd gotten rather comfortable; Raith made a sturdy post, but she was just being lazy. "And where I'm from?" Hmm. That's a bit of a tale... She wondered how she could condense it without getting herself lost in some reminiscing, and it took her a moment to come up with something. "Well. Off to the north east of Angern, there's an island with a bit of a desert. I'm... From there. Like most nagas." She flicked the end of her tail, thinking about it. "I'm sure you may have heard of that tale, the one about the disappearing city in the middle of the desert. It's a real city, I was born there. The elders are just... Very wary of letting people enter, so we've devised some magic to keep the city mostly hidden. Anyway." She cut herself off before she got into explaining things, Raith hadn't asked all of that.

"That's me. You said you were from Bau Berg, right? Where you found your dragon, up in the mountains... Anything special about the town?" She was a bit curious. It might be nice to visit the place, once they were done here. They'd have enough gold to take it easy and relax for a while. Maybe they could settle down and-- M-Makin, slow down. She chided herself mentally, and felt a creeping blush spread over her cheeks. At least he couldn't see her face from that angle, but it was still embarrassing that her mind went straight there.

Awkward?

"Er, yeah, thank you." Ingverd felt a bit bad about making him feel awkward. Well, until he saw the budding conversation at the counter. The woman's red face could be seen across the-- hang on, I don't think I know her. I'll have to introduce myself, later. Either way, if Tristram was going to flirt, then Ingverd felt far less bad about cuddling Valha. He let that be known by giving her another squeeze, and leaning against her somewhat. "I hope Makin will be alright. She more than just looks like a snake, from what she's told me. The term was, uh... Poikilowhatever... I can't remember; it sounded rather scientific-- anyway! She's going to bundle up rather ridiculously, and probably cling to a lot of people to stay warm. I'm hoping we don't spend too much time in the cold." He felt a small shiver run down his spine, thinking about it. "I might deal with it a bit better than the rest of you, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it, not one bit."

Breakfast is Watched Over

The toast had gotten itself toasted, and slathered with some strawberry jam. Another plate hit the counter, in front of Meredith, as Sara got another two ready for the asking Tristram. While she did, she took the time to watch their conversation, getting both amused and a bit jealous. With the other two plates made, albeit slower, she sank onto the counter for a moment and sighed. "Oh, I wish some striking elf would come in and make me go red, like that. You're a lucky one, Meredith." She teased, although it was partially true. "Anyway, Tristram, there's your food. Hope I'm not interrupting something special between you two." Okay, I hope I am, just a little bit. She slowed down on making more food. It seemed like anyone who wanted to eat already was, or was getting their food now, so no point in making too much and having to toss stuff later.

Shuffle Shuffle

Vriska kept mumbling to herself, and having been slightly stirred by the smell of food and the sound of voices, ended up shuffling further up onto Lanos, resting her head against his chest. He could hear her mumbling now. "Mom, you... ...home... ...Miss...you... Bori... ...out, you..." She shivered, tensed up a bit, and then relaxed back down, letting out a tiny grumble.

[eclipse]

Meredith opened her mouth to respond to Trist's question, but was cut off by her order, and that OTHER statement. "I. . .I have no idea what you mean, going red!" she sputtered, her cheeks becoming about as red as the jam on her toast. "It's just that I, uh. . .need to know who I'm working with! Because that's what happens when you're a mercenary, right?" The tip of Meredith's lance wavered dangerously. She had just enough foresight to drop her bags before her knees gave way, into a chair. "Man, duking it out in the arena with my fists was easier."

[algae]

The ghost has a sense of humor? Huh. "Any time. If either of you need anything, I'll help in any way that I can." Until that day, though, all Sonia could do was follow the conversation, still surprised at how well that pair of near-opposites got along. Seems like a decent person whether he's guilty or not... "Huh? Oh - Light's not good for that. A lot of flash, very little heat. If I had known how things would turn out I would never have learned it." Only half joking, after one too many nights without so much as a spark for warmth. "At least those two will probably be willing to share a bit of fire... Actually, how does that work for ghosts? Can you feel temperature now?"

[scorri]

Trist's pale skin flushed about as red as Meredith's when Sara chimed in, but he gave a light chuckle at her response. "She has a point. You are blushing pretty badly. Not that it's a bad thing. Makes you look pretty cute in my opinion." He grinned at her and then picked up the two plates that Sara had given him. "Sadly, I should take these plates back to those two lovebirds over there. Think I'll give them some privacy after that though. I hope you don't mind if I come back after. It's not every day I meet someone pretty who can also take on that arena." He winked at her, before taking the plates over to Ingverd and Valha. "Here you two are. Hope you don't mind I'll be heading back over there. Pretty sure there's not enough room for me here anyways."

[eclipse]

Meredith was saved from a reply by Tristam's brief exit. She took several deep breaths, before starting on her toast. Hey, not bad. The jam's not too sweet!

Tristam was extremely good-looking, that was certain. No one had seriously called her "cute" before (the drunk guys at the tavern didn't count), and she wasn't sure how to respond to that. Most of the time, people ignored her, and she'd been content with that. Her parents never taught her how to deal with good-looking men! Well, short of "don't get pregnant before you're married". He seems to be interested in me, and what I do. This is a good sign. There's a person underneath that amazing face. . .remember that, Meredith. . .

[Vestige]

"It's fine, I don't really mind," he shrugged. "But you're serious? You're from that city? And you were born there, you say? I've heard the tales no doubt--believe it or not, if I didn't already have my hands full with plans on going back to the mountains, I'd be well on my way looking for Einad," he laughed. "One step at a time though, can't be getting too ahead of myself. Still, it's nice knowing that the place actually exists. That said, I don't suppose your elders would decide to make an exception for me on a whim, right?" That was slightly disappointing. But maybe... Maybe if I show up as an emissary for dragon-kind, they'd be okay with it?

Makin shifted the subject a bit from her home, to his, and that snapped him out of his inane scheming. "O-oh, yeah, I'm from Bau Berg. Is there anything special about the place? Well, uh," he thought about her question for a moment, but came up short. "Ummmmm, noooooot really? There's a bunch of rocks and stuff, if you're into that sorta thing. But that's about it," he said.

[SB.]

"Meatball? Well, I've never heard a nickname like that before." Angus laughed. "What did you do you get a nickname like that?" There had to be some kind of funny story behind a name like that, he figured, before responding to Heather.

"So uh, you've been practicing for twenty years? You don't look-" It was at this moment that Angus remembered he was talking to an elf. "Oh. Right, elves always look younger or something. But uh, yeah, that's longer then I've been at it anyway. I started practicing archery fifteen years ago, so it's not like I'm a novice or anything, but yeah." He shrugged. "Anyway, how come you're joining up now? Some of the others seem uh, less then enthusiastic about heading off to the tundra, so..."

Edited March 28, 2015 by SB.

[Oersted]

"Thanks again Maja," Lanos said as Maja headed off to eat her own food; he doubted he call her back for anything. It was difficult eating with one hand and even more so once Vriska shifted onto his chest. He set down his plate at the point, the ham eaten and the hash-browns mostly finished. And then Vriska started mumbling in her sleep, was she having a bad dream? He considered trying to wake her up, but quickly remembered what happened when he tried to wake up Makin. Opting to start slow, he nudged her. "Vriska it's time to wake up..." He really hoped tat would be enough to wake her up without getting zapped or something.

[riariadne]

"Well, course she more than looks like a snake! That's how we work, yeah?" Valha reasoned aloud, leaning into Ingverd when he squeezed her. "These feathers aren't just to make me look pretty, so her tail isn't just there to make her seem mystical or anythin' like that. It makes sense she'd be cold... Not that your big sciencey word means much to me anyway." She watched Tristram's conversation with Meredith unfold with amusement, smiling as he approached. "Lookin' good up there, Trist! Thanks for the food, though. But I'm sure you've got someone to be with other than us right now, yeah?" She took the plate into her claws, tearing into the toast immediately. "Mmff."