Abysmal Souls Chapter 5

[Sakusa]

Giselle

"Whoa, aaagh, what the hell lady?! Oh gosh... sorry about that, but... you did that to me, why am I apologizing?"

Figures. He's that kind of kid. I hate kids. She'd let go of his collar and stumbled a bit, but got up without a hitch and dusted her hands. Her eyes definitely showed disapproval. "Look here, kid. I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. See that girl over there? Yeah, she barely got away with minor injuries." She crossed her arms. "Now, assume she's one of 'em noble-types. Y'think they'll let you off the hook that easy? All I'm askin' for is an apology, not some crazy amount of gold meant for compensation. If y'can't even do that, then, well, g'luck surviving in the real world, kid." She threw the last part in for some added venom, not particularly caring for his reaction.

Edited August 27, 2011 by Sakukitty

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

"I-I'm not sure if fire resistant armor would even help against someone so... powerful, right Adrian? I mean... I just... I don't want to be a part of this, this is too much pressure for me. If you'll excuse me..." With that, Carrion blew past, leaving Mel and Adrian behind her. Mel's eyes went wide when she realized why Carrion was in such a hurry. "Oh, Goddess..." she said softly, turning to Adrian. Her face was incredibly pale. "She's...?" This isn't how it was supposed to happen. She's too nice. She can't be. "Dammit!" Carrion cried from outside. That confirmed it for Mel, who was blinking back incredulous tears. "I-I didn't..." Her hands balled into fists and she walked right up to Adrian, stopping him from going after her. "You...you know her. She's not, is she?" Mel asked, sniffling. "She's not. You know her. She's a good person, right? Right?" Her voice was growing frantic, desperate. I did this. I could have stopped them. I could have helped her, or him, or... "I didn't know," she choked out finally, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry! I d-didn't know!" It was finally occurring to her how far in over her head she was. Sobbing, she leaned against the wall, sliding down again and hugging her knees to her chest.

This is my fault. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she whimpered between sobs. One of them is going to die. Their blood will be on my hands...Grant, don't fight her. Please don't.

[Shin]

Oshea

"I don't think that's any of your business, and I'm not obliged to tell you my name. If you don't have any more business here, I would like to suggest that you leave,"

The girl had quite a tongue, perhaps she felt awkward in his great presence? The right thing to do was to vacate, lest she gave into her hidden urges. Being so wonderfully attractive was a curse at times.

"I completely understand. It must be difficult to be a girl of your age at times. I bid you the best of luck."

He left before she could respond, he didn't want to make it even more difficult for her. The only thing to do now was return to the bar. There would be a good number of ladies there still, and perhaps he could even find some "work".

[CT075]

Inn

Sisters

Therese didn't respond to the man's taunt. Horatio was clearly not as innocent as he made himself out to be, but in the end it came down to who she trusted more. And, at the moment, she was kind of leaning towards the man who hadn't just attacked her.

The kid was really stupid. The horseman's comment towards him confirmed it, they were in a group together. Now that she thought about it, the members of the group she knew of fit the rumors. The stupid kid was in front of her, the fancy-ass horseman was coming up behind her, the other fancy-ass knight was lying in a heap at the bottom of the stairs.

If they're all after Horatio because he attacked someone else in their group... the girl he's after must be the Crimson Witch.

No way. Therese didn't believe the rumors. At all. It just wasn't possible to come back to life. Despite this, she couldn't shake the image of her house burning down around her. The woman shook her head, and winked over her shoulder.

"Well, 's been fascinatin' an' all. Really has. Nev'r though' I'd meet men gullible 'nuff t' think tha' some girl they're trav'lin' wit' was th' goddamn Crimson Witch. At leas' Horatio's story was almos' believable, sinc' as far as I know, the two of yeh jus' star'ed huntin' 'im down fer no real reason."

Then she stepped smartly out the window, hitting the ground running, Rina in tow. Fuck this job... if it's true, I need to find out. Now.

Ormis

"Ormis, what the hell were you doing?"

Ormis pulled himself up. She was already gone.

"Well, I was TRYING to bail out yer sorry asses, since if I hadn't come when I did you'd've never gotten the damn guy's name."

Then he grinned and held up something small.

"Or at least you'd've had to look a lot harder to find this~"

It was Therese's vial of antidote. Ormis had nicked it by accident when she tackled him, but he wasn't about to tell them that.

"Any sniper wit' poison oughta carry around a thing'er two of the antidote, eh?"

Teis

Fire. Everywhere.

Teis couldn't remember a time in his life when he had felt so helpless. At least when his father was killed, he could pretend that he had landed a few blows on the assailant.

Back to the fire. They weren't black flames as usual. They were... a warmer color. Like... Carrion. Carrion... A thought occurred to him.

We're such fools! Why waste time with the assassin's accomplices here, when the man himself can and probably will bring Grant right to Carrion's doorstep? Guh...

---

The knight groaned. He could've sworn Danyon had been leaning over him, but he was with Ormis a ways up the stairs. Wherever the hell the kid had come from. His arm dragged out, and he pulled himself up against the wall, spluttering.

"Guh... D-damn... this was... it was all a diversion... the assassin is..."

He lapsed back into his coughing fit, this time spitting out a bit of blood.

"Go... find Carrion... now..."

[Jaybee]

Danyon

"Well, 's been fascinatin' an' all. Really has. Nev'r though' I'd meet men gullible 'nuff t' think tha' some girl they're trav'lin' wit' was th' goddamn Crimson Witch. At leas' Horatio's story was almos' believable, sinc' as far as I know, the two of yeh jus' star'ed huntin' 'im down fer no real reason."

Shut up, Danyon, you don't need to answer this, you know Carrion's for real. Let this particular girl go. As she left, he turned to Ormis, amazed the kid actually thought he was helping.

"Well, I was TRYING to bail out yer sorry asses, since if I hadn't come when I did you'd've never gotten the damn guy's name."

"Damn it, Ormis, I already KNEW his name! Just... what the hell were you thinking?"

Then the kid held up the little vial of antidote. "OK... erm... Get that to Teis. Down the stairs."

As he ran down to Teis, he heard the knight sputter, "Guh... D-damn... this was... it was all a diversion... the assassin is..."

... Oh fuck, he's right. "Just... shut up now, all right? Sounds stupid, but Ormis can help, I hope..." As Teis began to cough again, he got one more sentence out of him.

"Go... find Carrion... now..."

Dammit dammit dammit dammit dammit! "Ormis! Give him the antidote, then go back and get my horse. Large, brown, probably not very happy, you get it. Get Teis and take him back. Once he's in his room or something, go around with the horse and look for me or Carrion."

He didn't bother checking if Ormis had heard him properly, immediately running off towards the library. He didn't even know why he was going in that direction, it just seemed like the main attraction of the entire city.

[Nanami Touko]

Adrian

"Right. Okay." Adrian sat back, anticipating some rather less than impressive story. Adrian figured Mel to be the kind of girl to be impressed by lots; she seemed pretty childish. He could've just been reading her wrong. "First I gotta warn you: all of this is super-duper-top-secret stuff. Like, I shouldn't be telling you, but I need the help, and you both seem like decent people so I don't mind." Right, get on with it, girl. At least it might make up for going through as depressing a thing as we did moments ago. "My friend, the one who wants the armor, is...well, he's chasing someone. Someone really evil, according to him. I think she calls herself the Crimson Witch." ... No. No, this... His expression changed from curious to blank, sitting up from his lean as Mel went on. She became a bit apprehensive as she went on, but for whatever reason she kept going. Does she know she shouldn't be telling us this? Too late now, but still... "... But...but he sounded really, really convinced of himself." "So you're just going to help out some shady guy 'cause it sounds like it's a good idea?" Adrian was stopping himself from grabbing her by the shirt and yelling at her, some of that anger apparent in what he was saying.

"He's not going to stop. I know it. So the least I can do is make sure he doesn't die, you know? I mean, he seems strong. But in his condition, he just...he can't win, Carrion! How can I just send him into a meat-grinder like that? Someone that strong'll..." You don't know a thing. You don't know a fucking thing, do you? "Sorry, got a bit enthused there. But yeah, don't want him to die is all." His fist was clenched tight enough for his nails to draw blood, "So how much of that d'ya think is nuts? Some or all?" "Are you fucking kidding m--" "I-I'm not sure if fire resistant armor would even help against someone so... powerful, right Adrian? I mean... I just... I don't want to be a part of this, this is too much pressure for me. If you'll excuse me..." And then Carrion was gone, Adrian unsurprised in the least. "Oh, Goddess..." Yeah, figure it out now? Mel's face was pale, and his anger was turned down, unable to truly get angry at her. He sighed, flinching as Carrion screamed her "Dammit!" He looked at Mel again, wondering if the girl would fall apart. She seemed like if he touched her, she'd shatter. "She's...?" Mel's just a little girl, easily impressed; she didn't know... ugh, that fucking Grant! "I-I didn't..." "Stay here, I'll be back..." He almost ordered it to her, trying to get up, but getting pushed back down by her. What...?

"You...you know her. She's not, is she? She's not. You know her. She's a good person, right? Right?" "Mel... Just... just calm down, Mel. We'll deal with this, alright? And no, she's not. She's an amazing person. I don't know what Grant's told you, but it's probably a lie." His tone became as comforting as it could at the moment, not wanting her to freak out more than she already was. "I didn't know... I'm so sorry! I d-didn't know!" She let him go, and he stood, watching her shrink to the floor. He leaned in and placed a hand on her shoulder, unsure of what to tell her, "Mel, please... you, you couldn't have known what you were doing, so just... please calm down. I really don't want to deal with this right now. You need to stop crying." Gods be damned, calm down! You haven't done anything, so just...! "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," She wasn't getting any better, and she wasn't stopped her crying. "Mel, dammit!" he cried out, doing the only thing he felt he could.

*smack*

He slapped her, grabbing her shoulders and staring her straight in the eyes. "Listen! You haven't done a thing, you didn't make any armor, you didn't know what he was planning, you didn't know Carrion; you DIDN'T KNOW! But you haven't done anything either, so stop getting so upset! Everything will be fine, okay? I'm going to see how Carrion's doing, and then we'll come back, and we'll be fine. So please. PLEASE. Calm down..." He was being rather loud, but he stood and sighed. I don't care how many people just heard me... I've just gotta see if Carrion's alright. He hoped she'd be able to get over what was going on by the time he got back, as he ran after Carrion. Gideon and Amera were close to the door, so he pointed in Mel's direction as he flew past them, hoping they could console the girl. Running outside in the hopes of being able to make Carrion feel better... he saw the last person he'd ever want to see, standing right there with her. Grant. Hobbling his way along, and talking to her. His hand shot to his sword faster than he could register, "you fucking piece of..." He didn't care if he got hurt; he knew that Grant was the better fighter, even handicapped as he was. Flying past Carrion, he lunged at Grant with his sword drawn. "Haaaaaaaa!" If I can distract him for Carrion, just long enough... that's all I'll need!

Amera

"Day's almost over anyway." "Yeaaaahhhh, let's just go back to the inn and relax~" She really wanted to get back into that bed; it was the most comfortable thing she'd been sleeping on in months. Gideon felt like chatting, though, so she obliged. "How do people write all this? Where do they even find the time?" "Well. Maybe if you spent all your days writing instead of fighting, you'd write a lot of books as well." She giggled at her remark, and forced herself out of her seat. "Alright, if we're going, we're going. I'm getting pretty tired at the sight of all these books, too..." But something caught her eye, which was Carrion bursting her way out of the library doors, looking rather upset about something. "Carrion, wha--" but she was gone way too quickly for Amera to even try saying something. "Whoa... that was..." "Dammit!" "Okay, that's a lot more worrying than I thought it would be!" She started for the door, as Adrian ran past them as well, quickly pointing behind himself. "Adrian, what's going on?!" And he was gone. "Ugh... come on, Gideon." Amera looked back, and walked over, curious to see what he had pointed at before running out after him. Upon walking over, she heard crying, and quickly found Mel against the wall, shriveled into a tiny bawling ball.

"What the-- M-Mel... what's, what's wrong?" She sat herself down next to her and slid her arm around Mel's shoulder, trying to comfort her in some way. What the hell did Gideon and I miss? Gods, this is just... This is mad.

Edited August 28, 2011 by seph1212

[ReformBlade]

Carrion and Grant

"Strange? STRANGE?! You chased me." Her voice was raised high, not caring at the commotion she was causing. "You chased me for no reason at all, a goddamn rumor will set you off, will it? Well just DROP it. I'm tired, I've had a shitty day, I've had a shitty LIFE, and you're not helping me out in any fashion here!"

"Are you done ye-"

"Shut the hell up. I'm not through with you. You've done nothing but grief me for the past two weeks, your blind 'justice', and for what?!"

"I JUST WANT TO TALK TO YOU, GOD DAMMIT. Yes, I chased you, YES my original intent was to outright kill you, but I've done a little RESEARCH and now... I just wanna talk! What the fuck can I do to you in this state?! What do you have to lose by hearing me out?!"

"You have no idea about loss, you damned zealot! I had... no choice but to act the way I did there, and I'm sorry, but if you keep this u-"

"And I reacte din kind. Don't be a hypocrite, I know what I've done, and now I'm trying to place all the pieces together. Would you rather I just commit suicide by attacking you in public? Is that what you want?"

"... In all honesty... Yes. I do want you dead."

"At last, common ground, but ground I'm willing to reshape..." And it was at this point that he saw Adrian charging at him. "... Ground I must seemingly defend." Crippled and down an arm, Grant pulled out his sword, light as a feather in one hand, Carrion blinking at what he was doing, then turning around.

"A... Adrian, back off!" But it seemed the kid wouldn't listen

Grant parried his blow with ease, yet the kid's anger and resentment seemed to drive him much harder than Grant bargained for, the man getting cut up by a second and sudden flurry of strikes. "You'd do well to listen to your friend, Adrian..." Punching Adrian with the pommel of his weapon to push him back, Grant took a few swiping swings, moving himself as far forward as he could, positioning himself for a final thrust that he knew the kid wouldn't be able to avoid if he would dodge as he thought he would. The gem glowing in his sword, he took one final sweeping strike, sending a small gust at the kid, completely and utterly surprised that it had happened as much as the next person.

Carrion saw all of this in slow motion, terrified that Adrian was going to seriously get hurt by Grant.

Arcen and Aiduen

"Wait, I knocked someone over? Uh..." He scratched his head and walked over to the woman, who he only now recognized as his sister. "Sorry... sis... I got caught up in something"

"Don't bother apologizing, you don't really mean it." And she stormed off, obviously pissed and scowling.

"What- Aiduen, come on, what the hell? I said I was sorry!"

Edited August 28, 2011 by SlaveKitty

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Melanie

Adrian's words were a blur to her. He was saying something about not crying, or something...it didn't matter. Someone was going to die, and it was her fault. Then, out of nowhere, something hit her. She looked up at him, a bit surprised, her cheek stinging. Did...did he just hit me?! Immediately the angry spark she was prone to came back, and she glared at Adrian, whose words were finally registering with her. "Listen! You haven't done a thing, you didn't make any armor, you didn't know what he was planning, you didn't know Carrion; you DIDN'T KNOW!" He isn't mad? Her expression softened a bit, her cheeks still glistening with tears as she looked up at him. "But you haven't done anything either, so stop getting so upset! Everything will be fine, okay? I'm going to see how Carrion's doing, and then we'll come back, and we'll be fine. So please. PLEASE. Calm down..." A bit calmer now, she nodded, still sniffling. Before she could reply, though, he was gone, leaving Mel to sit and think about what she had done. Again. Grant...what am I supposed to do? You said she was bad. Did you lie to me, or what? The panic was very steadily brewing in her, converting itself to bitterness. You know what? Fuck you, Grant. I'll see for myself.

Gideon

"Well. Maybe if you spent all your days writing instead of fighting, you'd write a lot of books as well," she teased, giggling. "That'd be something," Gideon mused back. "Carrion, wha--" "Hmm?" Gideon sat up, a bit curious at what had just happened. "What was that about?" "Dammit!" The shout caused Gideon to stand up, looking out towards the doors. "The hell...?" "Okay, that's a lot more worrying than I thought it would be!" Adrian dashed past too, without a word - he just pointed towards the stairs. "Ugh... come on, Gideon." Gideon obliged and followed her, his hand slipping into hers as they walked. Once they got to the stairs, there was a whimpering little girl there, curled up in a ball, with a somewhat fierce look in her eyes.

Both

"What the-- M-Mel... what's, what's wrong?" Amera startled the Witch Mel leaned instinctively into Amera when she hugged her, still sniffling. "I..." All the emotion came rushing back, and she sobbed, burying her face in Amera's chest. It didn't even occur to her that it might be inappropriate - she was too upset to care. "I didn't know!" she cried, clinging to Amera and bawling her eyes out. "I-I was just trying to help, and she...and she...he said she was bad!" It was less than eloquent, but Mel was too upset to think.

Watching the girl cry (and feel up his girlfriend, apparently) bothered Gideon in more ways than one. He moved towards them and sat a few steps below, looking at the mess of a girl in Amera's arms. Crying wouldn't help them, especially with Carrion and Adrian moving so quickly to who-knew-where. "Alright, just calm down," he said, shooting a look at Amera. What are we doing here? "Just breathe, okay?" He frowned - it wasn't working.

The monkey was saying...something, but Mel barely heard him over her crying. She was scared, and angry, and confused, and ashamed, and a little tired, and she felt kinda sick, too - those fritters were probably covered in butter or something.

[Nanami Touko]

Adrian

"A... Adrian, back off!" He barely heard her, but he was already into it; too late to stop. He kept slamming his sword against Grant's, not getting anywhere by it, but so mad that he couldn't care less. "Fuck," slam, "you!" slam, "fuck" slam, "YOU!" He actually managed to cut him, but was then knocked back by a punch to the face, throwing his sword up in time to get knocked back by another swing. "You'd do well to listen to your friend, Adrian..." What the-- agh! Another swing backed by some ridiculous blast of wind knocked him off of his feet, back behind Carrion. The blade had caught his stomach before the wind had, a small gash lining it now. "What... ugh, fuck!" He coughed as he tried to sit up, glaring daggers at Grant and clutching his stomach. What was that?! Carrion, if you don't fry him right now... Ugh, this is so fucked up... He clambered onto his feet, holding his sword up in case Grant wanted to swing again. After what had just happened, even as angry as he was, he was too frightened to try running into the guy again.

Horatio

No one was coming out of the inn, and Horatio didn't particularly care. If Therese really wanted to see him, she'd find him. It wasn't like purple hair was hard to miss. But his eyes spotted something, or rather, someone, who could keep him interested until she showed up, or someone tried to fight him... again. A rather young looking girl had stumbled her way (Or what he perceived as tumbling) out of an inn. She looked... cute, and he was bored, walking over to her. "Hey there, girly. What say we spend some time together an' enjoy the festivities?" This'll get my mind off of what's been happenin', surely. She can't be with those insane people from before, she looks way too normal for that...

Amera

Mel seemed pretty upset about something, Amera a bit glad that her small hug wasn't freaking Mel out, "I..." But Mel's affection was something else, or whatever it was, Amera shrieking a little as Mel ran her face into Amera's chest. Don't start freaking out, she's just looking for someone to be there for her, don't freak out... And she tried her best, placing her arms around Mel and pulling her into a somewhat Awkward hug, but getting over it momentarily. She was crying too hard for Amera to think anything else would happen. "I didn't know!" "You didn't know what, swee..." Amera started to piece it together... though she didn't have all the pieces. What, did she find out that Carrion's the Crimson Witch? Why would she be crying like this, then? I mean, it could be shocking, but... She couldn't get what was making Mel so upset, "I-I was just trying to help, and she...and she...he said she was bad!" and that wasn't helping. "Mel, honey, calm down, please..." Gideon tried to help her calm down as well (though help couldn't be the best descriptor for it), and Amera shot him a slightly annoyed look. Gideon, just let me handle this... "Mel, please..." she stroked the girl's hair a bit, hoping that would help in some way, "calm down for me, and tell me what happened, alright?"

Andy

His fainting wasn't as severe as he'd thought it was, as he awoke in the same bed he had the same morning, sitting up a bit quickly. "What... what happened...? Let's just think, uhm... oh..." and he turned red once more, "r-right, Langley's f-f-friend..." Something about Noel made him burn red, but he couldn't tell if it was because of what she said, or because of how much she'd fascinated him. It was probably an annoying combination of both. She still scared him, though. Way too frightening for him to spend time with... or is she?

[ReformBlade]

Carrion and Grant

"What the hell...?" Bewildered, he stared at the blade, only now piecing together something in his mind. So it's that kind of mana stone... Amazing... Shaking his head, he looked to Adrian, scowling at him and approaching him. "You IDIOT. You do realize YOU had a massive part to play in this grand fuck up, right? Back in the mountains... I was willing to talk then as well, though it went against every fiber of my being, and yet... I don't blame you for your reaction. I'm just stating facts here." Pointing the sword at Adrian's face, he spoke up. "You ready for round two, or are you going to calm the fuck down?"

"Leave him alone..." Carrion stepped between the two, Grant confused by the gesture, and yet, all the more convinced in himself of what he was doing. "He's down. He attacked you, you beat him, just let him fucking GO. Or I'm stepping in and finishing what he started." Her hands seemed to blaze, glaring at Grant. By now, a crowd had formed, everyone growing silent, wondering if this was staged or an actual fight happening right here and now.

"You are far from any position in which to order me around girl. I didn't instigate this, he did. You step in for him, you'll just be another victim..."

"You threaten me one more time like that, me or him, I. Will. Break you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Very. Now are we going to handle this like adults and talk, or are we going to give in to petty urges and tear each other's faces off? It seems we both have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by simply talking. So..." He held his hand out in a welcoming manner. "Truce?"

"... You stab my boyfriend and then have the balls to ask for a truce, simply because you know I'd mop the floor with you? I'm not making any decisions about you until he's healed, so if you desperately want this talk, I suggest you get looking."

"So you will make demands of me, even in your current position... Why am I not surprised?" Noticing the crowd forming around them in a big ring, he turned and raised his voice. "Is there a doctor here? Anyone? Priest, Herbalist, Medicine Man, anyone at all that can help here?"

A young man, thinking he'd be getting paid for the performance, hopped forward, almost running to Adrian. "Yeah yeah, I can help! Looks simple enough!" Pulling out a small pouch, he began unloading it until he found a particularly foul smelling gel in a jar, which he took a glob of and began applying it to Adrian's wound immediately. He looked up to Carrion almost expectantly, but Carrion was more focused on Adrian to care. Feeling gypped, the young man went back into the crowd, almost downtrodden, his head held low.

Carrion sighed, turning back to Grant, not sure what to make of this.

"Well...? I'll just say this..." He cleared his throat. "If I don't talk to you here, chances are... Nothing will change."

"FINE, fine, god dammit, just shut up!"

He stumbled back from her fury, amazed at how frightening that tiny little girl could be.

[Nanami Touko]

He had gotten back onto his feet, his adrenaline moving him more than his body. The gash wasn't deep, but it had been a heavy hit. "You IDIOT. You do realize YOU had a massive part to play in this grand fuck up, right? Back in the mountains... I was willing to talk then as well, though it went against every fiber of my being, and yet... I don't blame you for your reaction. I'm just stating facts here." "Facts? You want fucking facts!? You got Ormis, Aurelio and Lucretia to join you in chasing us across that entire fucking mountain just for some FUCKING PETTY GRUDGE, and then you expect me to stay and believe you, when you say you want to talk?!" He was getting too worked up, still scared of whatever that blade was doing. "You ready for round two, or are you going to calm the fuck down?" "Don't act like you're better than me you self righteous piece of shi--" "Leave him alone..." He was ready to take another swing at the man, Carrion stepping in to stop them from making this worse. Fuck... this is why I want to get stronger, Carrion, because of shits like him...

"He's down. He attacked you, you beat him, just let him fucking GO. Or I'm stepping in and finishing what he started." He would've pushed his way right past her if he hadn't been hit, too much anger built up in him and no outlet. "Carrion, I can... I can handle him. Or I can at least try." You're not making sense, Adrian. He will kill you, you know that? Instead, he listened to them banter, holding back his laughter whenever Grant spoke. He was so 'holier than thou' it made Adrian sick. "So you will make demands of me, even in your current position... Why am I not surprised?" Adrian couldn't take it anymore, laughing, even if it hurt him. "God, you're so... it's hilarious, you think you've got this whole thing under control, but you fucking don't... ha ha ha! You don't know a fucking thing, do you Grant!?" The laughing was hurting his cut too much for him to keep doing it, stopping as s boy from the crowd ran over. Whatever he had slathered on, it smelled horrid, but Adrian could feel it starting to work right away. "Thanks, kid." Already run off, though, Adrian turned his attention back to Grant.

"Well...? I'll just say this... If I don't talk to you here, chances are... Nothing will change." "Yeah, and if she kills you we never have to worry about your one legged self ever again. What do we gain by talking with you, huh? Some more pointless BS about how right you are? Fuck off..." Adrian wasn't going to have any of it, but Carrion seemed to want to, if only to have it out of the way, "FINE, fine, god dammit, just shut up!" Watching Grant stumble from Carrion's outburst was at least entertaining, Adrian remaining stoic, with some semblance of a smile. He'd gotten used to those.

[Shin]

Oshea

Waltzing his way back into the inn, he went straight for the bar again. It was still pretty early, it might be a while before he found anybody else in need of him. However, there was someone he knew he'd forgotten about. Something to do with him leaving the first time.

It probably wasn't important. He ordered his drink from the... barman, to his great disappointment. Barmaids were so much more fun.

[ReformBlade]

Carrion and Grant

Composing himself again, he stared at Adrian, wanting to address what he said finally. "You hit the nail on the head. I DON'T know what's going on." Rubbing the wound on his chest he continued. "And to yell at me for chasing on a whim... I suppose it's fair, but the hypocrisy is so damn apparent to me now it's almost laughable. Just as you threatened harm upon me and my family, I vowed to kill you. It seems neither of us followed through, so stop the whole 'I'm the worst of the worst' deal you're pulling you goddamn kid."

"The difference is that I never seriously meant it... And yes, I realize how that sounds now."

"Congratulations, you're roughly two weeks late on that one, Miss and the intent or not is irrelevant at this point, and this conversation is going to continue going nowhere until you can learn to keep your friend there in line. Or if you don't want to talk, that's fine too, but like I said before, nothing will change if that happens..."

"Your argument isn't very convincing, sir... I've still no reason to give a damn about you or what you have to say. And as for keeping him in line? To be honest, I don't want to stop him from trying to tear you apart, but I don't want to see him hurt either. So what's a girl supposed to do in this situation, hm?"

"Hahaha... holy shit, you popped a joke." He clapped for her in mock appreciation. "Either way, I'm leaving now, I'll be in town for a bit, probably need to go explain things to someone later..."

Carrion knew exactly who he was talking about, and instead of warning him, she simply stared as the man hobbled on by, towards the library. She still had a hand out to restrain Adrian, just in case before turning to him. "Hey... sorry about that... I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't want to see you get killed either... And next time, don't assault anyone in public..." Her tone was hushed as the crowd seemingly got bored, disappointed that it had degenerated into talking, "I completely understand your anger for the man, I'm pissed he thinks he's got any say in this, like he's got some information I don't know about and he's some clever little fuck, but please..." She looked at Adrian with a worried and tired face. Her one day of doing nothing seemed to be out of reach, as usual, and her face was beginning to show how utterly disappointed in that fact she was.

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Gideon, Melanie

The look Amera gave him was all he needed to see. She was being more patient with Mel than he was (or probably could have been), so Gideon just turned away and listened. I'm not really helping anyway. She can handle it.

"Mel, please...calm down for me, and tell me what happened, alright?" Sniffling, she nodded and pulled reluctantly away from Amera. Her rack's a good pillow...the monkey guy's lucky as hell. "O-Okay," she stammered out, taking a few deep breaths. It took her a moment, but she eventually calmed down and sat up properly, leaning against the wall by the stairs. "Best get comfortable," she said, her voice a bit bitter. "This'll take a while."

A pause and a few more deep breaths later, she glanced towards the door. They're probably fighting...no, Mel, stop it. You can't do anything anyway. Just talk. Get it out... "I dunno how to sugarcoat this...you know that guy who's after Carrion? Grant? He's in Pravna." One part down. Keep going, girl. "I...I'm the one who brought him here. He wanted me to make him a suit of armor, one that'd protect him from fire." As she spoke, she steadily found it easier to vent - Grant just pissed her off now. You said she was evil. "So I figured, like, I'd work on it here, where I could get someone to help me enchant it. And he came with, just to pay me, I guess. I dunno." Her hands balled into fists. "When he talked about the Crimson Witch, he sounded so...bitter, so angry. He said such horrible things about her." She shook her head and sniffled. "What was I supposed to do? A fucking cripple bent on revenge, or killing a witch, or something, I don't fucking know. He just shows up, and asks for my help, and...how could I just let him go? What if he died because I left him alone?"

A bitter laugh escaped her as the tears started flowing again. "I guess that just makes me a stupid kid," she said sullenly, sobbing again. "A stupid fucking kid. For wanting to save someone's life. Fuck me..." Angry, sad - it was a blur now. She was just crying.

[NagafenOfIlivikitty]

Obelia’s eyes shoot to Ken’s before that final glance to Ken. She is riding on the emotion that comes from this. She knows Lucinda can’t feel the same way she can. And it’s probably about now she realises why she likes her. Lucinda, despite how she was with her, was the first girl outside of her home to show, albeit in a roundabout way, a want to interact, to offer kindness even if it is not the traditional kind. And Obelia ran away from that. So she shivers and looks to the priest once more, for a slight reassurance in the man she now calls friend and turns her head to the bed.

---

Noel sits there frozen a moment. She has moved into the living area and quietly sits in the chair which she has nestled into numerous times in the past. It’s a worn armchair with slightly cottony sides and a rather tattered looking headrest. Its wooden legs are chipped in places. But she is sat on the very edge of it a moment and her hands hug her knees. She glances up, a slightly quiet one

Langley stands in the rooms entry way and her eyes are very quiet, her hands placed calmly, left on the wall, right on her hip. She glances to Noel with a mixture of a rather cold glare and a slightly weary tinge. She walks calmly over to a now upright chair, it’s old looking, polished wood now sat upright compared to yesterdays strewn across the floor. She seats herself on it and finally, after sitting and looking to her, Noel’s own nervous gaze quite silent, she asks.

‘Why?’

‘Why what? I-‘

‘You know why, why would you… why would you push him when you can see he’s clearly nervous? I don’t understand that because the way I remember you Noel, you wouldn’t push anyone, you barely wanted to tease anyone, even when I had to leave.’

‘You didn’t have to leave.’

Langley’s eyes are slightly paused by that and she opens her lips slowly.

‘I didn’t have to leave.’

‘Yes, yes you didn’t. We were happy and you parents were fixing things. You didn’t have to go.’

Noel’s eyes try and muster anger even as Langley’s voice begins to slowly rise, her own eyes closing.

‘You know how selfish that sounds, right? I have a responsibility to help out my family as best I can.’

Noel’s eyes flicker and she glances to her with a renewed glare of her own.

‘You know you went away because you wanted an adventure.’

Langley’s eyes flicker back and her tone slightly shakes.

‘Is that how little faith you have in me anymore? You think I left just for that?’

‘Yes.’

‘Get out.’

Noel’s eyes are a bit startled and she jolts a moment, Langley’s gaze cold.

‘What? No, I don’t want to go.’

‘Well that’s funny because you don’t seem too cheered by me being here. It sounds like you’d be happier without me.’

‘What am I meant to think when my best friend comes back after all this time and she’s not alone? That she’s found a replacement for me?’

Langley’s eyes slightly widen and while still angry, she can’t help a slight shock.

‘Wait a minute, you think that Andy is you replacement?’

‘Well, how am I meant to feel?'

Noel’s eyes blaze and she begins to stand and her body shakes and her tone rises.

‘You tell me I can’t come with you, you go off and the only sign I know you’re okay is someone turning up at the village making you out like some sort of hero and when you come back, you have the GALL!’

Her voice bellows and Langley’s eyes lose some focus, slightly startled. Noel seems to notice but her body tenses as she speaks in a measured tone.

‘You have the gall, to come back with someone who looks younger then me, who isn’t even carrying a weapon, who looks as scared as I was when we were little and you tell me I couldn’t have been more useful then him? Do you have a CRUSH on him or something? Some eye candy to make-‘

Noel’s gaze freezes a moment. Langley’s eyes have suddenly gone quite wide. She is silent and frozen and her fingers are gripping the edges of the char. Noel is quiet, her own gaze wide and she looks to her.

‘…Langley? You can’t have… you- it’s not, you can’t just... him? HIM?!?’

Langley stays quiet even as her friend’s voice raises. But Noel is silent. She just stares at her, and then gazes up at the stairs and then back to her friend. She looks to her tail. Langley’s is curling silently around her leg.

She moves, quietly and Langley protests. ‘Langl-‘

‘Get off me.’

‘Langley, it’s fine, I’m sorry-‘

‘No, stop it, get off, GET OFF-‘

‘Langley…’

She hugs her friend even as she shakes and Langley tries pushing at her. But Langley realises quietly that she is very, very confused. And for some reason, that’s hurting a lot. She kind of feels something wet touch Noel’s shoulder and drip amid the fur but she just finds her hands holding her friends after a moment. And Noel is quiet, suddenly asking.

‘Why didn’t you take me.’

‘Because… I didn’t.. I couldn’t lose you. You’re my best friend. Okay? That’s the TRUTH, YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND!’

She is shouting into her shoulder but Noel just mumbles something and hugs her tighter, unaware of anything around them. For some reason, the same reason said when she first left is much more convincing when the addresser is crying, clinging to you and is confused about their rather abrupt romantic feelings.

For some reason.

---

Slightly startled, Carrie’s eyes glance to the guy in front of her and his request. He looks ragged and slightly worn at the edges. She feels an immediate fear come to her throat but at the moment, something else goes in her head. Something akin to the strength her mom has had when dealing with a customer. Even hooded with her cracked lenses, she places on hand on her hip, breathing quietly as she remembers how her mom would deal with slightly lecherous customers. She would try and filter those who were seeking something carnal and those who were misguided or ‘loving’ as her mom exaggerate. So with a slightly calm smile, she tilts her head and says in her strongest voice.

‘I’m not sure you could handle a day with a real lady, guy. What makes me so sure that you’re not gonna put the moves on me?’

Ahawhahahwhahhahh… continued her fumbling thought pattern.

---

Zwool’s eyes trace the book and the rather old cover. It is blank but seems textured slightly rough. While the side feels smooth, it’s like brushing over smooth scales with the cover. He is about to flick it open when the events of outside unfold. He is quiet, nervous. The voice that begins all this with him but it sounds like she is angry, upset. He slightly inches to the door. He hears commotion around him. He loves her. He knows he does. But Adrian, he see’s him run outside. He should hate that boy, his jealousy like the brightest core of a flame. It’s easy to let him get hurt, it’s easy to let any of them get hurt. All those who protect her, if they all fall then she might need him. She might want him. She might.

But then he remembers the girl with the innocent smile who held him as they’d rested, simply because she was kind. And he sighs and growls to himself, remembering what Carrion said, to live.

So as he runs outside but he doesn’t run and push Adrian aside, however much he wants to, nor does he go hut the leaving knight, even if he seems to be why Carrion is now upset looking. He just goes, keeps calm and with some hesitance, asks the two.

‘I’m sorry for interrupting, but is everything okay? I was inside and there was shouting and I knew you told me to leave, I just heard it and was worried and I’m sorry and are you both okay?’

He says it in one go but his eyes try his best to not show jealousy, anger, any of that. Just concern.

[Caliban of Sycorax]

Lucretia & Adano

With the rain pouring down, Aurelio had landed the suggestion that the three stop moving and wait until storm's end.

"Bah, and it was going so smoothly! I don't see any shelter around here or nothin'. How're you two holding up?" It was hard to hear him over the weather. Moving onward would be a bad idea, at least if they could find something to provide even the least possible amount of cover would be good. The horses were beginning to complain from the weather.

"Why don't we continue onward for a bit to get to some cover? I see a decent amount of trees that way; we can rest under those and get out of the rain," Adano hollered over the rain, the sound of water on his armor getting louder as the rain got heavier.

Lucretia could only nod, her voice wasn't that loud even when she was shouting. It wasn't in her personality to yell, anyway.

Julius

It was longer than he expected to meet with Lord Sarson. He had learned from the guard that Lord Sarson had recently fallen ill and could barely stand. When the guard returned, he informed Julius that Lord Sarson was more than ecstatic to meet with him, but he would need to wait until Lord Sarson could muster the energy to get out of bed.

As he entered the manor he remembered the lavish parties and gatherings he would attend when he was younger; the halls resonated with the scent of lavender and aloe. He remembered the attractive socialites dressed to the nines in their extravagant jewels, dresses, and tuxedoes. He remembered the dances with the wives and daughters of the nobles and the proper courtesies associated with each dance. He wasn't the best dancer at the parties, but the nobles were impressed with Julius' courtesy and perfect gentlemanship. Lord Kilmore, the perfect gentleman. That title made him famous among the social elite, and while he appreciated the fame, he wondered why he was there in the first place.

Why am I here again...? I'm looking for my own place in this world, yet I feel like I'm taking a step backwards.

He stopped his thoughts when a servant of Lord Sarson approached him and led him to the large master bedroom on the second floor of the mansion. "Lord Kilmore, I warn you, Lord Sarson's condition is not...attractive. He has been bedridden for a while, and his appearance has become much more gaunt."

"I see," Julius replied, "I'll keep that in mind." He nodded to the servant and looked at the large and ornate door. "Lord Sarson, it's me, Lord Kilmore." He said as he rapped lightly on the door and slowly opened it.

[Shin]

Aurelio

"Why don't we continue onward for a bit to get to some cover? I see a decent amount of trees that way; we can rest under those and get out of the rain,"

He could barely hear Adano over the rain. The torrent was continous, almost creating a wall between them. Visibility was awful, but Aurelio could make out a body of trees in the distance. Well, some cover was better than no cover. Also shouting at the top of his voice, he responded;

"I'm up for that! Let's hope the horses can hold on a little longer!"

Of course, it wasn't the horses he was worried about.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Ken

Obelia seemed troubled, perhaps she was uncertain of the future? She would disclose as much as she felt comfortable with, and he would be there to support her. Words weren't appropriate for the situation, he gave a reassuring smile instead.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Oshea

He wasn't getting very far with the ladies, or any mercenary work. His display earlier must have been too much for them to cope with. Of course, all good things had to be done in moderation - Oshea was no exception. He noticed the brute from earlier, avoiding him would probably be best. However, he spotted a particularly "needing" damsel on the table next to him. Biting the bullet, he casually walked over to her;

"Oh my, what is a flower like you doing in a place like this? Do not worry, I shall sweep you away, far from this hell hole."

She didn't look impressed, maybe she couldn't understand what he meant?

"Back off, Romeo. Take your cruddy lines with you, or they'll have to sweep YOU away afterwards."

[Nanami Touko]

Adrian

"Tch..." Grant went to talk, Adrian completely phasing out whatever he was saying. He didn't want the man's words, he wanted his life. Nothing Grant could say was going to change Adrian's mind about how he felt, so having him prattle on in this ridiculous discussion was all too aggravating. He looked away and watched the crowd instead, noticing how many of them were smiling. Idiots... they all think this is some kind of sideshow, don't they? Whatever... they can have their blissful ignorance. And then Grant suddenly walked past him; he'd gotten caught up in the crowd, getting annoyed at almost everything with his stressed out mindset. He almost jumped at him, but Carrion stopped him, his stress almost molding itself into confusion. What... what the hell? I don't think I can win, but I might as well try, so why are you stopping me?!

"Hey... sorry about that... I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't want to see you get killed either... And next time, don't assault anyone in public..." "Carrion, it's not just anyone, it's Grant. This man has been chasing us, forever, on the basis that you made a mocking threat! Do you honestly expect me to sit there and talk with him?!" Calm yourself, Adrian... she just doesn't want us to attract more attention and get into trouble. Just... take a deep breath. He did such, letting her talk him down some more, "I completely understand your anger for the man, I'm pissed he thinks he's got any say in this, like he's got some information I don't know about and he's some clever little fuck, but please..." He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked down as he took another breath. Looking back up at her with somewhat of a smile, "right, I've gotta stay calm about this. But this is a serious amount of stress, Carrion, so," he pulled her into a kiss, letting them sit for a moment like that.

"Sorry..." he finally let her go, almost chuckling, "I'm... sort of freaking out, and I just used you to de-stress myself, so... like, if you want to slap me for that, I totally understand." That was a bad move, that was probably a really bad move. Especially in this situation. "Uh, where did Grant go, anyway? The library? Glad we're done there..." As if the day couldn't get worse... ‘I’m sorry for interrupting, but is everything okay? I was inside and there was shouting and I knew you told me to leave, I just heard it and was worried and I’m sorry and are you both okay?’ ... Alright, Karma? What have I done to upset you like this? Adrian turned to see Zwool, standing there like nothing had even happened between them, even apologizing. "Right, Carrion, I'm not dealing with this. Got a lot of pent up rage and before I try to stick him, I'm going to head back to the inn." And he was off, not running, but walking quickly, his sword sheathed, and his hands trying to keep themselves off of it. He didn't want to get hurt more than he had, today.

Amera

"O-Okay" Amera gave Mel a soft smile, "Good..." At least she's calmed down... "Best get comfortable, this'll take a while." The floor was comfortable enough for Amera, leaning in a bit to listen to Mel. It's gotta be pretty important if she's this upset... but, what could she have to worry about? "I dunno how to sugarcoat this...you know that guy who's after Carrion? Grant? He's in Pravna." Amera visibly twitched, leaning back. "Why... why is he here, Mel?" That softness in her voice had been lost. "I...I'm the one who brought him here. He wanted me to make him a suit of armor, one that'd protect him from fire." What...? Why would you do that? Do you even know her side...? "So I figured, like, I'd work on it here, where I could get someone to help me enchant it. And he came with, just to pay me, I guess. I dunno." Amera watched Mel, who was getting even more upset as she spoke, and... Amera couldn't stay mad at her. She didn't know, but... I guess she knows now. Sort of... "When he talked about the Crimson Witch, he sounded so...bitter, so angry. He said such horrible things about her. What was I supposed to do? A fucking cripple bent on revenge, or killing a witch, or something, I don't fucking know. He just shows up, and asks for my help, and...how could I just let him go? What if he died because I left him alone?" "Mel, I... uhm..." What am I supposed to say to that? I would've done the same thing in her position...

"I guess that just makes me a stupid kid," "Hey, don't say that..." "A stupid fucking kid. For wanting to save someone's life. Fuck me..." "Mel..." she felt another hug was necessary, pulling the crying girl back into one, and putting on that soft tone once more, "come on... you didn't know, alright? You can't really get upset at yourself for not knowing everything... so don't, okay?" That was... simple. "Besides, a lot of us would've done what you did... you didn't know him, but, he was crippled, and who would leave someone like that to just run off and die, right? But you didn't make the armor, and you didn't help him, so everything'll be fine. Well... I'm sure if you made the armor everything would still be fine. You didn't know, can't really blame you. It's a good thing you know now though, right?" I wonder if she'll really be alright... she's so young, and to know you might've helped someone kill another out of pure revenge...? That's... heavy. "So, let's cheer up. We can go get something to eat, sound good?"

Andy

Andy brought himself to get out of the bed, but he stopped at the top of the stairs as he heard the two of them shouting, Noel's voice and words seeming extremely aggravated, towards him. I wonder if it was a good idea for me to even come here... I should have stayed back in Lazarynth, shouldn't I have? He listened to them continue to yell, their tones finally turning from angry, to hurt, and to even sorry. He smiled, glad that they had stopped fighting, inwardly upset that he had been the cause. "Now... do I go downstairs and make this whole situation awkward again? I... don't think so." He slowly walked back into the room he'd come out of, and collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Horatio

‘I’m not sure you could handle a day with a real lady, guy. What makes me so sure that you’re not gonna put the moves on me?’ "Pfff... aahahahahahaha!" He almost fell over laughing, not trying to insult her, just happy for such a change in pace. "Damn, just... girly, after all I've put up with today, that's jus' the thing I needed to cheer myself up. Now listen, you can saunter along with me, or you can wander about yourself. I'm not gonna sit around an' try t'convince ye." A gleeful smile plastered back onto his face after all the BS he'd dealt with, he started on his walk again; slow, calm, and taking in all the sights he could see. He glanced back just a bit to see if girly was following him, wondering if he'd have some sort of company to make the sight seeing better.

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

The kiss, while she thought it was entirely inappropriate for what just happened, made her feel great. The only disappointment to be had was that it ended too quickly, almost pouting at Adrian. And then Zwool showed up, yet another person she could do without right now. Gritting her teeth slightly, she turned to him, "I'm fine, we're fine. And you, you have a lot of nerve to show up like that, you know? My decision isn't changing, I'm sticking with Adrian, so please just leave me alone." And then she walked off, at first towards the inn, but her pace slowed as she thought about Melanie in there, imagining her confused face. "Dammit..." She turned right around, going against everything she knew and went right back to the library, right behind Grant.

Grant

As he entered the library again, he wasn't expecting much, if any, commotion. Of course his expectations were shattered slightly as he saw two people hugging by the stairs, a man by them and a few people turning their heads over towards em. Sighing and holding his head down, he wiped his face and then moved forward, only to notice two familiar faces. Melanie and... the cat girl from before. "Melanie... You alright?" He was confused on the outside, but deep down, he could piece together what exactly the problem was.

Pralken

"...You are sure?"

"Seeing as I'm basically a marked man now due to a slight mishap, yes, I'm pretty damn sure this is pretty accurate, they'll be invading within the next three to four days, it all depends on how quickly they can move their forces without detection, and with how big they are, it's gonna take a lot of doing."

A smile and a nod from Pralken and he got up. "Alright then. As usual..." He handed over a few coins to the man, "For the trouble, since it seems you'll be seeing lots of it."

"Tch, nothing I ain't dealt with before, but hey, money is money."

"So true..." With another nod, he left the establishment, smiling to himself and heading over to the stables. Picking out the finest horse, he left the owner a hefty sum and went on his merry way. Just a few more days... and I may be able to exact my revenge... I just hope they're ready for it.

[Jaybee]

Danyon

He didn't know how long he was running - 15 minutes, maybe? - But he eventually ended up on the path to the library. As he pushed his way past the people in the crowd, he ended up running into Adrian.

"Oh Goddess, there you are... Adrian, where's Carrion?"

[Nanami Touko]

Adrian, what are you doing? You're leaving her there with the one person who seriously wants her dead, go back there! He turned face in his walk, starting to speed up to a run back to the library, when another annoying face ran into him, "Oh Goddess, there you are... Adrian, where's Carrion?" "Oh, fu--" Adrian, wait... she told you to try and be more considerate to him, so just... just try. He shook the curse out of his head, trying to be civil, "she's... at the Library. I'm going ahead, catch up if you can!" And he ran right back to the library... where Zwool still was, Carrion presumably already inside. "Uh... well..." He couldn't leave the guy there without at least trying to say something to him. "Uhm..." but he didn't really know what to say, "listen, Zwool... you really hurt us with what you said back at the inn, 'specially me, and I... just don't think I'd feel comfortable having you around knowing that that is how you feel about Carrion. I'm sorry, but..." That's how it fucking is, kid. Get over it. He was speaking calmly because he didn't want to anger the large anri with a large sword, but he seriously wanted the kid to just leave them both alone.

Edited August 30, 2011 by seph1212

[Shin]

Oshea

After his rejection, he couldn't help but overhear something the goon from earlier had said.

"Seeing as I'm basically a marked man now due to a slight mishap, yes, I'm pretty damn sure this is pretty accurate, they'll be invading within the next three to four days, it all depends on how quickly they can move their forces without detection, and with how big they are, it's gonna take a lot of doing."

Hang on, Oshea was right after all! He was a villain, his sense of justice was spot on. However, he was a pretty big guy, facing him alone would be suicide - even for someone as skilled as Oshea. He began looking at wanted posters, hopefully finding something easy. One took his eye;

"Crimson Witch, huh? With my lightning speed and unmatched skill, the old hag won't know before it's too late."

Anyone could take on a walking skeleton, he'd heard the story... she'd been around for a while. Pravna? That would take a couple of days but the reward was too good to pass up. Who knows? Perhaps she even had a granddaughter. It was a good thing he hadn't made himself comfortable - like it was possible here. He walked past the blacksmith one more time, proclaiming

"The great hero Oshea Horvath, slayer of the Crimson Witch! Haha, I like it!"

Buying the second finest horse available, apparently some jerk had taken the best one, he set off into the distance.

[Jaybee]

Danyon

"Oh, fu--"

Someone didn't have a good time. He noticed Adrian stopping himself from continuing, he was probably really pissed at something or someone. Danyon decided not to inquire further.

"she's... at the Library. I'm going ahead, catch up if you can!"

Weren't you just going in the other direction? As Adrian turned back towards the library, Danyon followed him, and soon found himself past the huge front doors.

If this were any other day I'd be spending some time enjoying this... It's a shame, really. As he looked around the library, the first person he noticed was Gideon, standing alone at the side.

He ran up to the man, and asked in a hushed tone, "What in hell happened?"

[Sakusa]

Giselle

"Wait, I knocked someone over? Uh... Sorry... sis... I got caught up in something." Giselle rolled her eyes. She'd heard that line too many times; men always used that as an excuse.

"Don't bother apologizing, you don't really mean it," Aiduen shot back and went off on her own.

"What- Aiduen, come on, what the hell? I said I was sorry!"

"Listen here, Arcen, was it? Saying sorry and meaning it are two different things. I mean, if some fool bumped into me, ran off without a word, and claimed to have been busy doing something other than running around like a lunatic, I wouldn't think they're sorry, either." She twirled a lock of hair between her fingers again. "If you really are sorry, you better go after her and clear things up; though I doubt you'll be able to fix things that easily. But, eh. It's better than nothin'. Fuck, I need a pint or something; damn kids and their baggage..."

[CT075]

Teis and Ormis

Ormis ran outside and found the horse. He was beginning to panic now, since Teis was visibly growing weaker. As a last ditch attempt, Ormis poured some of the antidote down the knight's throat, to no apparent effect.

"Guh... Leave me, now! Carrion's in worse danger than-" Teis didn't finish his sentence, as Ormis punched him in the stomach and lifted him onto the horse.

Dammit...

Five minutes later, they were at... the library?

"Uh... This isn't where I wanted to be..."

Luckily for the both of them, the antidote was beginning to take effect. Teis groaned and pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Ormis, you fool... Give me the reins. Get in there and find out what happened, and come tell me. I shall be at the inn."

Shoving the boy rather unceremoniously off the horse, the knight rode back to the inn. Upon reaching his room, he promptly collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.