Masquerade Part 2: Army of Darkness

[Nanami Touko]

Let it Go

Hah... Good jokes, Raith. She couldn't get herself to say anything. She could only think it, with worry lacing all of her thoughts. He's going to think I'm desperate-- he doesn't even like you like that-- what if he laughs-- stop crying, idiot!-- maybe I should fall asleep right here-- A myriad of shouts all pouring in as she simply stayed there, against his chest. Something went wrong, though. He started to raise her face. "N-No, Raith, don't--" too late. And so he stared at her crying, as she tried to form a smile, ending up with that quivering mass of lips as it attempted to stay. It couldn't, and the frown won out. But she hadn't expected him to ask what was wrong. "W-Wrong? Nothing's wrong, why would anything be wrong...?" What a pathetic lie. "It, it isn't my business, so I don't know why I'm getting so upset over it." Less of a lie. "I just... I saw you out, earlier, but, you're free to do whatever you want, so..." Not lying, anymore... And so she continued to lay against his chest. It would've been almost enjoyable, had she been in a better mood.

Nonchalant

Maja didn't quite seem to understand the gravity of what she'd done, but perhaps when she was in a better mood, she'd get it. It was incredibly impressive, more than anything Ingverd had heard, quite frankly. He simply smiled and ruffled her hair again. Their new friend then spoke up a bit, and had a few interesting things to say. "Well, hello, then. I'll re-introduce myself. I'm Ingverd, and I'm an elf. What's got you so interested in the lance?" It was definitely of elven make, but he didn't see what was that special about it, otherwise. But this Tristram fellow, he seemed to feel different. In fact, the weapon was producing a bit of a negative reaction. More than a bit. Ingverd cocked an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

Edited November 3, 2014 by I have opinions

[riariadne]

"Lanos... thank you," Valha responded happily, letting go of him after their extended hug. "Even when things are lookin' scary, it's nice to know I'll always have you there with me. 'N hey... maybe it's a little more than that, too," she added, nudging him playfully. She stretched her wings, standing from the bed. "I think I'm gonna tuck in early... you know what they say about the early bird. Nice talkin' with you, Lanos." Valha left his room quietly and headed for her own, collapsing onto her own bed. Edited November 3, 2014 by Reinfleche

[Oersted]

"It's no problem," Lanos responded with content smile. As Valha let go of him he also let go of her. A part of him wished he could hold her there forever, but that was both selfish and impossible. Or perhaps it wasn't as selfish as he thought... "Yeah, I enjoyed too. Good night," he called out as she left. And then there was one. He stood up and stretched before heading over and getting his book. That reminded him, Vriska still had the other two. He'd have to ask for those back so he could at least return, if not buy, them. Book in hand he flopped back onto his bed glad that it hadn't been stolen. I guess it's true, people never look up without a reason. He read for a little bit before finally letting sleep take his tired mind and body.

[Vestige]

"Nothing's wrong?!" he blurted out, "You can't expect me stand here watching you, and believe that nothing's wrong," he said. But, he had spoken a bit too early. The alcohol, presumably, had managed to coax out the truth of the matter. "You saw me, out? I-I don't...oh, er, alright then," he sighed, frowning a bit. "I guess you'd be talking about Alicia? Makin she's--she's just a friend I met earlier today. I've only known her for a few hours, and even that was just casual conversation. There's nothing going on between us," he tried to explain. Gods, Ingverd wasn't kidding around... And to see first hand the depth of her feelings--that struck him as a bit of a shock. "Most of it was just business." A bit of a white lie, but surely convincing an armorer to join the group could be considered business. "She was actually asking about you. I wanted you to meet her later..." he said. She hadn't moved from atop him, and he was in no position to move her off of him, so he did the only sensible thing he could think of and wrapped his arms around her. He recounted a bit of his conversation with Alicia that he'd had earlier in the day. If ever he were to compile a list of times he'd forgotten she was his boss, now would be among the top. "I'm sorry..." was all he managed to whisper, as he tightened his arms around her.

[scorri]

Trist nodded. "I... I know you're an elf. Just, you seemed busy. What with a drunk boss and Rainbow Terror over there defeating the arena and all. Figured there'd be time later or something. And I'm... fine. The lance just reminded me of someone I used to know. Wanted to look, see if I could find the maker's mark. But it doesn't matter."

[Nanami Touko]

Stupid

Makin felt incredibly dumb. Why had she bothered trying to hide that from him? Between the drink and how she felt, there was no way it wouldn't have slipped at some point. Now, she just looked like a fool, with that sad attempt at keeping how she felt hidden. "I didn't mean to see you... I was just coming back from the forge, and... Well, life's funny, isn't it? Heh..." Finally, a laugh. Perhaps it was what Raith was telling her, about this Alicia only being a friend. How much she believed that remained to be seen, but it was helping. But what was this? Why is he--? She didn't stop the action, far from it, slowly sliding her arms around him as well. It was odd, though, that she'd receive such a thing for acting as she had. He even apologized, which stood to confuse her even more. "Wh-Why are you apologizing? It's... It's your life..." She felt herself tighten her grip as she said that, wondering if her body was going to betray her emotions at every step. "I don't have any control over this, sort of thing... You... Hah, you probably think I'm just, desperate for attention, or something like that." Her voice fell to a murmur as she spoke, feeling another wave of crying coming, and feeling stupid once again for it.

Elves

"Unless you've got anything else I should know about, Maja..." he said, leaving it hanging for a moment before addressing Tristram again. "It seems I am not longer busy with drunk snakes and demolishing clerics. If the lance means that much to you, you could always try to find where Maja got it from. Say, Maja, just getting you back into this, where did you get that lance? Somewhere in the city, obviously, but, y'know." He smirked.

[scorri]

Tristram shook his head. "No... It wouldn't matter. Finding where it came from wouldn't change anything. She'll still be dead." The smile he'd been holding in place finally fell apart and he stared at the ground, doing his best to hold back the memories. He didn't want to remember these things. Not now, not ever. They were dead and nothing he could do or find or say would change that. Lifting his head back up, he sighed. "I... I should probably go back to the inn I'm staying at. I'll meet up with you guys tomorrow..."

[Vestige]

"It's fine Makin, I'm not blaming you for anything," he sighed, resting his head on her shoulder. For someone who was half-snake, her body felt particularly warm pressed against his. There was a pounding on his chest, and he couldn't quite determine if that was her heart, or his own. She asked him why he was apologizing, and he couldn't bring himself to answer. "Because," was all he managed to eek out. A profound silence overtook the air. There was nothing to be heard, save for Makin's quiet sobbing, and Raith's slow breathing. He didn't mind the silence though. There was a lot he was trying to process and, for once, he found himself unable to keep up. "I don't think you're desperate, Makin, far from it," he finally whispered, stroking her hair. "Actually, I--Well. It makes me happy--to know that someone cares so deeply about me..."

[Xinnidy]

Maja shrugged and returned to her food, nothing left to really add. It is already late enough... If I want to talk more about Kadin, I'll do it tomorrow... I want to think it over. She reasoned with herself.

"...Hmm? I got it at Drogan's." Maja replied, turning back her attention as Ingverd addressed her again. "He apparently didn't know its worth, though. Isabelle said I got it for much cheaper than I should have..."

[Nanami Touko]

Close

She flinched. He was getting rather close. She didn't mind, but did she want to press anything? It was confusing. Part of her wanted to, desperately, just throw him onto the floor, and keep him for the night. But she knew that was the alcohol talking. Is it? She asked herself, and couldn't find an answer to come back with. No matter, you're not doing that. That would end anything you've built up in an instant... She didn't really know what to say, now. At least the hug was calming. Calming and rather enjoyable. That's his heartbeat, isn't it? It's heavy... Then again, so is mine... She blushed, and finally smiled. And then smiled wider, as he said what he did. "Really?" she managed to ask, the meekness apparent in her tone. He stroked her hair, and she shivered. Slowly, she pulled her head back to stare at him, looking his face all over. Are we really this close? This seems a bit too close... She swallowed.

Dark Turn

Ingverd was a bit surprised as the tone shift in the conversation, and found himself at a loss for words. Maja speaking up brought him back in, and he cleared his throat. "Well, that's... I won't pry, of course. If you ever feel you want to talk, though, you can ask me. Not as an employer, but as an elf. I'd be happy to lend a shoulder to one of my own, any time." Maybe that line about Drogan would be a good place to start, but not when Tristram was like that. Perhaps not at all, if that was how he felt, but Ingverd always felt a melancholic longing about these sorts of things. "See you tomorrow, then. We'll all be here, so feel free to show up whenever you wake."

Then there was their little so called 'Rainbow Terror'. "You did, eh? It's good that you managed to find such powerful lances here, and on the cheap. They'll definitely be useful when we make for the tundra. Keep it up, eh, Maja?" He ruffled her hair again.

Edited November 4, 2014 by I have opinions

[scorri]

Trist just gave a nod before standing up and heading out of the inn. Sighing, he stared up at the sky as he walked back towards the inn he'd bought a room at earlier. Damn... That lance... I could swear it was one Mother made... But what are the odds? I just... Don't think about it. All that will bring is pain. Nothing more. He shook his head like he was trying to shake the thoughts out before entering the other inn and heading to his small but neat room to get ready to sleep.

[Vestige]

"Really," he said, a wistful smile painted across his face. Perhaps it had been years--since he'd known someone felt this strongly about him. They had been locked in embrace for so long, that it almost felt wrong for Makin to pull away--but he let her all the same. She stared at him for quite a while, saying nothing. It was almost like she was trying to read him. Analyze, theorize, guess, surmise, assume, expect. Whatever the case, it was clear that in that moment, she wanted something from him. Dare he say, needed. He should have leaned in, gently caressing her cheek. He should have whispered seductive words, gotten her to blush. He should have taken a breath, and brushed up against her lips. But he didn't. "I should...probably go now," he said, wincing as soon as the words left his mouth. There's still time, Raith, just do it. "I'll leave my door unlocked--if you need something, feel free to come in," he said. There's literally nothing stopping you. He turned around, facing away from her, slowly twisting the doorknob. "I'll probably be awake for a bit," he said. What am I even doing? He swung the door open, and stepped outside. He lingered for a moment, but slowly closed the door behind him, walking straight to his room. He took a good look at himself in the mirror, fists clenched. He stared long and hard at his reflection, but eventually had had enough. He sighed, and threw himself onto his bed, not even bothering to change. Tomorrow...I'll think...tomorrow...

Edited November 4, 2014 by Vestige

[Xinnidy]

Having finished her meal, and unsure what else to say now that Tristam left like that, Maja figured it was time to make her way upstairs... probably. "Thanks, Sara. It really helped." She showed her gratitude to the innkeeper.

Before she even left her chair, though, Ingverd ruffled her hair, again. Oh, does he like my hair that much? While she was sort of used to having her hair ruffled by now, Ingverd has done that quite a bit since she got in the inn. "Uh... yeah! Thanks. This lance channel my magic to attack... which is why I think it went so well, now." Maja was contemplative. "Though, I wonder, I want to try the lance I won sometime. I don't feel right just relying on my magic all the time when I can use spears fine..."

Her thoughts were broke by her own yawn. It had been a long day. "I guess I should go to sleep. Tomorrow... I'll try harder, I hope! Goodnight, Ingverd!" At least the food and time at the inn had helped her put her mind off of her troubles, and she gave Ingverd a quick, simple hug that broke off just as fast as it formed. "I want some time alone, but... thanks for staying around!" She said before she took to the stairs. At the least, some of her cheeriness had come back.

Edited November 4, 2014 by Xinnidy

[Nanami Touko]

Time

Did everything freeze? They held themselves so close, for so long. It at least felt like it had been so long. Makin was waiting, waiting for anything to happen, but nothing did. Nothing, except the words she didn't want to hear. "N-No, Raith... Wait..." she quietly said, as he began to pull away from her. Her lips followed after his, but she had been too slow. She couldn't catch up. Caught up in the moment they'd shared, things moved too fast for her when it stopped. But he'd said something. His door will be unlocked... She thought to herself. Was that a good idea? Would something they would regret happen? She didn't know. Part of her truly didn't care. A few moments passed. She reached for her doorknob, and quietly turned it, sliding out into the quiet hallway. Is this the right thing? She kept asking herself, no answer coming back. And now she was at his door... She gulped. A shaky hand reached for the handle, and turned it. She quickly moved inside, and shut the door behind her...

Sleep

Maja's yawning caused Ingverd to yawn as well, and he had definitely not been expecting the hug. "A magic channeling lance? That's perfect for you. You're a fantastic mage, so I'm sure it'll do you well. And see if you can't get a handle on that lance, too. I'm sure if you run into another mage, it'll surprise them when you come after them wielding that." He chuckled, and waved her off to sleep. "Try your best." As for me, I need some shut eye... That was a long day. I wonder what tomorrow will have in store? We'll just have to see. He stretched, and waved to Sara, who had actually fallen asleep on her stool. Seems it was on everyone's mind. He headed upstairs, and went to his room. He swore he saw a tail slip into Raith's room, but he told himself, you're nuts, Ingverd. Now you really need sleep. He slipped into his room, and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

[Ether]

[spoiler=Colourtext is literally the worst thing ever please whoever started this fad die forever.]

A far-reaching plane with no apparent end, or at least... no visible end. There seemed to be walls, or at least a floor, but they weren't visible. It had taken some getting used to at first, but by this point, it wasn't too bad... Lina gave a light smirk to no one in particular... she wondered how this sorcerer would enjoy being tossed into hell when this was all said and done. It was an amusing thought, and she might enjoy stepping on him a little as he writhed and begged... she wasn't usually a sadist, that was more notable in others of her clan, but well... being what she was, Lina did have that sort of side to her, deep down. Besides, this guy deserved it for locking her up in this stupid thing.

Well, regardless of that, it was all Lina could do at the moment to look around at what few things the sorcerer had placed in this place with her... there was some clothing that the man had thrown in to remedy her nudity on summoning, of which Lina had only chosen to don the rather unexpectedly saucy lingerie along with a rather cute little veil, half as a show of defiance, and half simply preferring it that way... she had no real need for bulky clothing or the like... every time she looked at the gaudy offerings she had the same thought.

'I was designed with a perfect body for a reason, you know? Why would I cover it with something like... that?'

There was also that sword he had thrown in... whether the sorcerer expected some sort of reaction or not she wasn't sure, it did have some infused magic, but it was of the light variety... useless. Still, she could use the thing to conjure little light shows if she was truly bored... her lack of affinity for light magic didn't mean much when it was directly transcribed into the blade itself. Still... with a sigh and a pout, repeated ever so often...

"This place is boring..."

"Hmmmm..." A voice grumbled out into the space-less void, and a small animal dropped in. It was a rat, and a rather terrified one at that. "Feed off of that, would you?" The voice boomed. The voice was, in fact, the mad mage of castle Karstell, and having gotten enough of what he'd wanted from his little experiment with the sword, he was happy to send in the next step. "Now, to see how the subject responds to living creatures... Record." He stated the word, and the sounds of flipping paper could be heard. "Subject still refuses to wear proper clothing. All records of similar creatures not corresponding to findings. Perhaps an outlier? Shall take further steps at a later date."

"Continue, subject S-3." Probably a codename for categorization. Whoever this man was, he was probably meticulous.

"You really have no idea how to treat a lady, do you?" Lina replied to the void with a pout, catching the rat by it's tail as it fell, and immediately evacuating it of any magical energy it had... for a small creature like this one, that included it's life force, and within moments, it was little but a shrivelled corpse, which was immediately tossed aside.

"I also don't really appreciate this whole subject S-3 deal... I do have a name, a rather lovely one at that. Call me Lina." She called out with a scowl... as usual, this would likely lead to nothing, but it wasn't like she had anything better to do.

"And would it kill you to equip this place with a bath, maybe a salon while you're at it? Pure white is pretty tacky, even where I come from."

"Subject continues facetious conversation. Has done so since meeting. Perhaps subject does not know how to converse without the use of sarcasm..." Despite the chance of sarcasm in his own words, he meant it entirely seriously. A researcher always put work first, and he was taking notes on all he could. Though, the first hint of an emotion happened as the rat shriveled. "Subject shows no reaction to magic infused weapon, but when confronted by living creature, can drain entire living energy out of them. Fascinating. Truly fascinating." Was that excitement? Probably, to Lina's ears, after hearing such monotone speech for so long.

"Subject S-3, please refrain from needless back talk. Simply comply with the experiments. This is for science." Lina could hear some struggling noises from outside her purgatory, and suddenly, there was an elf facing her, looking rather surprised. She stood, and then stumbled back down, as the boundaries of the area had obviously thrown off her sense of balance.

"Wh-Where am I? Why'd you take me out of that cell?" She spotted the other 'woman' and gasped. "You pervert! I won't do anything you ask!" This elf had blond hair, grey clothes, and tanned skin. She did not look pleased, as if something comfortable had just been taken away from her.

"Subject L-4, refrain from needless back talk. S-3, proceed to use your draining abilities on the elf. Record." The sounds of paper again. "Subject shows extensive magical draining abilities. Now testing on living subject of far larger size, with magical capabilities."

"What? What!?" She looked terrified. "And my name is Linn! Stop calling me that creepy codename!"

"Refrain from needless back talk."

Linn groaned angrily, and scowled at this 'S-3'. "Don't you dare touch me!"

"He really doesn't have any idea how to treat a lady at all..." Lina reiterated with a heavy sigh, looking the girl over as she was dropped in. Decently cute, at the very least. But that wasn't too much of a concern at the moment, with how wary she was,

"What a coincidence, Linn. My name is Lina, despite this guy's complete inability to take a hint... and you go on and on about this for science stuff... I could have told you everything you've recorded so far if you had bothered to ask..." She shot back, giving her head a light shake. Sadly, she knew where this was going, the same as it always did. With a scowl, she approached the elf.

"It's not anywhere to the scale that you think... the only reason the rat died was because it had nothing to give... an elf, let alone at least a teen, maybe an adult? Mild pain, at best... I'd get full long before I could absorb that much magical energy..." Lina replied, walking towards Linn, and sitting a few feet away from her, looking the girl over.

"What a bothersome man..."

"Perform the experiment. Explanation is useless. I must have visual proof to match the records. Continue." The man droned on, not seeming the least bit interested in their talks.

"Okay, Lina. Now, you ignore him, and stay over there! As much as I hate being locked up, I was in a rather cozy cell. I had books to read, a nice bed, and plenty of clothes to wear. I even had access to a shower! And now I'm in this endless white space, staring down someone who doesn't know how to dress properly! I don't want any part in this 'mild pain', you're talking about." She was more than angry.

"Subject L-4, cease your needless bickering. I will cut off the oxygen to the holding space if you do not comply with the experiment. You will die before subject S-3 does, and I will find a replacement."

"WHAT!?" Now she was angry, and terrified! She looked around for options, and there really weren't any. A pile of clothes, a light brand, a dead rat. What could she do? "I, I... I-Iiii... F-Fine..." Living was a better option when it was simply mild pain, compared to suffocating.

"Lucky you, and I get stuck here. And it's not like I don't know how to dress, so much as I would rather not, than wear something that gaudy... if he had provided me something nice to wear I would have worn it..." Lina retorted with a smirk, scowling up at the direction of the researcher's voice. Oxygen deprivation wouldn't be so bad if it was only until the elf died, but... it wasn't a chance she was willing to take with this man.

"Just relax and play along for now then, Linn. I would rather not test his threat, myself..." Lina noted, shaking her head with a sigh once again, before standing back up and closing the distance between herself and the elf, looking her over once more. What a waste... she would have much rather had fun playing around with one like this on her own time and of her own volition... this sort of thing felt rather hollow. Well, no matter... reaching out and pulling the elf girl in, Lina closed her face into the elf's neck, gently licking at the flesh, and lightly pricking at the skin with her fangs, though not with enough force to draw blood, or break the skin itself. Mmm, how she had missed the taste of their skin, accented with a fearful sweat... gently licking and sucking, placing minuscule bites across the tender flesh, still too gentle to bleed them, as she began draining a small amount of magical energy from this 'Linn' girl. Of course, even if she drank her fill, it wouldn't cause any lasting harm to her, and this one had the feeling of a mage to her as well...

"Ahh, yours does taste so much better than a lowly rat~"

"Lucky nothing, now that I'm in here..." Linn didn't want any of this to happen, but it was this or die, so she froze in place and put up with the assault. It felt incredibly off to have another woman touch her like this. Despite that feeling, she ended up blushing, and even let out a slight moan at the feeling. This is so wrong... And then the pain started to kick in, causing Linn to recoil away from Lina, scowling at her.

"Hmmm. Subject L-4 seems to be reaching a state of certain ecstasy . Make notes. Subject L-4 also appears to be having her magic drained in place of her life force. Evidence matches the records. Ungeist magical drain places magic as priority over life energy. Cease operations, S-3." The sound of a quill writing some ink onto paper resounded through the space, and then a finger snapped.

"Huh--" Linn suddenly looked around oddly, before disappearing. The sounds of struggling were heard again, and then the faint noise of a door shutting. It would have to have been down the hallway quite a ways for the slam to be so quiet.

"Subject S-3, tell me, does magical energy have a taste? Record." The paper shuffled again.

Well, so much for that. It might have gotten fun, if the elf had stuck around a while longer... oh well. Looking up at the source of the voice, this time with just a simple question. That was new.

"It does, yes. Differs from source to source... the girl you just threw me was... mmm, what do you call it... sort of like one of those mocha drinks." Lina replied, pondering for a moment to place where she recalled the flavour from.

"Odd flavor recorded. Curious. Taste differs depending on the individual. Will have to find more test subjects..." He scribbled some more notes, and Lina could hear the sounds of footsteps walking off. It seemed he was done with his questioning already. But he suddenly came back, and this time, a man appeared, looking confused and a bit dazed. Far less attentive than Linn had been. "Subject S-3, thank you for participating. Here is your reward. You shall do with him as you see fit. I shall return once I have more questions that require experimentation." The sounds of footsteps were heard again, as the dazed man finally started to come to grips with his situation, and became more than startled at the sight of Lina.

"Aww, but the girl from before looked more fun..." Lina noted to herself with a light pout, as she looked the man over. Still, better than nothing, and if she took good care of him, he might last some time... of course if that researcher didn't send him food or water then it was a moot point, she supposed.

"Well, hello there. Seems you're stuck with little 'ol me, hmm? As you can see, this place is a bit... strapped for things to do... why not tell me about yourself, hmm?"

[Vestige]

(>'-')> Huehuehue <('-'<)

Edited November 5, 2014 by Vestige

[Nanami Touko]

The Guilty Ones

He'd had an exhausting day, and that was without the recent events that had transpired. Not only was he physically exhausted, but at this point he was mentally exhausted as well. Sleep's seduction was working it's magic over him, and he was keen on taking heed of it's call. The sound of his door, however, was enough to jolt him back awake. "Have you heard of knocking?" he groaned, heaving himself enough to turn his head towards the door. Makin was standing by the doorway, looking a bit nervous. He quickly propped himself up. "Shit, I uh, I thought you were someone else, sorry," he said, averting his gaze. He'd left his door unlocked, just in case Makin started crying again or something. He wanted her to be able to come to his room easily if she wanted to talk about something else. He wasn't expecting to see her this soon though. His muscles tightened up, and he was starting to feel slightly anxious. "So, uh," he coughed, "what's up? Trouble sleeping?"

Was this the wrong idea? Raith didn't seem happy to see her. She flinched, and brought her arms up to her chest, as if protecting herself. But he'd made a mistake, it seemed. That managed to calm her down enough. "I, uhm..." She quietly said. She cleared her throat and thought for a moment. She knew what she wanted-- what most of her wanted. But she didn't know if he wanted it too. She had to ask, but to be that brazen, in this state? She didn't have it in her. She could ask one thing, though. "Why... Uhm. Why did you leave the room...?" Her eyes met his for a moment, and a faint shade of red lingered on her cheeks. She didn't look long, lest she melt from embarrassment. She was in one of her mercenary's rooms, thinking about terrible things. Of course she was embarrassed...

She seemed startled—defensive almost. He felt bad about that, really bad. But she managed to get over it. It was almost funny in a way, now that he thought about it. The woman he met on his first day of work, and the woman he was seeing now seemed like two completely different people. One was bold, and commanding. The other was quiet and meek. “Why’d I leave?” Well the answer, to him, was simple. Because he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He wanted time to think. He wanted time to sort out his feelings. Not because he’d have anything to regret, but because he didn’t want Makin to regret. He didn’t want her to regret falling for a guy who couldn’t return her feelings back to her in kind. Tonight, more than ever, it was apparent that Makin liked him. Yeah, he’d come across plenty of girls who “liked” him. But this was more than that. He just wanted to be sure of himself. before doing anything more. “You seemed kind of tired. I thought you might have wanted some rest. Did you...want me to stay?” he blurted out.

She had been tired, but not anymore. That heavy beating in her chest was keeping her awake, and she wanted it gone. She wanted that feeling to leave, or at least wait until later, but there was no easy way to get rid of it now. But did she want him to stay? Of course! That moment they'd shared, she wanted it to end differently, so very differently... But she couldn't say that. She felt her breathing getting heavier, and her heartbeat getting faster. Her face continue to turn a shade similar to the scales that crept onto her cheeks. She swallowed. "Y... Yes." There, you said it... Oh, Gods, you said it... What's he going to think, now? A sudden, slight panic flew over her, as she seemed to shrink even more against the door.

Despite how strongly bounded he felt by his prior inhibitions; he felt the chains surrounding him melting away with just the utterance of one word. He couldn’t bear to keep thinking any longer. He had the rest of his life for thinking. Hi heart began to race, but he kept his composure. Slowly, he walked over to Makin, and placed a hand against the frame of the door. “Well,” he whispered, slowly touching his forehead against hers. “What if I told you…that I didn’t want you to leave my room?” He had a coy smile on his face. “What then?” he quietly asked.

Close. He was again, so close. Touching her head, even, and it made her breath even harder. Her wandering gaze was now centered on his face, as she tried to parse all of this, losing it within the mess of her mind. "What, what if..." she said, finally able to play along, just a bit. "What if I didn't, want to leave, either?" Her heart skipped a beat, and she laughed a nervous laugh. That disappeared in an instant, as she stared, unblinking, into his eyes. This was too much to bear. She could feel herself slowly moving closer. There was no stopping this, now.

“Well…I guess we’d be at an understanding then, hmm?” he said, quietly chuckling. “I should have just done this sooner,” he sighed. He was talking to himself, but he didn’t really mind if Makin heard as well. He ran a hand up along her back, pulling her closer to himself. Just like he had thought of mere minutes ago, he cupped her cheek in his hand. He tenderly ran his thumb along both flesh and scale. His breathing was now long and drawn out. He seemed calm, but he feared the pounding of his heart might betray him. “Ready?” he asked, smiling. He leaned in now, slowly brushing up against her smooth lips. He drew her in even closer now. “You’re so beautiful, Makin,” he gasped.

And then everything happened, far too quickly for her to react. She was pressed up against him, their lips not even an inch apart. She could feel her heart about to burst in her chest, the beating pounding in her ears. Wide eyed, she scanned his face for whatever she could find. No one has... Has ever, gone this far, with me... She quickly swallowed and moved in as well. Was she ready? She slowly nodded. "Beautiful, huh...?" She took a moment for herself, wondering one final time if this was the right thing to do. Everything in her mind shouted back, a resounding Yes! Then she did it, pressing her lips up against his. "Mmm..." They kissed, and her heart finally stopped pounding.

He could feel the heat creeping along his ears, spreading slowly throughout the rest of his body. He broke away from her, blushing a little. “Every part of you Makin, every part is beautiful,” he said. Gently, he worked his way along the side of her neck. He slowly tugged at her skin, running his other hand through her hair. He let out a breath long held in. “Beautiful,” he repeated. He gazed at her, his eyes heavy with desire. He pulled himself back in, gently biting down on her lip, begging for entry.

Her face matched her scales entirely, as Raith was relentless in his compliments. She didn't quite know what to say to them. She opened her mouth to try, but nothing came out, nothing but a small squeak and pant as he assaulted her neck. "R-Raith," she finally breathed out, but he'd already come back to kiss her. She didn't hold back. She ran her arms up his back and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. She'd thrown away any pretenses, and was giving her body what it wanted.

He had come knocking, and she was all too eager to invite him in. Their tongues danced together softly, quietly, rhythmically. His mind had long since stopped working, and now he was working on pure instinct. He slid his hand under her tank top, gently glossing over her stomach. Her skin felt warm to the touch—like she was radiating heat. Slowly, he slid over to her back, gliding his fingers along its length. “Makin…” he moaned. Still yet, there was more to be had. He wanted her, all of her, and yet…

She couldn't help but press this further. There wasn't any stopping now. She followed his motions, and pressed under his shirt as well, feeling up his abs. It was a welcome surprise. What was also welcome was his hand exploring her stomach and her back. Enough teasing... I can't take this, anymore! She threw her tank top off, and used her strength to push him onto the bed. She slid over and climbed on top of him, staring for a moment, before lowering herself into another kiss.

Morning wasn't going to come early, for either of them...

The Morning After

The sun rose, and morning was upon the small inn. Most of the mercenaries would probably still be sleeping, at least for the next few minutes. There was a growing commotion downstairs. It would surely wake them up, sooner than later.

Makin closed Raith's door, the man still sleeping inside. She let out another nervous laugh. Her head hurt, her body ached, but none of that mattered to her right now. She became a clump of snake at the base of the door, and sighed, smiling. "That... That happened. Hah... Heehee..." She was elated. Unfortunately, life had a funny way of balancing these sorts of things out. She began to hear the commotion downstairs, or at least parts of it.

"You can't... ...ing gu... ...my inn..."

"Quiet! Where are tho... ...cenaries? Out... ...ay."

It sounded like trouble. Makin slipped into her room and collected her armor, putting it on over her clothes as she started to make her way downstairs. "What seems to be the problem?" she asked-- but the problem stared her in the face. It was Cedric. He stood there, scowling. Makin froze. "Shit." This was no way to start the morning, after such an amazing night.

"Well, you're awake. Where's your archer friend?" Cedric did not sound amused. In fact, he sounded down right mad. Like he was about to take one of the weapons from the guards and end Makin himself.

Makin didn't exactly know what to do in this situation. There he was, like Angus had worried, staring her down with two rather imposing guards. Makin cursed their luck. Sara had since retreated into her back room, unable to deal with Makin and her band anymore. There was no one to bail them out of this. Wait, what was that? Suddenly, there was a small flash of brown. Feathers. Makin was terribly surprised-- again. He couldn't have... That would mean walking all the way down here, with her right next to him. Does he not care about people knowing, at all? "Did... Did you bring her with you?"

Cedric sighed, and the harpy that Angus had found came out from behind him. "Yes. She... Wants to see if you do indeed have her son. Our, son. That's all we want. I apologize for the guards, but... I must keep up appearances." His expression softened almost immediately. Had it been just a show? It must've been. He almost seemed like he was smiling at the prospect of all this. "Please."

Makin was once again shocked, unsure of what to say. He cares? How could he care if he just dumped Lanos into the streets, like they did? I... "L-Lanos... He, he's still sleeping, upstairs..." She wasn't about to go and get him, though. He'd wake up soon enough, and if they're waited fifteen years to try and find their son, they could wait another half an hour. "He'll be awake, soon. I'm sure..."

The harpy smiled, much wider than the apparent one on Cedric's face. "I'll wait... I have... I have to see if it's him. I have to."

Edited November 5, 2014 by I have opinions

[riariadne]

As usual, Valha was among the first awake and to prep herself for the day ahead, and when there was noise downstairs she hurried quickly to see if it was anything interesting. Taking her two lighter swords with her, she rushed to the inn foyer. When she saw the brown feathers and the tall man she stood by, her face lit up with recognition.

"You're... Cedric. And Taryn," she spoke apprehensively. "... Are you here to take him away?"

[Oersted]

Lanos woke up early today for whatever reason, probably something to do with his anxiety about meeting his parents. By the time the commotion started he was already completely ready for the day. As he went to open his door something stopped him in his tracks, he knew that voice from a long, long time ago. There's no way... He thought as he turned the door knob and opened the door. What he saw was enough to render him speechless. There, in front of him, were his parents, no question about it. He hadn't known what he expected to feel but it wasn't this. "Mom... Dad..." was all that he could say.

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall slowly shuffled down the stairs after getting dressed, yawning loudly after having just woken up a few minutes prior. He was actually surprised he slept as much as he did; after all, the euphoria of having beaten the arena and making himself a pretty penny as a result did have him feeling a bit rowdier than usual, though he was apparently the only one.

Coming down to the foyer, he saw the boss and a few members of the group with a couple of people he hadn't yet known, including another harpy. He could've sworn he heard Lanos call them Mom & Dad, but that may have just been his tiredness putting things into his head. Approaching the burgeoning group, the axeman spoke up.

"Oy, boss. Who exactly are these people? Friends of yours? Or are they here for a fight...?" As he finished the last part of his question, his hand hovered ever so slightly over the time at his side; he knew axes were no good against harpies since they could dodge easily, but he figured they weren't much good against a fireball to the face. Or wing. Whichever Kendeall could manage to hit.

[charlie_]

Angus hadn't been in a particularly deep sleep, so the uproar from downstairs had woken him. He didn't think much of it at first. He just got dressed and made his way downstairs as if everything was right with the world. As a familliar half-elf came into view, he realized how wrong he was. Shit shit shit shit shit. This wasn't the best way to start the day. "Um... good morning?" he said to nobody in particular, hoping that Cedric (and the harpy from yesterday he'd only just noticed) would somehow have forgotten about him.

[Vestige]

Raith let out a loud groan. After a night like that, he was content on just sleeping the rest of the day away; but the voices rising from down below kept him from drifting away again. After a coupe minutes of tossing and turning, he got up from his bed, slowly rubbing his eyes. He changed into some casual attire, and peeked opened his door. No one in the hallway, but there was unmistakably something going on. He crept along the stairwell, until the cause was in sight. Makin was there. As were Valha, Lanos, Ken, and Angus. His stomach sank for a moment, suspecting that these people might be connected to Ertel in some way. But on second glace, that seemed like a rather baseless conclusion. The man in particular seemed to be a different social class. He wasn't sure who the other harpy was, or why there were guards in the foyer but he suspected those questions might be answered soon enough. For now, he was content on just quietly waiting by the stairs and seeing how things played out.

[Nanami Touko]

Inn Commotion

Makin turned to see some of the mercenaries waking up, a bit surprised that they even had. Lanos, Ken, Valha, Angus. Raith... She smiled a little as she turned her eyes to the last one, but there were far more pressing matters here. Valha was making light accusations and Lanos had muttered something. "I don't think--" a flash of wings moved past her, as the one Valha had called Taryn flew up to the second floor and tossed her arms around Lanos.

"Lanos! Lanos is it really you!?" Her frantic cries were mixed with laughter and crying, as she hugged him so tight it might've made him burst. "I-I-I can't believe it... You, you're alive. You're really alive. Oh, Gods..." She pulled away slightly and smiled, wiping tears from her eyes. "We thought you were dead... I thought you were dead, I can't, can't believe..." While she continued her ravings, Cedric smiled a simple smile, and went to address things.

"I... I would like to take him home with us, if it was that easy," he first said to Valha. "As it stands, the nobles wouldn't have it. And... I don't think I could simply come in here and take him away from all of you. If he's alive and well, someone is to thank for it. I don't know which one of you it was, but... Well, thank you. More than you know." Angus then walked in, and he leveled his gaze at him. "I would speak to you outside, most of all. Come." He signaled for the guards to follow, and left, leaving a few stunned people and Makin very confused.

It was at that point she noticed Ken hovering over his tome, and she held a hand up for him to stop. "They're not here to fight, Ken. Calm down. The last thing I need you to do is throw magic at one of the council members." She offered him a smile, though, to let him know she wasn't upset, just serious. That left her with a few things to think about. For now, though, she slid over to the stairs, and up to Raith. "Hey, what say we give those two," she pointed at Lanos and the harpy that was still poking, hugging, and staring at him, "some time, and go out for a bit? You can introduce me to that armorer and maybe we can go do something. Sound good?"

Edited November 5, 2014 by I have opinions

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall relaxed his arm a bit and let out a sigh. So, Lanos' dad was a council member here? That certainly surprised him a bit, but apparently not enough to warrant asking a lot of questions about it. Stretching his arms out, he let out a pained-sounding yawn. "Well, if you're vouching for 'em, boss, I'm not gonna complain."

Turning to Angus, he cocked an eyebrow at the rather worried expression that had come across the archer's face. "Geez, you alright there buddy? You look like you saw a ghost... well, that wasn't Kadin." Speaking of, Kendeall thought he should check up on the little healer girl later. She seemed worried yesterday, and he was afraid that the ghostly member of their group had something to do with it.

[charlie_]

The archer gulped, and nodded. He barely glanced at the others as he followed the noble outside, trying to keep a straight face. He wasn't sure what he was going to do or what they wanted with him (but he had an idea why, of course) but he felt very vulnerable without his weapons. It wasn't likely to make a difference, the guards were all armed and he believed Cedric's claims that he was very dangerous with a bow, but still. At this point, all he could do was hope for the best.

Edited November 5, 2014 by SB.