Masquerade Part 2: Army of Darkness

[Vestige]

"I am being serious," he chuckled, "It might not seem like it but I guess that's just because I've just gotten good acting," he shrugged. "But I'm not acting right now," he quickly added, just so she didn't get any wrong ideas of what he meant. Though now that he mentioned it, there was a chance she'd begin to doubt him anyway. If there was anyone in the area who was good at mind reading, they'd have heard the sound of a mental hand smacking a mental face.

Makin brought up her old boss again. He'd had an idea of what she meant by 'last time' but now she'd basically confirmed it for him. So, it was this Gerrod guy, huh? It was a futile thought, but he found himself wondering what Gerrod had thought of his subordinate. Beyond that, he wondered what Makin had seen in himself; He wasn't exactly mercenary leader material. "Anyway, I do get where you're coming from," he said, "The sword swings both ways, as it were. You're not the only one worried, y'know? It's only been a short while since I've known you, and shorter still that we've begun to...y'know. It'd be too cruel to lose you this soon," he frowned at the thought. "I don't think that the decision you made was wrong. I had a friend tell me this a long time ago: love on the battlefield is the best kind of love. Frankly, I'm inclined to believe him," he chuckled. "It's dangerous, for sure, but...You come to appreciate that other person so much more, especially knowing that, well, tomorrow they might not be there anymore. That said, I don't plan on going anywhere, not for a while anyway," he smiled, squeezing Makin's hand just a bit. "I've got too much to live for right now," he grinned.

It felt good to finally be able to talk about things with someone else. A real conversation about the future, with a woman no less. Still, somewhere in the back of his mind, he still felt weighed down by the chains of doubt. It was like things were going so well for him all of a sudden, that there just had to be a catch. Life had a funny way of balancing things out, and the last time, the "balancing" ended rather poorly. But he was willing to give things a second chance. He hoped that, given time, his doubts would be proven unfounded. Makin seemed like an honest person. The least he could do was trust her to be telling the truth; And he had to trust himself to be making the right choice.

[Oersted]

Lanos waited for Cedric to speak after he cleared his throat and was surprised when he was instead pulled into a hug. If it was slightly awkward for Cedric it was just plain awkward for Lanos, but he returned the hug anyway. "Yeah, she took care of me. Probably should've helped her a lot more than I did." It was the only thing about his past that really bothered him at this point. "Well, you're doing your best right? You don't have to apologize for that." Just the fact that his father was trying was enough to make him very happy.

"The Council, huh..." Lanos repeated. It'd definitely be a huge step in changing Felson sure, but by then Felson would've already changed if he, a Harpy, was able to get a spot on the council. It really came down to what happened between now and then. "Yeah, I still got it. Well, went and got it yesterday after leaving it in the rafters of some house for three years. I'm glad people tend to not look up, it's very important to me." He was kind of curious as to why his father was asking about it but he had other questions for his father.

"Dad, you've..." he stalled, unsure of the proper word, "...uh, got other harpies right? I'm sure you treat them well and everything, but don't you think they might feel a bit like pets if they sit around and do nothing all day?" He had no idea what sort of rules the other harpies had but from what his mother told him she didn't ever talk to them. Maybe he was right maybe he was wrong. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that maybe you should give them something to do. Mom said she's free to roam when no one's there so you probably don't have maids or butlers or anything like that. Maybe you could 'hire' them or something? That way you aren't uh, kidnapping them or whatever and you'd be giving them a job. No one in Felson really trusts us enough to give us jobs, that's part of the reason the slums are so bad, so it'd probably help with that if you were public about it..." He'd lost track of what he was saying towards the end and ended up voicing whatever was on his mind instead of shutting up. "And if you don't mind answering, I have another question." He'd heard his mother's side of the tale so he couldn't help but be curious about his father's side. "Why... did you fall in love with mom? ...And what is 'love'?" he added on. Considering how important of an emotion it apparently was the sooner he knew the better.

Edited November 15, 2014 by Oersted

[algae]

Sonia set aside a plate for herself before Sara took it off to the others, idly picking at it while thinking about how to spend the day. Naturally, she made very little progress by the end of the meal: only being sure that she'd wait to see if there was anything else she needed to do here before making any further decisions, and continued those tentative plans while cleaning up. She had just finished washing her own plate when Sara reentered. "Anything else I can help with?"

[riariadne]

"Compromise? What, like sharin'?" Valha asked. "Huh, fine with me. Makin' a competition out of who you care about never did anythin' good for anyone, if you ask me." She bit her lip at Maja's question, thinking it over. "I mean, he's close to both of us... I think he'd be sad to see two of his good friends fight over him for somethin' that isn't really worth fightin' about. So it'd be nice to keep things together." She looked over at him hugging his dad and smiled. "This is one of the best things that could've happened to him, 'n it's makin' me think over how I see everythin', too. It's not all about those who are helpless 'n those who have power, 'n that was a naive way of thinkin'... ha, I should've known better all this time. He's my friend 'n maybe more than that, 'n I want him to be happy."

Only after her speech did Valha register that food had been prepared, quickly scrambling to find some ham for herself and beginning to wolf it down. "Mm, this is really good," she managed between mouthfuls.

[charlie_]

"So, we're going to the arena again?" Angus asked. "I guess that works. I need to go sort some things out first though, so I'll catch up." The archer quickly returned to his room in order to retrieve his weapons and gold, and then set off to find the forge he'd been in yesterday. He manged to get sort of lost for a little while, and wished that he'd bothered to actually learn the name of the place because he couldn't even ask for directions really, but eventually he found it and went inside. "Hey, I'm here to pick up my bow. How much do I owe you?"

[Nanami Touko]

Metal Gear

"So you think love can bloom on a battlefield?" she asked, almost laughing. The way he put it was almost too romantic. Being with someone, not knowing if the next day you'd have to watch them die... It wasn't the kind of romance Makin was into, definitely not, but it was a way to think about it. She sighed, and flicked the tip of her tail about. "It's at least good to know that you're serious about this. It was nice to hear that you were getting over that issue you had, but... Well, I'd be lying if I said that it didn't worry me, just a bit. 'Maybe you're another fling', and all that." She laughed, mostly at herself. "If you're serious, then... It wasn't some drunken mistake. Just know that if you ever try to put your life at risk, you'll be getting an ear full from me. I cling. You've been warned." She decided to let him know that now, before he committed fully. "If you still have any reservations about me, how I look, how I am, being half snake, speak now or--"

"And here's your food~"

Makin jumped, not having expected the food to come like that. It at least had shaken her out of her serious speaking, as she shook her head. "Th-Thank you..." The server placed their plates and left, leaving Makin to sigh for air. "Haha... But... Yeah. You get it. We've both got a lot to live for." She took one of her eggs and popped it into her mouth, swallowing it whole, and cheering up a little bit.

What is Love

"Good. You should read it. You did when you were younger, but I feel it was lost on you, then. Now that you're almost an adult, and you know how to fight... Well, it should do wonders for you." It was a certain book on fighting styles, and Cedric felt that, since Lanos must have fought with either his claws or a sword, he would appreciate the content of the book.

Though what Lanos suggested next, Cedric had never thought about. So he took a moment to think about it, and he smiled. "Hah. Haha! I never thought about doing that. The council's been so rigid that I was focusing all of my efforts there, but, it's my house and my gold. I could easily do that! That's wonderful..." He smiled to himself, placing a hand on his chin as he wondered about a few things (wages, outfits, hours-- those sorts of things). Sure would be awkward to fit those wings around a server's outfit...

His concentration broke at an even more serious question, one that he definitely didn't have an off hand answer for. Not the one about his mother, that was easy. "Your mother came to Felson far before any other harpies did, and... Well, call me weird, but I was entranced. Wings are an odd thing when attached to a person, and with how striking her hair was against that pale skin, the sharp stare she gave out... It was love at first sight. I..." He paused, losing his happy face. "What I did was fairly despicable. Taking her, like that. My intentions and conduct aside, there was no excuse for it. The past is the past, but... Well, there's always things we wish we could do differently when we were younger." He offered a half smile, not knowing whether or not he'd still made the right choice, all those years ago. Taryn seemed happy, but... Would she have been happier if I'd tried to talk to her like a normal person? She didn't seem happy down in the slums... I don't know. I can't change it now, so...

The second part of that question was a lot tougher to explain. "What is love... That's different for everyone. If you want what love is to me, it's... If you can sit in the same room as someone, without saying a word, or even seeing them, just knowing they're there... If you can do that, and be happy, then that's love. Being able to talk to them about anything, do whatever you want with them, enjoy their presence." He ended up staring past Lanos as he spoke, Taryn smiling back at him. "If you have someone like that in your life, don't let them go."

Extra Help

"Hmmm?" Right, Sonia was still around. "No, that should be fine. Thanks, though. You're free to go, or whatever you want to hear," Sara said with a short laugh. "I'll be fine. I really do appreciate it, though. Maybe I should hire some more staff... Things are fine until a mercenary group shows up, and then I can barely keep up. That seems like a good idea, honestly."

Pickup

There was another one, this time the archer. "Got yer bow nice'n tightened up, reinforced. Take 'er. It's just what y'paid me yesterday, again. You can remember that much, right?"

What Did Lanos Think?

"What? Well, obviously he likes us both... I kissed him first, but he still kissed back the second time. I didn't force that," Vriska said, speaking openly about yesterday, rather proud of it. Sharing, though? Vriska stared at Valha for a second. "I'm not sure about that. I'd rather hear what he wants before I agree to any sharing... That just doesn't feel right, to me." What mostly didn't feel right was if she had to share him while Valha was there. She had little to not interest in the female harpies.

As Valha mentioned it, she looked over at Lanos speaking to his new found father, finding herself smiling. It was rather out of character for her, so she looked away and took the smile down. "Anyway, you go punch things, and I'll take Maja to get some clothes and find her missing ghost. Just... I don't know. I'll find you, and presumably Lanos, after we're done, and we'll talk. Whenever, you're ready, Maja. I'll be outside." Vriska sighed and left the inn, with a few more things on her mind.

[Vestige]

"I'll have you know, I put my life at risk almost every-time we're out fighting," he said. "I'd rather do without hearing from you every-time I pick up my lance, thank you very much," he chuckled. "But I know you mean well, so I appreciate the sentiment. Clinging is fine though, nothing I haven't dealt with before." He winked at her, knowing full well that he was playing with fire--but at least it wasn't thunder. The waiter came by with their food, and after everything that had happened, what with the punching and the recent conversation, he was eager to finally fill his stomach with something that wasn't bread. He cut into the steak, and put a piece in his mouth, "Mmmthishishgoof," he said, still in the process of chewing.

Makin on the other hand chose to start with the egg. Though, she didn't bite into it, she just swallowed it whole! Raith almost coughed out his own food watching that. "Sorry, that was kind of unexpected," he laughed. "I'm amazed you can just swallow the whole thing," he said, cutting out another piece of his steak. "You know, actually, that reminds me of something," he said, chucking at the memory. "When I was young, there used to be these bushes by my house that would grow berries on it. My mother would always tell me not to eat them, but being the idiot kid that I was, I decided one day that enough was enough, and that I was going to eat those berries whether she wanted me to or not. So I went over by the bush, and plucked out, oh, two or three berries? And just as I popped them in my mouth, my mother conveniently happens to walk by asking what I was doing. I got so scared that I tried to swallow them all whole. Wasn't a good idea because I just started coughing and choking, and she quickly caught on..." he sighed. "I got a beating like you wouldn't believe. My mother said she was just trying to help me cough up the berries, but I've always had a feeling like there was some other reason at hand," he laughed. "Point being, I couldn't swallow a couple berries that were this big," he said, trying to estimate the relaltive size with his fingers, "But here you are swallowing eggs. That's...pretty cool."

[Xinnidy]

It seemed the girls had their own opinions of their relationship with Lanos. Well... that added to the reasons Maja would rather not touch the topic. She nodded and passively brushed it off by looking at her food. "Well, I hope you and Lanos figure it out..." She returned to eat her food, only giving a few glances as the other two quickly ended that discussion.

"It's good food, yeah!" Maja replied to Valha as she finished her own plate, not wanting to leave Vriska hanging for too long. "Well, you go have fun! If you try the other arena too, maybe I'll go watch!" She commented and then left the inn, slowly reminding herself of a certain noble that'd definitely be in the arena. Oh... well... I'll have to face him again, probably. The thought still wasn't something she looked forward to, so she sighed and turned to Vriska. "Alright! Know any nice places to shop at?" She made herself a bit more cheerful for the situation.

[scorri]

Tristram had been wandering the streets, not quite ready to head to the inn yet, when he spied a small shop. He realized it was the one that... Maja? the Rainbow Terror girl had mentioned getting the lance from. Hesitating, he sighed and entered the shop. Heading to the owner, he asked quietly, "Excuse me... Someone came in yesterday and bought an intricately carved lance. It was of elf make and... I was wondering if you knew where you had acquired it?"

Edited November 15, 2014 by scorri

[riariadne]

"Well, yeah, of course it's up to him too. I'll see you guys later, alright?" Valha spoke to the other two small women, waving, before continuing to eat at the ham. "Hey, uh, if there's any extra of this stuff or whatever, I'm not sayin' everyone should give me their food, but if anyone's not feelin' ham, well..."

[Oersted]

Lanos was curious as to why his father was telling him to read it until he remembered what was in it. He'd read the book countless times, yet having never fought while he in the slums almost all of it went in one ear and out the other. He'd make a point to read it sometime later today. He was really happy that his father took his suggestion seriously, being able to help improve the lives of harpies, even if it was a small number, made it feel like he was doing something that would really help Felson.

He listened intently as his father told his side of the tale. He didn't really know what he'd thought of his father, apart from when Cedric was still just a councilman to him, but he'd never thought of his father to be one of those "love at first sight" types. He was further surprised that his father still had regret over how he'd acted way back then. "But wasn't that more of an issue with council back then?" he thought out loud. If it was still this bad it was probably much worse twenty-three years ago even without the harpy presence. Besides, if he hadn't, odds were someone else would've and he seriously doubted they could ever be better than Cedric was. "From the way mom spoke about it, I don't think she cared other than right away at the start," was all he could think to say in an attempt to comfort his father.

'Different for everyone'? Lanos mentally repeated. So much for a concrete answer, he thought as he listened to his father's explanation. It was... kinda vague to say the least. If love was just what Cedric said it was then he loved Valha, no questions asked. And if he thought about it maybe Vriska too, but with only knowing her for a few weeks he was hesitant to make a call like that without thinking about it more. "Yeah, I understand." He couldn't help but steal a glance at the aforementioned women.

Edited November 17, 2014 by Oersted

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall found himself alone with this new girl, on their way to watch Kendeall punch people in the face for money. Not a bad start to the day, evidently. Once he reached the arena, he wondered if perhaps Meredith changed her mind on going into the arena... hell, he wanted her to go first. If only to see how she handled herself in a fight. Besides, he figured he had to wait for that fop again.

[algae]

"Well, alright. I'll be happy to help while I'm here, though." By now, most of the others had left on their own business, so Sonia did the same, heading for the arena again. As unpleasant as constant fights could be, she'd need the practice to be able to catch up. Especially if someone as unassuming as the rainbow girl was that strong. Might as well get this over with... I'm not going to spend the whole day here again, anyway.

[Nanami Touko]

Berries

"Don't be facetious. You know what I meant with risking your life. That little stunt with Vriska had better not repeat itself, if you can help it," she said, almost with a motherly tone. She regretted that tone, as she caught it when she finished, and blushed a bit. You're not his mother. That'd just be weird. Don't speak to him like you are, geez... You really will look old. "I'm glad the clinging is fine," she mumbled, still embarrassed over her mature tone.

Speaking of mothers though, apparently Raith's was a bit strict about eating the garden's produce. "Were they poisonous, or, something? Or did she just not want you touching the bushes?" Makin didn't get that part of his tale, though the image of him getting beaten by his mother over berries was almost too ridiculous to take seriously. She found herself giggling, hoping it didn't offend him. Though, he seemed to have something else on his mind. "I am part snake. I can unhinge my jaw a bit, and my throat's a lot wider on the inside... I could show you the first thing, but I wouldn't want to upset the other people eating here-- or you, for that matter. It's fine watching an actual snake do it, but when someone with a human's face does it? It can be a bit alarming. But, yeah, I'm used to swallowing things like eggs. Don't think I'll try to swallow the steak, though. That'd be taking things a bit too far. Can't handle... That much meat," she said, slightly raising her eyebrow at him, and forming a subtle, coy smile. She needed to get over feeling old, and a bit of flirting would help that.

Clothes, The Reduxening: Part 2

Vriska hummed to herself and looked over her nails waiting for Maja to show up, wondering where her ghost had wandered off to, again. I hope he doesn't do this in the middle of the tundra... I am not searching for him in snow and ice. Whatever problems he has, he needs to sort them out. Honestly. Her thinking was interrupted by the arrival of her little shopping friend, the monotone rainbow. "Not really. But this is Felson, so there's probably a store on every corner. I'm sure we'll find something. Come along, and just point when you see a place you want to stop at. While you're doing that," she said, starting to walk off towards a street full of stores, "try and think of where you ghost might be hiding. There's a lot more magic uptown; it'll be harder for me to find him with all this interference."

Cleansed

Ingverd came back to his roost atop the stairs, sighing a happy sigh, as he was entirely washed. Unfortunately, no style show today, he was wearing his older clothes. But he was planning to hit the arena, so he didn't want to ruin anything. An unfortunate sword hole in newly purchases garments had no place in his wardrobe. And it seemed the people he wanted to hit the arena with were still there. Walking down towards Valha, wolfing down her food, he smirked and chuckled. "You look like you've never eaten before." He would've tried to take a piece for himself, but he fears Valha would attack his hand if he got it close... Well, not entirely, of course, but there was always the chance... "Thinking about going to the arena, today? I could use the support, as I'm going to try my arm at it. Hopefully I can do as well as Maja, hahaha..." He managed a glance at Lanos, seeing the man still talking to his parents. He wouldn't disturb their reunion.

Complicated

"Well, the council, ahaha... No one had any clue, the first time," he admitted, almost more embarrassed at that than the act itself. "And I know that's how your mother feels, and I'm so glad it is. I still feel I... Ah, no use dwelling so far into the past. What's done is done, and all. Nevertheless, it's good to hear that's how she feels, once again." He smiled, watching Lanos glance back at some of the women in the inn. Oh... Perhaps he was asking for a rather recent development.

Cedric placed both his hands on his son's shoulders, staring him straight in the eyes. "Son, I realize I may have been a big vague, but... Love isn't simple. Sure, you can love someone with what I said, but it's... It's a complicated emotion. I realize this isn't going to help, but, you'll know it when you feel it. Don't jump into anything without thinking it over, first. And I mean that, sincerely. Think long and hard. I've had many friends that went down that path, and it will lead to nothing but misfortune, and sometimes even abandonment... Be sure when you make that choice, that it's as right as you can make it." He let him go, and sighed.

"Sorry for being so serious, there... You've got to carry on the family lineage, and I wouldn't want to you to have to suffer for it. I trust you'll choose someone that you do, truly love." He chuckled, and patted Lanos on the arm, clearing his throat after. "Well... Your mother and I should get going. Unless you had any more questions...?"

Drogan Revitalized

Drogan had had a night to sleep off the last day's ordeal, and he was back in top shape to deal with any customer, even a nosy merchant who stuck themselves into business that they had no place in damn that woman, why did you have to ruin yesterday!? I swear if I-- He sighed. Drogan, calm yourself... You won't even have to deal with that lance, ever again. It's gone, so is that woman, and you'll have peace of mind...

And lo, a customer! An elf, by the looks of things. Surely he could find him something to buy, perhaps that lance he'd picked up from Alice, and--

Oh no. No. No! Why!? His smiled dropped immediately, though it was still there. The lance. It came back. What are the odds!? He resisted a sigh, and cleared his throat instead. "Well, my good man, I must say that, when it comes to elf weaponry, I wouldn't have the slightest clue... I could check my records, to see where I picked it up, if you so wish." Say no. Please say no. "While I do that, feel free to peruse my wears, and see if there is anything you wish to purchase for yourself~ I assure you that everything is of the finest quality!" Drogan fumbled through the scrolls behind his desk, finally pulling one out and beginning to scan it over.

Return Trip

The man at the counter looked Sonia up and down, as she entered the arena. "Eh? You back for some more? Well, you didn't do too awful yesterday... The rock stopped you, though, heh. Want to see if you can take him now?" The man laughed a bit.

Edited November 18, 2014 by I have opinions

[Vestige]

"No promises," was all he said with regards to the aforementioned stunt. Admittedly, it had been a bit of a risky venture talking to Vriska like that, but it ended up working out, so it's not like there was much of a problem. Arguably, bringing her along was a problem in and of itself, considering she was, by all accounts, still a "kid". But still, he at least felt better about having plucked her out from a planned life of thievery. Though, it still boggled the mind, as to how she even managed to join Ertel (though he suspected it wasn't as simple as "joining"). I feel like I've asked her that before, but... The explanation was presumably so outlandish, that he'd all but forgotten it in the first place. In any case, he was glad he had managed to avoid killing someone, and even helping them out in the process. It was a risk well worth the reward--if...you could really call Vriska a reward. It retrospect, telling her to just run and hide could have been an option, but it was too late for that.

"I don't really know. I never really bothered to remember. The only thing that stuck was the fact that she told me not to eat them, and even then, I acted like I hadn't heard it anyway. I was a bit of a pain in the ass as a kid," he grinned, almost proud of the fact. "Probably still am, but hey. The first step to recovery is acknowledging you have a problem, right?" A funny statement, given that he had admitted to a separate problem just a short moment ago. Makin went on to explain her "talent" of unhinging her jaw. It sounded kind of weird, but kind of cool at the same time. "I wouldn't mind, honestly. A pretty face is a pretty face, and besides, I've probably seen worse things than a woman who can open her mouth 'slightly wider than usual'," he shrugged, though, if it was as unsettling as she made it out to be, he figured, for the sake of the other customers, he'd just have to ask her about it again some other time. He cut out another piece of steak, but he had to stop himself after hearing what else Makin had to say. Slowly, he looked up from his plate, leveling his gaze. She appeared to be acting rather innocent, but he knew full well the intent of the remark. He returned the look with an eyebrow raise of his own, and went back to cutting. This was what, the third time today? And the day had only just begun. There was clearly no mercy to be had from this woman. "You know," he said with calm deliberation, "you keep this up, and I'm going to have a really hard time keeping myself from visiting tonight..."

[algae]

For... "Fun"?

"That's what I'm here for." Sonia wished she could say that she sounded so much more confident than she was. It might have even been the case, since she sounded about as nervous as one would expect when they had all manner of pointy objects aimed in their general direction (hardened mercenaries aside), but was actively fighting the urge to run: even with healers lining the ring, a single swing from that giant with club could probably break everything in her body and then some. "Big guy with a weapon twice my size, right? Well, no one ever said I was smart. Let's get this over with, maybe it'll be as easy as they made it look." Making light of it helped just enough to let her force money onto the counter and her feet through the door.

[spoiler=FOR GLORY]

And there he was. Maybe it was just the armor and shield, but he looked even bigger up close. So did the club. And there she was, much smaller, unarmored, wielding a fairly plain sword (which she didn't remember drawing). Okay, think. Think! That armor may as well be made of stone. He can't move well, but I don't think I can get through it. Unless... She closed in quickly, aiming for something that could maybe have been a weak spot. He didn't seem to react to any kind of pain, and swung downward, impacting the ground where she had been moments before. It almost seemed to have left him more shaken than it did her, allowing her to land another pair of hits on his back... which almost seemed less armored than the rest.

That was the morale boost she needed, apparently. Dodge, retaliate, repeat. Stab into the open spots while he's recovering. He caught on as well, sometimes shifting at the last second and causing her blade to bounce harmlessly against his armor, or he recovered quickly enough to catch it on his shield, but it didn't matter. They kept going for what seemed like hours, and she could only tell that it was working when he started to slow down. Moments later, he collapsed.

After that was a mage, which would have bothered her more if she wasn't nearly high from winning the last match. The thrill was enough to drain away the numbness in her arms and the fatigue everywhere else (or maybe that was just the healers). She rushed in as she did before, surprising him with a thrust, though not enough to immediately stop his spell from slicing into her. She ignored the pain as best as she could and landed another pair or hits on him, this time it was enough to break his concentration, and a final wild slash connected with him soon after.

Next one was... The wyvern rider, right? Perfect. The sword wouldn't help much anymore, so she switched to the new tome. Better to try it now than risk it failing when I need it... And work it did, hitting the rider with a burst of light that seemed to mirror her own gestures. He seemed unfazed, and charging in as soon as the light faded out, but not quickly enough to hit her, or avoid the next two flashes.

Just one more. She attacked the horseman as soon as the match started, before he had time to close the distance between them - a cheap shot, yes, but maybe fatigue was starting to get to her. She paid for it when his sword buried itself surprisingly deep in her side. She managed to cast once again in spite of her body screaming for her to retreat, which only seemed to make her opponent more resolute. He rushed away and began to charge, much faster than before Was he holding back before, or something? she thought... since apparently part of her mind could afford to distract itself with this. The rest knew that there was enough time for one more spell, and her body obeyed.

It connected. That was it. She won. It shouldn't even have been that impressive after yesterday, but it was far farther than she expected to go and it left her numb. Or maybe that was just fatigue finally catching up to her.

[riariadne]

"Hey, I'm a little bird but I've got a big appetite," Valha whined, poking Ingverd jokingly. "But yeah, I was thinkin' about goin' there. I wanted to give the fist-fightin' arena a shot first, though. It's a bit less refined, but that'll be the fun of it, won't it? Just some raw fightin' action, nothin' holdin' back... it'll be good. Hey, where did you head last night, anyway? 'N did you ever figure out the park thing?"

[Xinnidy]

"Well, if you say so, then sure! Let's take a look at town!" Maja figured felt better with the company, so the destination wasn't such a big deal. "I'll... yeah, I'll think about where he might be." She replied to the notion of finding Kadin, though it did raise the girl a good question. Where could he have gone to? Think... Think...

The girl slowly brought herself to think of yesterday's events. It was inevitable, as much as she wanted to push it to later, at that moment. He... he might be at the arena again? Or maybe, hmm... what was it that Marius said about him again? Think harder!

Maja's line of thought broke as the girl locked eyes with a clothing store named... Faust's Fashions, or something like that. "Oh! Why don't we try that one?" She called to Vriska, pointing at the store.

A Dawn of Anguish

Guilty. Guilty. Am I truly guilty? Was one of the many conflicting thoughts that haunted Kadin through dusk to the new day. The ghost was more than spiritually exhausted, feeling even unable to take form. I... just why? Why do I seek vengeance? This doesn't fit. Was I really this morally harsh as a person? He wasn't getting the answers on his own, but his heart weighed too much to come back to the group. That... not a chance, no. If they're harmed by associating with me... I'm not doing this. Resolute in his self-hesitance, Kadin continued wandering through a plane that was more familiar to him that his memories previously led to believe. It was the Noble's Rung.

Edited November 20, 2014 by Xinnidy

[eclipse]

"Oh, I see, you want to see if I can handle myself in a fight before you introduce me to the boss," Meredith grumbled. "Fine, then." The thought that Kendeall might've had other reasons didn't cross Meredith's mind. She registered, then steeled herself as she saw her first opponent. Fists, eh? Let's see how well I can mimic what I saw in the tavern brawls. Her opponent lunged at her, and she jumped back. This is sort of like sparring practice, but without weapons. She noticed that her opponent threw his weight behind his punches, which meant that he'd be off-balance for just a moment. After dodging yet another punch, she decided to try throwing one of her own. Unfortunately, she lost her balance, and instead of punching him in the face, her fist went a lot lower than she anticipated. He curled up into a ball and sobbed.

Whoops.

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall watched on as Meredith went in to take on the arena. She seemed fairly careful with picking her spots, which was always good. Still, she needed to press the offensive in a situation like this... When she finally decided to step forward and attack, Kendeall cheered her on... then she tripped and punched the guy in the groin.

"Oh hell, I kinda feel like that's illegal. Maybe they won't... notice... oh god he's crying. Yeah, okay, that's no good." Kendeall sighed heavily as he watched what was going on. Hopefully that wouldn't happen to him when he went out the arena again... Where the hell was Angus, anyway?

[Oersted]

Lanos was glad he somehow managed to make his father feel better, if only a little. Considering how bad he was at this sorta thing he was kinda surprised it worked at all, but he wasn't complaining. He was a bit surprised when Cedric got all serious all of a sudden. Did he think he was going to walk over there and confess out of the blue or something like that? Dense as he was, Lanos knew that was definitely something not to do. He didn't think he really needed to think about Valha, so many things made sense with the revelation, but he figured he might as well. Besides, he probably wouldn't be telling her anytime soon anyway. Talk of 'carrying on the family lineage' was awkward for more that one reason. "Well, it's not like I have to worry about that anytime soon. Besides," he started mumbling. "I think the main concern is whether or not I can have kids."

Did he have anymore questions? Not that he could think of anyway. Well, there was one but it didn't need to be asked, he'd work for it rather than have it handed to him. "Nope, I'm good. I'll see you in a few weeks." Despite saying that he stuck around to wait for his mother, he figured she'd want to hug him again or something and he personally kinda wanted an entire family hug.

[eclipse]

Somehow, she'd won the previous fight, despite the fact that she'd done so via an unintentional cheap shot. Her second opponent seemed to keep his guard up more often, but in turn, it meant that his punches were slower. She mentally cursed to herself when he managed to land a blow on her. However, he had to sacrifice his defensive stance to hit her, and she used that opportunity to punch him in the face. . .erm, throat. He'd tried to backstep, but didn't quite make it. She apologized as he was carried off, gasping for breath.

Her third opponent willingly let her land a few blows, perhaps to see whether or not she'd won her first two fights by dumb luck. Unlike the other two, he was able to hit her. Eventually, she landed a punch to his midsection that caused him to drop his fists completely. This time, her fist landed on his unguarded face, and he called for a judge when he hit the ground.

She gasped as her fourth opponent's fist whizzed by her face. If one of those landed, she'd be down for the count! Like her third opponent, he fought defensively, and let her get a few hits in. Unlike her third opponent, he seemed to throw a punch in her general direction, without any real follow-up. As she contemplated the downsides to this, she stepped to the left and inside of his defenses, neatly dodging yet another punch. Her foot landed on something that most definitely wasn't the ground, and her opponent yelped in surprise.

"Sorry!" she yelled, as she instinctively brought her head up. "OW, what was that for?" she grumbled, as the top of her head hit something hard. "Why'd you have to hit me on the head? It's not like I intentionally stepped on your foot! Oh SHIT!" Her opponent, who now had a new bruise on his eye, tackled her. She tried to turn and run, but only got partway through the "turn" phase before she hit the ground, face-down and hands first. Suddenly, her opponent rolled off of her, screaming.

"The HELL, my hands weren't anywhere near you," she grumbled. The judge glared at her as he declared her the winner. "Uh, it's nice that I won, but how? I took a mouthful of dirt." The judge pointed to his own ear? She put her hands to her ears. One of them felt unusually wet. She looked down at her opponent, who had a hand to his eye, then looked at her left hand, which had traces of blood. "You have GOT to be kidding me. . .of all the things. . ." She turned to the judge. "I'm pretty sure that this isn't how the arena's supposed to run. I'm out, before I find a way to mangle yet another fight." She walked back to Kendeall, and sighed heavily.

"That's. . .not how I really fight. I have no idea what happened down there."

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall was rather... confused as to what was going on. Somehow, despite Meredith's complete ineptitude at all things punchy, she still managed to make it through a good chunk of the arena before leaving. Although, the way it happened was rather... unorthodox, to say the least.

As she exited the arena and apparently apologized to Kendeall, the axeman burst into laughter. "You kidding? That was a frickin' riot! You sure know how to showboat and make things all the more entertaining!" Kendeall replied, hoping that would sate her for now.

[eclipse]

"I slipped, and hit some guy in an area that's normally illegal in fights. The next two were okay, and I don't feel too bad about that throat shot because he moved into it. That final fight was beyond stupid," Meredith grumbled. "I won because someone jabbed his eye ON MY EAR. That wasn't intentional, or honorable, or even in the rules!" She sighed heavily. "Still, glad I didn't scare you or anything. At least some good came from my bumbling. It's not like you can possibly do any worse than that!"

[Nanami Touko]

Laughter

"It's a good thing to know I'm not the only woman you've been a handful for. It'd be mean, otherwise." She teased at his earlier days, wondering how long that lasted. Maybe it was up until his near death experience. Things like that change you. She bit into the steak, and sighed into a smile of pleasing tastes. Steak in the morning was extravagant, and a bit expensive, but in a city like this you weren't getting a more savory breakfast. Though, Raith seemed confused on what she meant by unhinge. She cocked an eyebrow, and smirked only a little. "Trust me, please. It's not 'slightly wider than usual'. It's..." Makin paused, and looked about. There weren't any people near them, at least not in line of sight, and there wasn't a waiter sneaking up on them. She took a breath, and slowly opened her mouth, continuing to do so until her jaw was open the entire way down her neck. She cut a piece of steak, shoved it in, and snapped her jaw shut. "Th-There. See? It's weird." Even if he'd followed her flirting, she felt rather embarrassed. But, he hasn't really asked her to do it, so it was her own fault for how she felt. She could've just as easily not done it!

Makin sighed,and turned a little bit red. "I shouldn't be saying anything, right now. After all my worries. I'll drop the flirting, just for a bit. You still have to introduce me to that Alicia. That was her name, right?" she asked, trying to change the subject away from swallowing meat and her incredibly weird jawline. She did laugh a bit, though. "It makes me happy, though. That I can talk to someone to freely like this. Not... Not have to act like a boss. It's a good feeling. Finish up, we can't spend all day here~" With renewed joy in the situation, she dug into her steak, and made some pleased noises and she chewed up the delicious slab.

Punchimas

"Heh, I don't think I can join you for fist fighting. I don't think they'd want me back there." He smiled, revealing where he'd gone and answering her question, all at once. "I went, fought the gauntlet, and won. So you'd better not lose, eh? Go ahead and take Lanos with you. You can just meet me after you're done-- and no talons. They've got plenty of posters saying you'll get disqualified if you do," he added, though he definitely trusted Valha to not do that. As for the park, though... He felt that anger associated with it, as she asked, but he didn't express it. "Not a clue, sorry. I'm sure it isn't that important, really. I'll make sure to tell you right away if I remember, though. Alright?" He winked and smiled, trying to assure her he would do so. "So, meet you at the arena, then?"

Shopping Trip, One of Many

Faust's Fashions? I hate this town... Vriska sighed, and decided that, sure, whatever, it was a clothes store in Felson, and even if the store name was another one of those incredibly tacky titles, it probably had something to help spice up the monotone clothes that Maja was now sporting. "Alright you, uh, you just... Go ahead, there. I'll be right behind you." Vriska groaned a little bit.

(OoC: I can do the shop if you want, Xin, just let me know and I'll edit it in, and change what vriska said to emulate that. Otherwise, is all yours.)

The Future

"Ah, well, that. You can, but... Only with another harpy, human, or elf. I didn't test anything, of course, but I went looking for all that I could find and it seems that... Well, monsters can only breed with their own races, or the other two. It seems a bit odd, but... That's how the biology seems to work. Not going to run any experiments, because that would feel inhumane, really." It had seemed that Cedric had caught Lanos' mumbling, and given him an answer he may or may not have wanted.

While that happened, Taryn came up behind Lanos and gave him another big hug. She let him go and walked around to Cedric, giving him a smile that was just as big as her hug. "We'll see you when you return, Lanos. I wish you the best of luck on your quest! Hehehe... It sounds so wonderful, saying it like that-- A quest." Taryn amused herself, and Cedric offered his son another wide smile.

"Good luck, son. Come back alive." He patted him the shoulder, and they were just as soon gone, the guard following after them.

Another Day

Marius had done his best to toss away the previous day, not wanting to let it get down any viewing of matches in his arena. Speaking of, it seemed that someone had bested his men, once again, though he wondered if she even wanted to fight him. She seemed a bit... Frail. Like if he hit her once, she'd go down. Nevertheless, she deserved the same treatment of the other challengers. He hopped down and pointed the sword he now had at her.

"Well met. You've bested my men, and you've earned the chance to fight me... Will you take it?"