Masquerade Part 2: Army of Darkness

[charlie_]

"Uh, it'll be interesting, yeah." The archer agreed, with Sonia's outburst taking him by surprise. Has she ever been this... happy before? Huh. Meredith's comment snapped him out of his thoughts shortly after though. "Yeah, I'm ready whenever. And of course we're going to make it." he grinned. "Just wait until you see us in action - we're pretty good at this."

[Nanami Touko]

Tag Along

"No idea, of course." Raith was slippery. "By the way, I really don't mind if anyone in the group knows, or finds out, now. If... If you're fine with this, then I'll be fine with it too. So don't be afraid to hold my hand, or, anything..." she said, even though she'd been the one to do that. Alicia knowing was inevitable and Makin wanted to be comfortable, so no tip-toeing around it. She squeezed his hand tighter and smiled. "As long as the guards don't try to attack us. I'm sure they've dealt with bigger groups in the past. Maybe not bigger mercenary groups, but, still." It'd be a concern if something was happening in the city, but Felson seemed pretty peaceful, at the moment.

"You'll just have to keep me warm in other ways, then," she said with a small huff. What a joker. "If any of them wanted to come with us, they'd have ran after us. Besides..." she started, sliding ever so much closer, "I think you could use some time away from the rest of the group, right now. Maybe even me, if all of this is bothering you that much." She gave him a concerned look. "You're not that good at hiding when something's wrong. I can't read your mind, but you're never that quiet, even in the face of new group members. You know... You can tell me, Raith. Maybe I can't fix it, but, we're supposed to support each other, right? Now, even more so." She gave his hand a tighter squeeze, and smiled through her concern. "If you would rather be alone, I can go find those clothes myself. Just let me know."

Quite The Show

Ingverd smiled at Tristram. "Well, you've got a horse, so you're way more maneuverable than almost any of us. We've got some dragon riders, but that's all. I'm sure you'll find yourself a good place on the team, don't worry." But his attention was lost on the elf as Lanos visible froze upon being touched, Ingverd quickly retracting his arm. "Hey, you alright?" he asked, more quietly. Something that happened yesterday, huh? Probably shouldn't pry... "Alright, but, it'll have to wait until I'm done congratulating Valha. I'm sure she's going to work Marius over something fier--" he cut himself off as the clang of metal on metal, and the subsequent thud of a body shot through the arena. Marius was on the ground, bleeding, clutching his stomach, and Valha was standing over him, completely victorious. "She... What?" Ingverd stood there, stunned for a moment. H-How? Was she really that strong? His stunned expression slowly curled into a smile, as he shouted a cheer through the silence, the crowd slowly starting to clap and cheer alongside him. He rushed out of the stands; he had to see her after something like that!

The Match

Marius watched the harpy circle him, and waited for her to make a move. That seemed like the smartest thing, with the weapon she had-- but damn, she was fast! He barely managed to avoid her first swing, aiming straight for her with his counter. It brushed past her, almost catching her, and causing him to smirk.

But that smirk left as she doubled back for her second attack.

Marius took the hit, hard, and fell hard onto his back, getting knocked a few feet away. The sword cut right through his armor, and right into him, causing him to cough and bleed out onto the ground of the arena. The healers were dispatched right away, and his wound disappeared in moments, but it seemed the cat was out of the bag on this one.

"Are... you okay? Wait... were you really tryin' your hardest, or what?"

He smirked, and pulled himself up. "Well... I won't say I wasn't trying. I always take a fight seriously," he started, approaching the new victor, "but I tend to tone it down a bit, for the challengers' sakes. Perhaps I should've let myself go a bit more, that was a great hit. The fight didn't last nearly as long as the audience would've liked. What a waste." He said the last bit with a chuckle, and stuck out his hand to shake. "I don't think you want to try taking me on seriously, not yet. But you're strong. Very strong. Come back sometime, and we'll test if you can stand up to all I have to offer. For now, enjoy the victory. Don't think it shallow, either; even when I'm holding back, I'm not an easy opponent. Your friend found that out yesterday." He waved to the audience, motioning for her to do so as well. "Well, come on. Give them the show they want. And, here," he said, thrusting the hilt of his sword at her. "This, is yours."

Relax

Isabelle snorted a laugh. Under my field of vision, huh? "That is a dumb name. What sort of name is Halcyone? Hah... Though, I suppose Vesta isn't that bad. I'm Isabelle." She was awake now, as she flipped her hair with her hand, and continued to move towards the sauna. "So you joined up with the snake too, hmm? I guess it takes all sorts to make a group, so I won't comment on that. Do try to curb that way of speaking, though. Your dialect is... Sort of countryside, don't you think?" It was quite obvious that tact was not a word Isabelle kept in her vernacular. "Oh, there's the sauna. I could use a nice bit of heat before a shower." She made for the door, keeping her slow pace. Even if her mind was awake, the body was taking its time to catch up.

Pay Attention

"Hey, don't shove too much!" Vriska angrily whispered as her height was once again indirectly mocked, Maja shoving her head on top to get a better view. She grumbled, but kept watching. I wish I could hear what they're saying. This is getting steamy. I wonder if she'll kiss him!

Iuliana shivered and broke the dam as Kadin hugged her back, openly crying into his chest. That only lasted a few moments, but it was such a release for her. To be able to let some of these emotions go, after so long... She wanted to hold on as he let her go, but it would've been improper to keep doing so, for a few reasons, and even she knew that.

But with her face smiling ear to ear, she wasn't sad to have to do so. This is all too much... That smile did fade, as he asked about the circumstances surrounding his death. She knew them, of course, but... "Not here," she said, a bit quietly, "come inside, and we can sit down, and talk. This is a bit much to answer, all at my gate." She started to walk back towards her door, but she did say one thing. "Cedric did. You should know him... He worked with Marius, a bit. Mostly paperwork, but he was always focused on keeping the town safe." With that said, she opened her door, and motioned for Kadin to enter.

Back at the alley, though... "Aw, they didn't kiss. But, hey, we have to follow them! We can't miss this! This is big!" Vriska didn't move; she couldn't, not until Kadin was inside. The hard part was going to be getting into the house, though, without making too much noise... Whatever. One step at a time.

Edited December 25, 2014 by I have opinions

[Xinnidy]

"S-sorry." Maja whispered back, though she assumed the complaint out of her clumsiness other than any indirect connotations. She was far too curious about the story between Kadin and the dame to give anything else much thought at the moment.

It was sound to move the conversation inside, Kadin still struggled to grasp how grave the accusations he received posthumously were. "Alright. I... am sorry if this is all too sudden, I don't mean to overwhelm you with these questions." Kadin blurted out as he entered the manse. Why am I apologizing? She decided to help me, it is fine. ...Still, this situation is far from normal. Gods, this is confusing. His instinct betrayed his thoughts, though he had no time to mull over it as he heard of his successor. "Him? ...I see." Kadin couldn't quite ring any bells out of that, so his response was blank in emotion. Maybe his memory failed him, or it was unrelated to his mystery. He hoped for the latter.

With the couple already inside, Maja, of course, couldn't help echoing the mage girl's excitement. "We've gotta follow them! But... how are we getting inside?"

[algae]

'We'd better make it! Just think of the things we might find in there!' ...Is what Sonia would have said if she didn't think another outburst would make them uncomfortable. A simple "I'm ready" seemed like a much safer choice . "Neither of you seem that worried about this", on the other hand...

[Vestige]

It seemed as though there was no skirting around the topic anymore. It wasn't exactly a pressing matter, but it seemed as though both sides were harboring a bit of confusion as to how best approach the issue going forward. It was probably for the best to clear things up now to avoid running into any awkward situations later. In any case, with her self-proclaimed clinging, he figured that, had he wanted to hide anything, it would have been a difficult situation. "Look at you, making sure I don't feel embarrassed about holding the pretty lady's hand. That's cute," he said, a wistful smile sweeping across his face. He sighed heavily, pondering on how best to explain the situtaion. "It's just--I'm just not the type of guy who goes announcing details of his personal life to people he barely knows, y'know? But, at the same time, I don't want you to think that I'm trying to hide you--us," he corrected, "from anyone either. If you're alright with it, then I'm not going to complain if the pretty lady wants to hold hands with me," he said, nudging Makin playfully on her side. He just hoped no one would say anything. She was still his boss, after all.

Raith let out a quiet laugh, "Sure, sure, but I don't work for free. I'll expect some sort of compensation, monetary or otherwise," he flashed a quick grin at her, though it withered away soon after. "The rest of the group?" he shrugged, "I couldn't say," he didn't want to comment one way or the other. "You, on the other hand, you I can't get enough of right now. So, unless you had plans on going shopping with some other guy, I think I'll stay right here," he chuckled softly, squeezing her hand, ever so slightly. He marveled at her perception of detail, and chided himself for being so obvious about things. "But," he added, sighing, "there is something, it's just... well--I dunno, I'm just missing home I guess? Like, this isn't the first mercenary group I've been in, and, don't get me wrong, I'm glad I'm here. Hell, I left my old group of my own volition, but I guess I'm just missing the familiarity," he said, struggling to put his thoughts into words. "That, and the whole thing with Alicia," he winced, "I can't help but feel like it's my fault, and it's just so aggravating knowing someone would--did, hurt her like that," he said, a darkened expression overtaking him, but quickly dissipating, as he forced himself off of the thought. "Sorry, I just need some time I guess. Not away from you, but, just time to sort things out," he shrugged. "Uh, anyway, I think that's a clothing store right there," he said, pointing to a nearby venue, vaguely recalling walking into a similar looking shop prior to his dinner with Alicia, "Why don't we head in there and check it out? Beats talking out here," he proclaimed. He guided Makin over to the entrance, and held the door for her, "if you would," he said, ushering her inside.

Edited December 27, 2014 by Vestige

[riariadne]

Valha took the hand of the man who towered over her and shook it awkwardly. "Then I will take you on when I'm even stronger, mister Marius. I'll make it my goal, then, to beat you when you're at your best!" She took the sword he offered, raising it overhead and waving to the crowd as he requested, making a victory lap like she had in the other arena and bowing as she landed. "If that's all, I have to go. Remember, I'm Valha Nix! You will know my name!" she shouted to him and the cheering crowd, taking her pay at the entrance and smiling when she saw Ingverd waiting. "How's that? Told you, I'm the best there is, the hardest opponent couldn't even touch me. I'm sure if I was a bit more careful the same could've been said for my other enemies, nothin' to it! Who can beat me how, huh?"

[Oersted]

Lanos decided to watch until the end before leaving the stands. So that's why he didn't fight with his lance, if you beat him he gives up his weapon. Wonder who beat him yesterday. Wait, do I need to pay to fight him again? Lanos stood up to leave before remembering Trist was still there. "Oh, uh, see ya later Trist," he told the elf, still feeling self-conscious about suddenly freezing up like he had. Valha was out and talking to Ingverd by the time he made it out of the stands. He waved on the chance she noticed him but rather than rushing over to congratulate her then scurrying off to get his question answered and then returning to ask for his sword back he found the laughing man from yesterday. "So, do I have to pay again if I just want to rematch Marius or can I just go in?" He hoped the man knew, based on what Marius said he didn't get challenged often.

[Nanami Touko]

Insatiable

Makin let out a small huff. She couldn't really keep herself up with how suave Raith was being. It was nice, but she felt she was falling behind in terms of conversational prowess... "I'm the same way. I'll... I'm not going to hide us, from the rest of the group. If someone wants to know why we're holding hands, then we'll tell them. Easy as that." She smiled, and let his silver tongue dominate the topic, instead of trying to match it. It probably would've embarrassed her more to try and keep up with the teasing. His hand was warm, anyway... This felt nice. Nice enough, that, she ended up holding onto his entire arm, pulling it close to her chest. She'd already told him she was clingy, so he didn't have room to complain about this.

"So, you feel responsible, huh?" she said, in response to Alicia. "But... N-No, it's alright to feel like that. I understand how you feel, so... I won't comment on it, and I'll just give you the time you need to get over those feelings... It's nice to know you're so obsessed with me." With a smirk, she retreated to her thoughts, not wanting to give them a voice. But, Raith... What if you had been there, and you'd gotten yourself hurt, instead? I know you'd probably feel better about it, but then Alicia would blame herself for it, and I'd be the one being so upset... It isn't right that it happened like that, but... Her expression darkened alongside with his, but she didn't voice any of that. She didn't want to argue over what had happened. There was no changing the past.

"Huh? Oh, shop... Right." She woke up and detached herself from his arm, wandering on inside. There's a lot here... Hmm... "Uhhhh, well, there's a nice jacket... I can't believe they've still got them in stock, but I won't complain about it." Oh, but... A nice set of clothing suddenly caught Makin's attention. A floral dress, and a nice blouse to cover it. She glanced at Raith for a moment and then took them off the shelf. "I-I'm going to go get changed. Be right back!" With a blush, she disappeared into the changing room, tail still poking out from under the door.

Congratulations!

"Valha!" Ingverd rushed over and picked her up into a tight hug, lifting her right off the ground! "You were fantastic! In one hit! I can't believe it! I love you so much! Hahaha!" Ingverd was exploding with happiness, so proud of her that he could practically feel the joy of winning, himself! He finally put her down, but he couldn't stop his smiling. "You're amazing. You're just so amazing. No one can beat you! Not even me." This smile wasn't going anywhere, any time soon.

And over at the counter, the man smirked at the bird's request. "You can go on in and ask him yerself. I don't think he'd say no."

Marius, meanwhile, was still picking himself up after that little scuffle. He nodded up to one of his attendants, and they tossed him down a lance. He'd given away his weapons, so he had to fight with something new. Even if it wasn't as good as his other ones, he had to face people somehow. And he couldn't really use that, yet. It wouldn't be fair to any challenger...

Follow Them!

Vriska cursed her stamina as the two couldn't make it to the gate before it closed, watching Kadin and the woman disappear through the door, it shutting securely behind them. "Dang! If I'd been a bit faster... Ugh. We have to find another way in. Come on..." Vriska cursed under her breath, and started to walk around the fence, to try and find a way in.

As Iuliana led Kadin through her manse, he could see that it was quite sparsely decorated. She didn't keep a lot of belongings, outside of a few paintings, and perhaps a small trinket, here or there. The living room was similarly empty, save for some comfortable looking chairs and some pictures... Well, paintings of pictures, obviously. And the one featured above the fire place was... Iuliana smiled, as she picked it up, and looked at it intently; it was small enough to do so. "I wonder how long it's been since I'd seen us all smiling like that." The painting was of her, Kadin and Marius, all smiling, huddled up together. She sighed, and set it down, turning to face her guest. "I'll go and get some tea, before we start talking. Make yourself comfortable, Kadin." She wandered over to the kitchen space, adjoining the living room. If he had any questions he really wanted to get started on, he could ask them from there. She hadn't really heard them all in her excitement, so... He might have to repeat them, as embarrassing as it was for her.

[Vestige]

"Yeah, I mean... " If I hadn't said anything about Ophelia, or if I had just refused to take Alicia on a ride, we wouldn't have had to go through the slums in the first place. We'd have stayed in the city, and that'd have been the end of it. He'd put Alicia into a position where she'd gotten injured, and that wasn't even the worst of what could have happened. And on top of that, he was eventually going to have to tell her: "Sorry, but I'm going out with my boss now, so, uh, yeah. Surprise?" He didn't want to divulge any of that to Makin, at least not yet. 'Dinner with a friend,' was manageable, but flirting, dinner, a dragon ride, and a kiss, were a little harder to explain. Well, maybe it wasn't anything he needed to explain, but he still didn't want Makin getting upset over it. "If I'd just had the foresight, I'd have been able to stop her from going off alone and she wouldn't have gotten injured. I dunno, guess it doesn't matter at this point," he finally said, grimacing a bit. He wasn't lying, but he wasn't giving her the whole truth either. It was bound to come up eventually, but right now wasn't the time he wanted to be talking about it. A shame, given that Makin had practically given him an open invitation to do so.

"I don't know if I'd call it an obsession. Obsession makes it sound like I have some sort of mental illness," he said, raising an eyebrow. "I think I'd use something more like, enamored. Yes, I think that's a tad bit better," he nodded to himself, following after her into the store. Seemed his guess was right on the mark, as there were clothes abound. Immediately, her attentions were picked up by a jacket hanging nearby. It looked rather plain to him, but what the heck did he know about jackets? "Yeah, looks pretty nice. Guess we got lucky, huh? You want to look at some other coats or is thi--" and before he could finish, she had her sights fixated on anything but a coat. She snatched the clothes up, and made straight for the changing room. "Wait, where are you going?" he laughed. One minute, she acts all confident in front of him, and then the next she's redder than a rose. It was oddly perplexing, but very cute all the same. "Are you sure you don't need me in there?" he called out, fully intent on making her blush just a little bit more. In the meantime, he found a nearby chair and sat down, awaiting the pretty lady's return.

[Sandalphon]

Vesta grunted and blushed a little. This broad was kinda rude. Still, she supposed she should play nice and avoid rustling the feathers of anyone who would eventually become a fixture of her upcoming adventures.

"Actually, it's the name of my ma' and pa'..." Vesta said cooly, "I figure since it's the last thing they left me before they died I might's well keep it even if does sound kinda hoity-toity." She fought the instinct to add some sort of jab at the end of that statement but rolled her eyes internally. "Sorry my vocabulistics ain't up ta yer standards. Supposedly my folks were good at book-learnin' but there ain't much time for readin' when you're learning six ways to slit someone's throat from a buncha thieves." She added, exaggerating her natural drawl a little. It was petty and immature but hey, perhaps some situations called for pettiness and immaturity. She caught herself at the last second and added, "...But uh, I could make an effort I 'spose."

"Anyway, what's yer- err... your lot in life m'am?" She inquired, trying to be as friendly as she could. The last thing she wanted was to annoy a possible future ally... Especially not one she was about to share a very hot, very confined space with.

[charlie_]

"Well, let's get going then." Angus decided, and started walking towards... any clothes shop, really. Meredith probably would've been better to lead the way or something, but they had time. "And well, why would I be worried?" he replied to Sonia. "I've been with the group since Makin started looking for recruits, and it's been smooth sailing so far. Everyone's still here, alive and well, and it'll take more than a bit of snow to change that, don't you think?"

[Refa]

Having finally arrived at Burke's forgery, Quincy let loose an exhausted sigh of relief. After departing from the inn, he had intended to go to said forgery right away. However, the streets of Felson proved to be more treacherous than he had initially assumed, and well...here we are. "Sorry to keep you waiting. So...how's my axe doing?"

[riariadne]

Valha squeaked at Ingverd's hug, dropping her unsecured sword in her surprise and flushing brightly at his barrage of compliments. "Hey, I'm a tiny 'n fragile bird, 'n you're a big strong elf! Don't squeeze me too hard!" she whined, but she nuzzled her head against him and returned the elf's hug. "Mmm... thanks for watchin' me out there, yeah? I always feel stronger when people are nearby hopin' I do well, 'n carin' about me, if that makes sense. So, thanks... for carin' about me." Or... lovin' me so much, he said... She waved back to Lanos as he passed by. "He tryin' again with Marius? Here's hopin' he does just as well then, yeah?"

[algae]

Is it just me or do all of these shops look the same? "I've just heard that it's dangerous out there, is all. I'm not sure how much of it is true." The less that was said about just how dangerous it was supposed to be, the better. "You're probably right, though, no sense in worrying about it." The rumors probably do more to keep people away than whatever monsters might be in there.

[Xinnidy]

"Darn!" Maja shared Vriska's sentiment, following her and gauging the fence's height. "Maybe we could jump over the fence somehow... but is it safe? Ooh! Maybe there is a backdoor or some sort of secret entrance! It's a fancy house, after all."

Kadin had an apprehensive smile through his otherwise expressionless face when he noticed the portrait Iuliana was cherishing. It felt awkward, even painful, after last evening's argument. With the way Marius accused me... I couldn't even remember we were once friends. This painting will take getting used to. With a dry gulp, he sat himself on one of the comfortable chairs, taking a glance around the paintings that adorned the living room. "Iuliana?" He turned his head. "Thanks again, for believing in me. I still can't believe it all happened like that, how... surreal, to return with vengeance in mind and learn I was framed for attempt at mass-murder. I can't even imagine how it must have been to you and Marius then."

[scorri]

Trist had been ready to congratulate Valha when she returned, but she seemed more interested in talking to Ingverd, which he supposed made sense. So he instead settled back into his seat, ready to watch Lanos fight. He himself had given up on the arena yesterday, but the more he watched the others fight, the more he felt like he should try again, just to prove he wasn't some shove over and that he could fight. Maybe once Lanos was done...

[Oersted]

"Thanks," Lanos told the man as he turned his attention to Valha and Ingverd. He really didn't want to interrupt them, but he needed his sword if he was going to fight Marius and he wasn't going to just stand around awkwardly glancing at them until it was over or they noticed him, that'd be even worse! He took a deep breath and steeled himself. Well here goes... everything. "You're really incredible Valha," Lanos said as he approached the couple, doing his best to smile despite feeling completely out of place. While he was happy for her, at the monent he just wanted to get his sword so he could go fight Marius and leave them alone. "Oh, uh, could I have my sword back? I want to use it against Marius."

Edited December 28, 2014 by Oersted

[Nanami Touko]

Change of Mood

"I-I'm just trying something on... I never really get a chance to shop like this, so, I felt like doing it. Giving it a shot." Even if I have no idea what I'm doing... When Raith asked if she needed him in there, her tail, visible from under the door, flinched, and shivered a bit. "I'm fine," she said with a huff again. Geez, why's he doing that, getting me so riled up? You'd think he'd be satisfied with my reactions up to now, but he keeps pushing... Makin sighed to try and cool herself off, and took her armor off, staring at the dress and blouse. "I guess... Hmmm... This, goes... But, then how... My arm... Here? ..." Raith could probably hear her struggles through the door, but she didn't ask him for help; she wouldn't dare embarrass herself that much more than she was, already. After a lot of struggling, some grunting, and some cursing, Makin finally opened the door, and slid out in front of Raith. Despite confusion, she'd managed to get herself into the dress, and get the blouse on over that. She held her arms in front of her chest, and looked down, occasionally glancing up at him.

"H-How... How does it look?" As one may have been surprised to find out (clearly), Makin didn't have much free time for dresses; frilly things; girly clothes. Living in the harsh climate of the desert, spending her youth training and finally joining a mercenary group... Side trips like shopping for clothes happened once in a blue moon, and having never told Gerrod how she felt, nor ever gotten involved with anyone, well. This was the first chance she'd had, in her twenty nine years of life, to actually wear clothes for both herself, and for someone else. She was ecstatic, embarrassed, worried, but most of all, hoping that she'd managed to get the clothes on properly. So here she was! Standing in front of Raith in a dress. The most difficult thing she'd ever had to do.

Change of Tone

"Haha, you're not that fragile. And I'm definitely not that strong! Besides, I'd hate myself if I ever squeezed too hard. Don't worry so much, I never will." He figured she was joking, but still. He turned a bit red himself, as she spoke. "Caring tends to be what I do best, even above fighting. Like so." He said, as he started pushing Valha over towards Lanos. "You're just going to wave, even if he's going to go and fight that monster of a man?" Luckily for Ingverd, Lanos started walking back over. "She was incredible, wasn't she, Lanos? Here, give her some more support, eh?" He gave Valha a light shove, but it would've been enough to do what he had intended to do. That being, shove her into a hug with Lanos. The poor kid... Doesn't he get that she wants to share, by now? Honestly... Ingverd sighed, and thought to himself for a moment, wondering if he was really alright with the whole sharing thing. I mean... I can't see it as a problem, really. She isn't the jealous type, I don't think. Just depends on that Lanos. He smirked, wondering what his little antics would cause.

Change of Place

Vriska placed a hand on her chin and looked about the wall as Maja spoke, wondering if vaulting it would really be that easy. It was pretty high, even with a running start... But! Hey! Look over there! "Perfect." Vriska rushed over and stuck her foot out, and pushed up. She was pushing herself up on a brick that had been laid improperly around the side of the wall, and it made for an excellent foothold to getting over the fence. The only problem was... "Uhm.. I-I..." Vriska reached and reeeached... "I'm too short... Push me!" she hastilly commanded Maja. "I'll pull you up once I get on top of the wall."

And Inside...

The water had started to boil for the tea, the magical flame underneath the kettle starting to work itself. "For us? Well... I guess I should start answering your questions, then..." She leaned onto the counter and sighed, trying to get herself into the right state of mind to talk about this without falling too deep into her emotions. "You... And Sophia," she added, swiftly, "were both found dead in your manse. There were wine glasses on the table, and, from a quick examination of you and some testing of the wine, it seemed like you'd both been poisoned." She shivered. "Marius had guards search the house and the town for anything, but... Wh-When they searched your office, they found these... Intricate, detailed, dated plans to put a similar poison in the water supply leading down into the Lower Rung." She had to stop herself to wipe away some tears. This was getting to be a bit much for her. "I-It wasn't looking like murder, anymore, and... Well... There was a note, left by Sophia. Or at least, it was in her hand writing." Iuliana looked at Kadin for a moment, but had to turn herself around and hug herself to keep talking without bursting into tears again.

"It explained how she couldn't let you go through with it. How she had plans to kill you while you still had some dignity left. And... I suppose it was too much for her. She'd written about, taking her life after yours..." Iuliana choked up at that moment, and felt herself crying again, placing hands on her face and stopping them, just enough to say, "I'm sorry... I don't think I can talk about this anymore... It's too much." She squeezed those words out before softly crying again, placing a hand over her mouth to quiet herself. She was breaking up, but she couldn't imagine how Kadin felt hearing all of this.

Change of Pace

Isabelle snickered again, this time at 'book-learnin'', which she considered to be the funniest thing she'd heard in a good few years. She sighed to relinquish her laughter, stepping into the changing area for the sauna, the horse still in tow. "It's a shame that your parents died. But at least you learned how to take care of yourself. Better that way than left to starve and die off," she said, with a hint of bitterness in her tone. "Ah, well... No matter." She donned her towel after removing her clothes. "I'm a merchant, by trade and choice. I find an odd satisfaction with gathering rare trinkets and weapons. Finding out where they came from, how they were made, who owned them... Those sorts of things."

Isabelle wandered over to the door, waiting a moment. "And joining with this group has proven alright, for the time being. I might leave, depending on how the next excursion goes. But for now, I've gotten to see some new weapons, and deal with a rather annoying merchant, so it hasn't been a complete loss. What about you? You said it was a poor drunk decision, but was that all?" Isabelle smirked, and wandered herself into the sauna, sighing immediately. "That heat feels nice..." She took a seat on one of the benches, shivering as she places her back up against the hot wood wall of the room. "Ooohhh, that tingles. Might burn if I lean for too long, but for now, it's fine..."

Change of Case

"Last one, eh?" Burke asked, pulling Quincy's axe up for the elf. "Did some work on it, should be a lot sharper now, 'n cut through stuff better. Didn't fiddle with the magic attached to it, don' worry. It'll still swing real fast like. Have a good one-- Oh, the rest of yer payment." Burke had almost forgot.

Edited January 2, 2015 by I have opinions

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall remained watching the events in the arena unfold, but he did get up and begin to stretch himself out. After all, he expected that he'd be the next one challenging the arena after this last fight with Marius ended. Maybe this time he'd get to fight Marius?

[Vestige]

She says she's fine, but I'm actually not so sure about that... Though he had previously offered her assistance in jest, he was starting to wonder if maybe he should ask her again. But then he thought about it, and from the way things sounded on the other side of that door, he figured that perhaps it was in his best interest to just let the natural course run through. After the door finally opened, Raith lazily turned over to give Makin just a "passing" glance. But even he couldn't hold his cool. Looking at her nervously slither over and present herself to him--it was too much. He stood up with a bit of a goofy grin on his face, just taking the moment to really look at the woman standing before him. To put it in simple terms, he could see that it had been a battle hard fought, and a victory well earned.

"I, uh. That's... Wow," he finally said, placing a hand upon his chin. "That is definitely going to take some getting used to," he said, and a disconcerting silence following suit. Probably not what she wanted to hear after her grand struggle, but if he just started handing out compliments like candy, he'd have to keep thinking of more intricate ways to make her heart flutter (at least, that's what he'd convinced himself). That was no easy feat, especially when the woman standing before him warranted getting compliments by the minute. He had to restrain himself though--build up a bit of suspense. "Yeah, no," he said, shrugging, and shaking his head, followed suit by yet another pause. But finally, he took in a big breath and started to smile even more than before, "I just don't know if I'm going to be able to handle walking around with you dressed like this, and not have to look over at you every five seconds. The first time I saw you, you were all armored up, and I thought you looked amazing in that. Amazing wouldn't even begin to describe what you look like now," he laughed, his mind having been almost completely taken off of his earlier troubles. "You say you haven't really been able to go shopping? We should go every time we're in the city," he said in earnest. He leaned in a bit, and whispered a word of thanks in her ear, "I don't know if anyone's ever told you this, but take it from me, you're a wonderful person." And then he leaned back, taking one last look at her, and placed a light kiss on her lips.

"And to think, you've been hiding under that armor of yours for so long. I feel bad for all the people who didn't get a chance to see you like this," he said, chuckling. Maybe... maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. It was clear that she was trying a lot, for herself, but also for him. The least he could do was put the same amount of effort in, and maybe things would work out for them. He hoped it would be as easy as that, at least.

[Xinnidy]

"Oh, gotcha!" Maja took Vriska by thigh and foot to help her reach the top of the wall, letting go only once Vriska seemed balanced enough. She stepped on the brick as well, raising her hand to wait for Vriska to help her up as well... but noticed she could barely reach the top with her hands. "Go ahead and check the path, I'm climbing." With a hop, she gripped the other side of the wall, and then threw her leg over as well, quickly managing her weight across. It was almost as if she was used to this.

-------

Kadin stared intently as Iuliana told of his death. One could say it was surreal to be told of their own death, but Kadin had already spent countless days as a ghost, with memories shattered. He braced himself to learn the truth, clasping his hands and resting his chin. Kadin was determined to learn the truth.

It wasn't nearly enough preparation.

As Iuliana's emotions slowly couldn't be held inside, so did Kadin become shaken, both by Iuliana's state but by the accusations he heard of himself. Hearing of his own plans was grim enough to have the ghost leaning on the chair, but when Iuliana spoke of the note...

"What!?" Kadin jumped off the chair in a moment, bewildered. It was just beyond any dream of his. "Sophia took my life and her own? No... no way, this is absurd! This is absurd!!" He had to turn his head to the floor, he'd begun to tear up as well, though his emotions had taken a turn to the bitter. He brought himself to think of Sophia's face again, her blue eyes staring at him... bittersweet memories intensified by what he was feeling. What did this mean? Did he really plan to poison a third of Felson? She... she couldn't have. It's Sophia, why would she do that? Was she being framed, or did I... He collapsed on the chair he just stood up from, hands covering his face. He felt his being sink. The worst of all being his uncertainty, unknowing whether he should feel guilt or bitterness. Feeling both was awful enough.

His thoughts were eventually broken by Iuliana's sobbing and broken phrase. Though his consciousness overwhelmed him with thoughts of his past, he slowly brought himself up, and close to the counter. "Iuliana... yes, that's enough for now. Thank you again... this is definitely important. There's still much I need to remember, but I am ever grateful you are strong enough to tell me all of this."

[eclipse]

Meredith had an unusually dopey smile (even for her!) on her face as she walked down the street towards one of her favorite clothing merchants. "We're here~!" she announced happily, before taking a closer look at Sonia, followed by the clothes on display, almost all which were for men. "Uh, if you don't mind clothes that are more functional than stylish," she continued, shooting Sonia a sheepish look. At least Angus will be right at home in here. I am, too, but that's because frills are for maids, not guards.

[riariadne]

"Hey!" Valha muttered when Ingverd pushed her towards Lanos, but she thought over his words and recognized his intentions, and wrapped her arms around her fellow harpy. Ingverd, what am I gonna do with you... "Thanks, Lanos... you're goin' out there too? I know you can do it." After a moment, she let go of him and handed him the sword he leant her, then after a moment the red blade as well. "Call it thanks for everythin', yeah? I don't need it. Besides, you should have it, sorta... from a councilman to a councilman's son."

[Oersted]

"Huh, wait what?" was Lanos' only response as Valha was suddenly shoved at and then hugged him. He managed to hug her back despite his confusion at what was happening. "Yeah, I told him I'd rematch him and I intend to keep my word. And thanks for the vote of confidence." He gladly took his sword back but was going to object to receiving Marius sword as well, but Valha said she didn't need it and he wasn't going to turn down her gift. "Thanks that... means a lot." He turned to leave and headed for the arena but just before he entered he turned around. "I'd really like it if you both watched my match, it'd be all the more reason to win." And with that he walked into the arena.

Marius was still there, surprisingly; Lanos thought he'd be back in the stands by now. He noticed the lance in Marius' hands and regretted not making time to read his book earlier. "You ready for a rematch?" he asked as his hand rested on the hilt the Slayer. Using it now lost some of the meaning (fighting each other with their best weapon) but there wasn't a reason not to use it. The other option was the Red Rust Sword but that just seemed rude.

Edited December 30, 2014 by Oersted

[Nanami Touko]

Worry

Makin stood there, wondering immediately over his words. Take some getting used to? What's that supposed to mean? Hey... Hey, come on, say something else! She looked up at him during the silence, not sure how to react. She felt herself shrinking somewhat, perhaps to dart back into the changing room and hide herself behind her armor again.

"Yeah, no."

Huh? She looked straight at him, carrying a clearly worried expression. So this does look stupid... I can't look cute, huh? Haha, should've just stuck to the armor, it's been way too long. Like I could pull a dress like this off... She turned to go change--

"I just don't know if I'm going to be able to handle walking around with you dressed like this, and not have to look over at you every five seconds..."

She stopped, and listened. It seemed Raith had just been laying it on to try and tease her. Again. She sighed, and turned back around, pouting. But he'd suddenly gotten so close. She froze up, not really sure how to react. Without all that armor on, she felt rather vulnerable. This guy... Why does his get such excitement out of teasing me like this? Oh, he's going to... She tried her best to kiss him back, not wanting to seem scared. That would probably make him feel bad, and worse, open her up to even more teasing. Even so, as much as she didn't like this sort of teasing, he really was making up for it with what he was saying. But she couldn't just let him get away with it that easily. "You know, I'm going to actually get mad, if you keep this up. I show you my least confident side, and you take it as a chance to play with my emotions." She huffed gave him a playful slap, something that couldn't even be considered painful. She looked mad, but between that and her red face, he probably wouldn't take her that seriously. Come on, Makin...

"You can't keep doing that all the time, Raith," she said, in a more calm tone. "You'll make me think you're serious one time, you know? This is still... Us... I'm happy about it and I want it to happen, but it's a lot of things for me to worry about, especially this. So... Take it easy on me, please." She tried her best to look serious, looking between him and what she was wearing. "If... You really do think this looks fine, then I'll get it. And, I'll wear it for you whenever you want. Just, don't tease me like that. Not so soon."

Intuition

Ingverd couldn't help but laugh at the scene of the two awkwardly hugging each other, even if it had been his fault. "You two... You know, Valha, you might be in your twenties, but you're still like a kid sometimes, you know?" He couldn't say the same to Lanos; he still was a kid, all things considered. Maybe that's why he was having such a hard time with all of this. Ingverd shrugged, and took Valha's hand (claw?) to take her back to the stands to watch. "We will, Lanos. Beat him for me, yeah? He's tough, but you should be able to handle it." He gave the bird a thumbs up, starting to take Valha back to the stands. "What do you think? Think he can handle it? I think he can, but that Marius, he's sly. After being bested by you so easily, he might try to change things up..." Ingverd began to wonder if that was all Marius had to offer. Even during his fight, he felt like he shouldn't have been out-speeding him that much. Someone with the responsibility of holding the town's guard together, shouldn't they be tougher than that? It was just a feeling he had. It wasn't like it mattered, either. From all the grandstanding that Marius had been doing whenever he lost or won a match, this whole thing was probably more of a show than a competition.

At least the stands had emptied out a bit after Valha's match. Seems most people were either unimpressed by the town guard, or didn't want to see a harpy fighting like that. Hmm, disappointing. Ingverd had expected a bit better from the upper rung, but having heard some of that talk on his way back to his seat ("How could Marius let himself get beaten by one of them?" "I heard he sympathizes with that lot..." "Go back to your slums, vermin..."), and seeing that many people leave over it, he couldn't help but feel a bit disgusted. Well, I guess they're just surprised to see this little race they keep talking down kick their precious town guard squarely in the ass. Maybe it'll change their tones a bit. He felt a bit smug, thinking that way, but it didn't feel wrong.

In the ring, no such comments could be heard. There was just Marius smiling, and eying up that sword. Hmmm... "I've got a proposition for you, Lanos." He lowered his lance, and walked a bit closer. "This isn't going to be as impressive if I hold back as much as I have been. Your friend, Valha I think she said; she's shown me that. Your group's far too strong for me to fight like this... So how about, I stop holding back so much? I don't have my weapons anymore, so I think you should be able to handle it. And if you win, I'll double your reward. How's that sound?" He smirked, hoping he'd be able to flex some muscle. These people, they were incredibly tough...

Serious

Vriska felt a bit embarrassed to be touched where she was but whatever! She had to make it up that wall, and with her lack of height, that wasn't going to happen. So when she stabilized herself on top of the wall, she lowered her arm immediately to help Maja-- "Hey!" She was already climbing up, and had made it almost right away. "How'd you... Never mind, that doesn't matter. Let's go." Hopping off the wall was a lot easier than climbing it. So she managed to pull her legs over the wall and land without much trouble. "I'm kinda surprised there's no guards, but... Well, let's not look a gift horse in the mouth. Come on." She started to make her way around the house, looking for an open window or door.

Iuliana flinched and looked back at Kadin, a bit scared by his sudden outburst. "Kadin, please..." It was an expected and appropriate response to hearing something like that, but she still wanted to try and have him keep his cool. "This is just all I've heard. I don't think it's true at all, so... I'll do what I can to try and look back into this. I refuse to believe that someone like you could have ever tried to commit such a genocide... And, Sophia... Even... Even if I was jealous," she blurted out, "I never thought she was someone capable of something like that." She'd managed to contain herself, trying to take her thoughts far and away from all she'd said. "Let's... How about we just try to catch up, alright? Talk about happy things..."

Shopping Continues!

"Hey, Meredith, welcome!" Clarine spoke up, as the woman and some of her apparent friends walked in. "What can I help you find today?" She was surprised that Meredith was actually walking around with so many people... She never seemed like the socializing kind, from all the interactions she'd had, selling her things. Oh well.