Masquerade Part 2: Army of Darkness

[Vestige]

Raith cursed his own misfortune. He should have offered to make it up to her, with the caveat that his 'make-up gift' wouldn't have anything to do with fighting. In retrospect, it should have been obvious that that would have been what she wanted, the battle hardened warrior woman that she was. Too late for that now, he supposed. "Always with the fighting with you, gods, it's like you enjoy watching me get beaten," he sighed, shaking his head. A promise was a promise though, so he couldn't go back on his word now. He'd just have to make a reminder for himself for the next time he found himself offering apologies. Still, he figured he could at least try to make her reconsider--for his sake. "Are you sure you don't want like... flowers instead? Or how about you watch me do some healing? I can do that too y'know! It's uh, it's pretty interesting to watch. Not much of a spectator sport but hey... " he offered meekly. But when he turned to look at her, hoping for some form of sympathy, he saw that she was already half way out the door, beckoning him to hurry up and come outside. Well then. "Fine," he mumbled, "to the arena we go... " he said, wincing as he spoke the words.

"We're not seeing me fight. You're seeing me fight. I'm the one whose going to be doing the fighting," he explained, jogging after her. "Which, I am totally okay with, because I absolutely love fighting!" he said, after seeing the spring in her step (or rather, spring in her slither?). He didn't want to dampen the mood, after all. Someone, just kill me now... "Hey uh, actually, before we go, I need to go and get something real quick," he said, making a mad dash to the nearest store. What he needed was some insurance. The last time he'd been to the arena, he'd been walled by that gigantic tin man and his bone crusher (which was supposed to double as an axe or something). Most large cities had a couple of vendor's selling magical items, and hopefully that would be what he needed. The magic was potent enough to provide a little boost, and most items were quite small in scale, so they wouldn't get in the way of fighting. "Hey, uh, I need some magical items and stuff, something for fighting in the arena?" he said to the owner, hastily looking around for something that would suit his needs. Oh man, and I need to go back to the inn and get my weapons and stuff. I should invest in a horse... "Hey uh, you wouldn't happen to have a spare horse I could borrow would you?" he added in jest.

Edited January 1, 2015 by Vestige

[Juliette]

"Thank you, madame," Heather spoke to the shopkeeper before placing her gold on the counter. "I'm interested because it sounds interesting, simply enough. You don't see many people headed for the tundra as summer swiftly approaches, and I like to hear stories of these far travels. Were you all off together before, trying to explore the mysteries of the mountains? Or perhaps you have enchanting tales to spin of the elven woods so far away?" The elf laughed to herself, as if the notion was entirely ridiculous. "So of course I like to hear stories. I used to do a lot of traveling in those woods, naturally, as most elves have. You look somewhat elvish yourself, no? Full, half?"

[Nanami Touko]

Enjoyment

"I do like watching you fight. You're good at it, and it's a nice show. I get to see you sweat, flex those muscles, get beat up..." Makin was starting to lose herself in a rather private, embarrassing, and probably terrible daydream, so before she could start smiling and thinking about it, she slapped herself out of it, shaking her head and flushing red. "A-Anyway! Just, do that to make up for all the teasing. I'm sure you can handle it. You love fighting, and you'll have me watching, after all. That's better than any good luck charm~" She winked at him, but it seemed Raith was still a bit worried about fighting. So much so that he had to go and get himself something to help it. "What do you need?" She slid after him, wondering what he needed-- Oh, Gods, he doesn't even have his weapons. Ahahaha~ Makin's mental laughter escaped and she giggled a bit, as he rushed into a store.

The store was interesting, at least. Lots of magical doodads hanging around here and there. Makin began to look at some of them, as Raith made his way over to the counter. The woman behind the counter, a portly older looking woman with a bun in her hair, turned around and looked Raith over. "You need this, da. Go next door after. Trevor will take care of rest." She spoke with a bit of an accent, and placed a ring on the table, a ring that seemed to hold some sort of magic. "Is good for muscles. Make strong. Keep wife happy." She glanced at Makin as she said that, cocking an eyebrow at Raith, but otherwise keeping a stone face. "Seventeen hundred gold. Put on table, go next door, see Trevor."

Makin hadn't really been paying much attention to the conversation (luckily) and was most fascinated by some of the necklaces on display, but... Well, they were probably all magical, and thus, way too expensive. She'd go to a regular jewelry store if she wanted any. She looked over and saw the item on the counter, looking at Raith. "Is that what you were looking for? Looks like an energy ring. Supposed to make you stronger. You're not saying you need that, do you, Raith?" She asked with a coy smile, almost giggling.

"ALSO!" the women spoke up, loudly, causing Makin to jump. "Trevor will help horse problem. Speak to him, ask. Da, he has solution." Makin looked rather confused, but didn't question it.

Disdain

"Valha!" Ingverd said with a stern voice, grabbing her wrist and lowering her weapon. He was always impressed by her bravado, but sometimes he wondered just how far she was willing to take it. That mage was not to be trifled with, and despite agreeing with her feelings, she didn't have to push them far enough to get herself killed. "I do have to agree though, Marius. How does someone like that end up on the council? I've met two of you; you both seemed like rather decent people. I'm shocked and rather appalled that someone like that is there." Lanos showed up as he asked his question, with concern for all of them. That was nice to hear. "Yeah, we're fine, for the most part."

Marius sighed, and brought a hand to his head. This was going to be tough for them to swallow, probably. A small part of him wondered why he cared so much about this seemingly random group of mercenaries, but they were the first group to give him a good fight in such a long time, and he did have ties to their boss' teacher. He owed them this much, at least. "Laurentius is a genius... When it comes to magic, that is. He's always been skilled, and though he is but a young adult, he has mastery over Anima that I haven't seen in my entire life, and that hasn't been recorded for centuries. Honestly, that's all of why he's part of the council. He's a skilled mage and when it comes to the citizens of Felson, he deeply and truly does care..."

He grumbled a bit and turned to face the mercenaries fully. "The problem is with his maturity. He's stubborn, and not in an endearing way. He thinks that kicking all of you out," he nodded to Valha, "is the only way to solve the problem. If he'd put that intelligence towards seeing it the way Cedric and I do, perhaps we'd all be able to come to a solution on things, but... He won't. He's never had an outburst like that though, so while his opinion has been troublesome, it's never caused any problems. He'll be punished for attacking a civilian like that, I promise you. Now, Lanos! How about we get back to our match, and let everyone settle themselves back into their seats. You know that I, for one, don't care what race you are. I'll give you a fair fight, no matter what." He smiled and laughed a bit, moving back into the ring.

Ingverd was still a bit put off by that, explanation or not. It didn't seem right that someone so prejudiced could remain on the council, even if they were a master of magics. That shouldn't be something that matters... Cares about the citizens, pfeh. Yeah, sure. The disdain was evident on the elf's face, as he took a few steps away from Valha. "Ahhh... I need to go get some fresh air. It suddenly smells terrible in here..." he muttered. "Come and get me when you're all done fighting, alright?" He grunted, and walked out at a brisk pace, stuffing his hands into his pockets. This is all sorts of messed up.

[riariadne]

"But... that's horrible," Valha muttered bluntly. "Someone who's a genius but would dismiss so much of the city in some misguided sense of justice is not fit to rule a city... bein' super amazin' at magic isn't a free pass for bein' so awful to us. I don't like it, not one bit he gets to have his way when that's his highest priority, just because he's all magical 'n pretentious." She said nothing as Ingverd left, staring at the arena floor away from both Marius and Lanos intently for a moment, then collapsed next to Tristram with a heavy sigh.

"Thanks for standin' up for me, Trist," she told him quietly. "I've got mixed feelings about this return trip... I thought I'd try 'n make somethin' out of bein' back home, but all this place's problems are still here 'n they're not gonna get any better the way things are. It's funny... yesterday I was sayin' how Felson needed somethin' totally new 'n I could fix everythin' by bein' a Queen, then I met Cedric 'n Marius today 'n I thought it might just be a rough spot, but now I met this Laurentius, 'n Marius's reason he gets to be on the council was horrible. What does bein' good at magic have to do with decidin' what's best for a city full of thousands of people? They're entirely unrelated, 'n now I think maybe it does need a big change in a big way... no, I don't know what to think."

[scorri]

Trist had mostly been watching the whole situation to see how Marius would handle it. He'd been impressed, but now he seemed to have a depressed harpy on his hands. He sighed and sat down, shaking his head. "It's complicated. He's put on the council because he has great skill and cares about his people. But then he turns around and treats an entire species like garbage because he views you as intruders. But at the same time... and don't get mad at me here, he's right in that the harpies arriving and filling the slums has hurt the city. I've been here before the harpies arrived and it was... different. Not perfect, but different. But how is that fair to you all? You fled your home looking for somewhere safe and instead get stuffed into squalor and are looked down upon and treated as second class citizens. Or, you're treated like some exotic animal that has the ability to speak and that's about it."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes. "There isn't an easy solution. You could force people to allow harpies to get jobs, force them to give up nicer homes, let the harpies have them. But that would just cause more hard feelings, more of a split. You could kick the harpies out, but that's not fair to you. But... Something needs to change. But it needs to start with the people. Someone becoming Queen or King and forcing equality won't change the feelings of the people. Somehow... somehow a bridge needs to be built. So maybe that's what you can do. Show everyone that humans and elves and harpies can all live peacefully together and work together. Show them that you're not trash, but rather you're someone that works hard and deserves respect. Show them who harpies are. Don't let them continue to just view your kind as animals."

[Vestige]

"The last time you were watching, I got pounded into the new year by Iron Woman: Metal Incarnate. Some good luck charm you turned out to be. I should find out if they give refunds," he said, giving her a soft pinch on the cheek. Before she could express her disatisfaction, he added in: "I'm just kidding, don't get all mad at me," he laughed, giving her a quick peck on the cheek to make up for his pinch. Well, I guess it'll be good practice before the mission. With any luck, it'll be uneeded practice. That castle will be totally empty , and we'll come back and get paid just for walking around. That'd be nice...

Inside the store, Makin had immediately busied herself browsing the shopes wares, while Raith waited for the store owner to bring him his requested items. "You're saying this Trevor guy has some more stuff? Hmm, alri--. Uh, I got... more gold... ahem," the woman's added comment caused him to choke on his words a bit. He quickly looked over to Makin, who was still innocently minding her own business. He let out a nervous cough, "You're a funny one, miss. Thanks though, I'll keep that bit of information in mind... " he said, counting out the gold and placing it on the counter. Compared to when he'd walked into the store, his pouch of gold felt close to empty. I should have just offered to buy her some earrings or something. Save myself some money, and the energy. Gods...

"An energy ring, huh? Yeah, I'd say you're right," he muttered, walking away from the counter. He examined the ring a little more closely, and could see an engraving etched onto the side, but the words looked so small, he couldn't make out what it said. For all he knew, it wasn't even in his language! "For me? Of course not," he scoffed, "It's for my opponent, c'mon Makin, have some faith. If I have you watching me, it's not going to be fair for the other contendors, y'know? Gotta help them out and even up the playing field a bit," he said, stuffing the ring in his pocket and giving her a wink. "C'mon, the sooner we're done here the sooner you can watch those sweaty bodies you seem to enjoy so much," he said, taking her by the hand and leading her out. "Thanks for the help," he called out, waving to the elderly woman.

This 'Trevor' fellows store was a bit dingier than the preceeding one. He couldn't tell if he was partnered with the other lady, or if they were rivals, or what. Why not just merge the shops? Eh actually, what the hell do I know about business? He walked up to the counter, and greeted who he assumed to be Trevor. "Um, excuse me, the wonderful lady next door sent me over here. I needed some stuff for fighting in the arena, and she handed me this," he said, pulling out the ring he'd bought, just moments before. "She said you had something else that would also help?" he asked, "also, I have a bit of a 'horse problem' that she said you could help out with," he said, warily.

[riariadne]

"But that's-" Valha started angrily before he explained himself. "Maybe... but, there were still problems, 'n it's not our fault we had to come here. This is the only big place near Griberge 'n we were driven out of there by the wyverns, it's just comin' here didn't help us at all. People here care about us around as much as your typical wyvern would anyway. Besides, I still don't see why him bein' all magicky is related to him knowin' how to run a city- just because you're amazin' at one doesn't mean anythin' about the other, so him gettin' to be on the council just for that is horrid. Cares about people... I don't buy it one bit, if he cares so little about harpies. We're people too, whether or not he likes it, 'n about a third of the city. Kickin' us out now would do more harm than good, 'n even he should know that."

The small harpy began to pick at some of her feathers- as well done as the healing was, the mess her wings were in after fighting persisted. "People just don't want to accept us... you heard 'em, didn't you? Even when I showed I was just as good as 'em fightin', they started insultin' me 'n sayin' there's no way I could do that for real. Nobody cared when I got called vermin, nobody said a thing when Laurentius attacked me 'n just got out of the way. What if Marius hadn't stepped in 'n he really did floor me with that spell? I doubt anyone would've lent me a hand. They either don't care about whether we live or die, or they do care 'n just hate us. Harpies who try 'n bring up the problems we have get laughed off because, 'n even others are just called sympathizers 'n aren't listened to." Valha accidentally pulled out a feather in her rant, yelping, then looking at it and letting it fall, watching its descent to the ground. "All of it over wings. Because we're feathery, 'n do bird things because it's how we are. That's unnatural to them, or horrible, or whatever, 'n there's not a damn thing we can do about it but resent people. Buildin' a bridge sounds nice, but they'll just burn it down as we try. It's so damn frustratin'! We have nothin', 'n people still want to try 'n take more from us still! I wanna do somethin' to make real progress, but everywhere I look it feels like there's no way out."

Edited January 1, 2015 by Reinfleche

[scorri]

Trist listened to her ranting and sighed. "I know things weren't perfect here before and that you guys had no better option. I'm not blaming you guys here, don't worry. But... you gotta keep in mind, other people who have lived here their whole lives might look at it different. Far as they're concerned you just came in and plopped down in their city without asking them or anything. So they get upset because you're taking over their city, even though all you guys want to do is live peaceful. From what they see, you could push them out, especially with how many of you there are. As for magic and the council... You need all sorts of folk to rule a city. You need someone who can take care of the guards. That'd be Marius. You need someone who takes care of food and stuff, someone who takes care of the houses buildings and those sort of things. And... you need people who are book smart and connected to mages and that sort of thing. Think about it. You saw what he just did with that ice spell. Imagine what he could do if there was a drought. Or if there were fires that needed to be fought. Maybe he helps put order to the mages of the city, helps with schooling or something like that. His skill at magic can maybe help him see all sorts of possibilities of using magic to help the city. As for caring... Well, you hit on it later. He cares about the people that he views as important. Humans, and other... what he'd probably term non-'monster' people."

Rubbing his eyes, he shook his head. "People... people are flawed. Sometimes... they see problems, like the slums, or war or famine, or what have you, and they look for someone to blame. And... it's safer, easier, to blame someone that's not like you." He rubbed a hand over his pointed ear and shook his head. "Who knows, if it wasn't for harpies being around, maybe it'd be elves getting blamed. People naturally will think better of people that they view as most similar to themselves. After all, they look at themselves and their neighbors, and they're doing fine. They have jobs and can support themselves. So the fact that the slums exist surely can't be their fault. So clearly it's that harpies are just some lower form of life that can't actually do anything good. Because if you were like them, then you'd be able to support yourself. This is of course, ignoring the fact that there are plenty of humans and elves who are poor and can't support themselves. And that there are harpies who are doing well and have a job, like yourself. People don't like to change. It's hard and uncomfortable and usually requires losing something along the way. So instead they stay the same. They hate and they view themselves as superior. But... Not everyone is like that. Some times people change." Sometimes, someone reaches out, takes someone in and saves their life... It'd been a while since he'd thought of the days when he'd been living on the streets, without a job, without a home. His master had taken him in and raised him, but he'd been one of the lucky ones. The slums here proved that.

[algae]

Oh, right, Meredith does look kind of elvish... Other than that, Sonia couldn't tell how serious the woman was being, especially after that laugh. "There isn't as much news coming out of the tundra as the woods, that seems like enough of a reason to travel there, right?"

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall heard and noticed quite a bit of stuff happening behind him in the stands. Among them were a powerful Anima Mage summoning up a dragon of pure water with a mere tome, which had Kendeall transfixed. He wanted something like that one day, especially if it got that stupid nerd Vriska put in her place.

After that, Kendeall just kind of left to the main gate of the arena; after all, he had to get ready soon if he was going to fight in the arena again. Plus, he didn't have much interest in the conversation that happened after that whole incident. Especially since he didn't get to know the name of that tome... Maybe he'd ask Ingverd later, if he knew.

[Oersted]

"That's good," Lanos said, allowing himself a sigh of relief. Like Valha, he wondered how someone like Laurentius could be on the same council as Marius and his father; he was their opposite in both how he acted and what he thought about Harpies. And it seemed like the citizens shared his feelings in that regard. He could see why Cedric had estimated it would be at least ten years before he had a chance of being on the council. It was more than a little discouraging and he could feel any optimism he had about the state of Felson fade away. It sapped his will to fight too, but he didn't want to disappoint Marius, especially after saying what he had. So grinned he back at the man. He looked back at Valha before heading back into the ring, she was taking it way harder than he was and once again he felt like he couldn't do anything to help. It really sucked. With a frustrated sigh directed at himself he hopped back into the ring and made his way to the center where Marius was waiting.

[Sandalphon]

Vesta pretended to ignore the sniggers even if they got under her skin a little. She always had trouble dealing with those on higher on the echelons of society which was always difficult for her, as her experiences with the upper class mostly revolved around shanking them and relieving them of their wealth (which she considered a rudimentary form of redistribution of the wealth, which was obviously good economics. Just doin' her part for the country, yup).

"Ya sound kinda embittered there. If I was less etiquette savvy would ask about this sorta- sort of thing. Prod around and all." She said, waving a hand. "Still, wish my education had been more rounded. Turns out bandits ain't exactly the most personable folks which tends ta leave the 'people skills' department kind- kind of lacking." She said, averting her eyes and turning slightly pink as she threw off the worn leather tunic she wore to cover her feminine bits and bobs. She hastily wrapped a clean, antiseptic smelling white towel around her torso. "That sounds mighty interesting." She muttered, even though that amount of investment in trinkets seemed as boring as watching grass grow. Vesta figured that it would be more useful to find the donkus who was willing to shell out the most cash for them than it was to know who made them.

"Eh, you know how it is. You're drunk, you see a pretty face and your hormones drive you to say 'YES PLEASE' before you even know what's goin' on," She laughed. "Nothin' in there I tell ya." She added, rapping a knuckle against her skull. "Still, guess breaking heads open for a reason will be a good change of pace..."

She clumsily wrestled with getting equine anatomy to cooperate with the bench for a while, but finally she managed to sit in a way that was not terribly uncomfortable. She poured some lemon-scented water onto the stones in the middle of the cramped cabin, causing a cloud of perfumed vapours to form. "don't want you burnin' your precious rumpus, Miss Isabelle. Be careful."

Edited January 2, 2015 by scolipede

[Xinnidy]

"Yeah... maybe it's because there's already that many guards at the entrance?" Maja surprisingly tried to make sense of things. "Hum, maybe the house has a secret entrance!" It didn't last long. "Or we can find another brick to step on..." She examined the house's walls as she followed Vriska.

Kadin sighed. He let his emotions burst at the moment, but then it came to him how disturbed Iuliana also was. Despite thinking of making an apology, Kadin took slow, deep breaths, and looked at the floor, collecting his thoughts. He didn't quite know what to make still. Something about Iuliana's comments felt off to him, but he couldn't quite put what, in his state. "I can't believe I'd attempt something like that myself. I've seen harpies, I've been to the lower rung, but I recall no sentiment like that." He rationalized, but could only bear so much against Iuliana's plight. "I... yes, let's talk about something else. Though I can't say I have that much to tell you... with how ethereal I've been, you could always ask." Kadin brought himself to have a soft smirk. Maybe it was an odd time to make light of his death, he wondered when he became so jaded about it. Probably thanks to all these sleepless nights. I hope this isn't taking the humanity out of me. "You start. How have things been since then?"

Edited January 2, 2015 by Xinnia

[Nanami Touko]

Watching

"For them, sure. Getting presents for the arena people. I'll buy it." She stuck her tongue out at him over that. At least she didn't mind this level of teasing. It was almost appreciated. Almost. But if he was confident about himself, enough to make jokes like that, then Makin would surely enjoy the show. But, would Raith be up to it even with these magical trinkets? She had a small pang of worry. She wanted to see him fight, even see him get ruffed up a bit, but she didn't want him smashed into the arena's floor. Especially that Havel fellow. His club was huge, and if he swung it properly... A crunching noise resounded in Makin's head, and that sliver of a worry resounded into something far worse. She had to shake it off, though! He was tough, he knew how to fight, and she was even the one who'd asked him to do this! It'd sound pretty stupid if she suddenly stopped him and asked for some flowers, or something. "G-Geez, shut uuuup. I shouldn't have let myself daydream like that, ugh." And now she was embarrassed all over again. At least it was helping to mask the fear.

So she swallowed that fear and went into this Trevor's shop, alongside Raith. There were... Actual, reasonably priced jewelry hanging about on some shelves, and she was definitely tempted to pick up some of the earrings... But would they look good next to her scales? Was armor and high fashion a good combination? She froze over the earrings and entered a state of deep thought, placing a hand on her chin and losing herself.

Trevor, in comparison to Marcy, was a stick of a man, though obviously an adult. He had a scraggly beard, some bags under his eyes, and a mop of short brown hair to go along with the tired look he was giving, even if he was managing a smile. "Oi, hello there," he said, happily. "Come on over from Marcy's, aye? Gave you an energy ring. Well, I've got you a bracer here to go along with it, should've give you a wee bit o' defense. Magically enchanted gear always tends to. You can wear it on or under yer own armor, it'll do you wonders. That's a promise." He smiled confidently and slid the object onto the counter. "I'll charge you one thousand gold pieces for it. Magic equipment's tough to come across. That's a promise too. Sorry 'bout the expense. But I'm glad y'came in. Marcy's always sending customers over here after they shop there. I really appreciate the traffic. She's a nice lady, even if she doesn't seem like it."

But, horse problems. He hadn't heard that one before. But Marcy had said he could help with it? He had to think for a moment, but he couldn't think of any horse related problems he could solve... "Well. I don't know about horse problems, but, I do have somethin' relatin' to mounts." He ducked down behind the counter and searched around for about a minute, shuffling boxes and the like out of the way, before coming up with a tiny flute. "This here's a dragon flute. Makes a loud pitch, only they can hear it, and such. Shouldn't be draggin' nothin' down from the mountains, it doesn't go that far. Then again, I s'pose this'd be useless, iffin you're askin' about horse problems, heh." He laughed awkwardly, wondering if he'd been any help at all.

Fight On

Marius watched the will to fight slowly drain from Lanos, and while it disappointed him greatly, he could understand why. Both him and that Valha, they must've been close. It'd be strange to see two harpies not living in the slums traveling together and not knowing each other, after all. Or at least, he thought so. But he held his head high, and got ready to fight, as Lanos seemed to find some sort of fighting spirit within him. "Come on, boy. Show me what you've got. Prove to the people still here that you're all worth keeping around." He smirked, hoping his provocation wouldn't be taken the wrong way, and then waited for a charge. Lanos gave him just that, slamming into him with his razor sword. He grunted, but held his ground, taking that chance to swing wide.

The cut was shallow, even if was across Lanos' chest. The bird came in for another swing, one that Marius hadn't been expecting! He moves fast, being so bulky...! He took it hard in the chest, and his knee buckled. But he shouted, and tensed his other leg, keeping himself standing, and using the adrenaline to slice up across Lanos's chest. They were both hurting pretty badly, at this point. The next hit would decide it, for either of them. "Come on, boy! Hit me!" He put up a defensive stance, and got ready to do his best to parry this next blow. Lanos charged in, and their swords clashed. Marius did his best to knock the blow away, but holding back as he was, he didn't have the strength to take it, and his sword was launched from his hands, Lanos' aimed straight at his chest. Marius huffed, and puffed, and gasped for breath, but his strained face slowly curled into a smile. "Hah... Hahaha... Hahahahaha!" He opened up a hearty laugh, and dropped his fighting stance.

"You're wonderful! Amazing! Magnificent! Truly, worthy of whatever your drive gets you. I'm proud of you, Lanos." He smiled wide, and then cheered at the arena. There was silence for a moment, silence that honestly disgusted Marius, but after that moment, small pockets of clapping began to ring out into the air, and someone cheered back. The arena erupted into cheers, despite what had happened before the fight. It seemed that, just maybe, the vocal ones were a minority. Marius sighed, and held that smile. "Speak to the man at the counter, Lanos. He'll give you your reward for winning this. And, here." He held the sword back out. "This is still yours. Thank you, for a wonderful fight."

Snark Off

Oh, is she getting testy with me? This'll be fun, hmhmhm. Isabelle let her little mental chuckle go as this Vesta made surprisingly snarky comments. Perhaps she wasn't put off by the air of superiority that Isabelle was definitely putting on. "Feel free to pry. You won't get anything out of me. Sometimes I can't stop the venom from getting out, but it isn't something I'm going to willingly discuss." She left that as that, and went on to more pressing matters. "It is 'mighty' interesting, Vesta. Even if I'm not much of a fighter, with my knowledge, I know pretty much every gimmick a weapon can have if someone tries to kill me. Not that I've expressedly made any real enemies, but I'm sure I've upset more than a few people. If they tried to get back at me, I think I could handle things." The perks of the job, she supposed.

"Ohhhh, so you're weak to pretty faces, hmm? Must be why you're being so nice to me... Don't tell me it was the snake, though. Those scales? Really..." She didn't hold very many positive feelings for the snake, especially after being chewed out for not being around for that fight on the plains. She didn't get why the snake had been so mad, having a carriage around while they were trying to sneak would've tipped them off almost immediately. She tossed that thought aside and stopped worrying about it. Instead, she focused her nose on that lovely smell. "Ohh, lemon in the water? Wonderful. This place is more high class than I'd thought. And don't you worry about my 'rumpus'. I take quite good care of myself." She smirked, and stretched a leg out, bending forward to try and reach her toes. Being six foot in height made that a bit difficult, but hey, it felt nice to stretch in the heat of the sauna.

Feelings

"Well, maybe there's a window, or something, so we can at least see what's going on. Come on." Vriska snuck around to the back with Maja in tow, wondering if they'd even see anything, window or not. There was a huge set of windows that seemed to peer into a kitchen like area, but would they... Yes, they would! "Here, Maja!" Vriska whispered immediately, getting low enough to just see inside, hoping that her mop of purple hair wouldn't get noticed with the shadows of the building hopefully hiding her.

Iuliana appreciated Kadin trying to calm down some. Things in the city, though... "Well, the upper rung had a parade the other week... I had to set up all the floats, and get the bands ready to perform on them. We had a rather picky elf playing the lute who had to have it tuned in such a way that it made the 'perfect melody' as he put it. It was a lot of trouble." She laughed a bit at that, wondering when the last time she'd been able to have small talk was. She also found herself walking closer to him, but she wasn't going to stop that. "And Marius and Laurentius, they've been at odds more, recently. Always arguing about what's right for the city, from their own perspectives. I can't stand that man, sometimes. Laurentius, that is. He's so stubborn. I wish he'd put his intelligence towards other things-- oh, right, uhm... Positive things. Sorry." She was right next to him by that point. "Well... There was a meteor shower, recently. It was quite beautiful to watch. There's this park in the upper rung, a rather large one, but it has this specific section where you can switch off the lamps. I managed to make it in time to watch, and... Well, it was wonderful. Nature really has a way of showing you what's nice in the world, even if you can't see it." She looked straight at him as she said that, and a quiver hit her lips. "S-Sorry, I..." She took another step forward, and pressed herself up against him. "You really don't understand how I've missed this. Talking, laughing, smiling... Being with you, I..." She bit that quivering lip to get it to stop. "I'm being selfish. Of course you know how it feels. You died. How could you not know what it feels like to miss those you love? But, I... I still..." I still wanted to see you again, so badly... So badly! Kadin...! She looked up at him again, and as much as she knew it was wrong, she felt herself pushing her face closer to his.

Vriska gasped slightly, wondering if this was going to be it! "Maja, close your eyes, you're too young to see this!" she joked, smiling.

Edited January 2, 2015 by I have opinions

[riariadne]

"It's just not fair... if you don't consider a third of the people in a city important, you've got no right to be makin' decisions for the good of the city," Valha reasoned. "We don't enjoy this... bein' the downtrodden, the ones everyone frowns upon, but people don't get it. We don't steal 'n kill because we like it, it's our only thing we can do, 'n nobles like him that sit around are just as much of a problem. I'm sure the amount of money someone like Laurentius wastes in a day could feed a family for a week, but they're selfish 'n hateful 'n think we love causin' problems for the hell of it! Listenin' to him was a joke, talkin' about how he thinks he knows anythin' about how things really are down there! Yeah I enjoy figtin' in the thrill of the moment, but if I could find somethin' better to than risk my life every job do you bet I would. I only steal when I gotta, or when it's from someone I know deserves it, 'n if I never had to I'd quit. But I do, 'n that's the life so many of us are forced to live."

She looked at him hesitantly before looming at the floor again. "I know it sucks for some of the people who were in the slums before that we probably worsened their situation, but does most of the city really even care? We don't get to go to the Upper Quarter too often, much less the Noble Quarter or even think about meetin' a councilman 'n tellin' them what's wrong straight from the source. As it is right now, the system's some sorta joke... stuck in a situation nobody can escape because some people want to have their own way, or couldn't even think about givin' up on indulgin' themselves a bit. No, it's all the harpies' fault, 'n that's the source of all the problems to them because they're either greedy bastards or ignorant of how life really is for us- even worse, sometimes they're both. This city deserves better... we deserve better. The humans 'n elves in the lower quarter deserve better, too, than a life of sufferin' because nobody can get their act together. I wanna wipe the smug looks of superiority off their faces..." She swiped her claws in the air in front of her, smirking. "But I just don't know. Too many problems..."

[scorri]

Trist frowned. "I never said it was fair. I know it's not. People are selfish some times and don't want to change just because other people want a better life for themselves. And you're right. This place does deserve better. You all deserve better than this." He hesitated and then slowly, gently, placed an arm around her shoulders. "You're right that trying to fight them all would just lead to more problems. But... Somehow, there has to be a solution. It's not going to happen today, or tomorrow, or maybe even in a year. But... Maybe we can start working towards one. You, Ingverd, Lanos, and me. Work together to try and turn Felson into a place where everyone can live together and be happy. Without a slum, without all of this hurt. It won't be easy. Forcing people to change never is. But something needs to be done. So lets work towards that, alright?"

He glanced back down at the arena just in time to spy Lanos finishing the battle. He took his arm back and gestured down towards the fight. "But for now, why don't we watch your friend show them that you weren't just a fluke and that harpies are worth respecting, alright?" As Lanos won, he clapped, hoping to fill some of the silence that was present at the end of the match. He glanced back at Valha, the frown still present on his face. She was right. Felson needed to change, and soon. Before a tragedy happened that would stain the city for all of history.

[Vestige]

He was chiding her over her choice of fantasy material, but his own material wasn't any better, especially now. He quietly laughed to himself, he definitely wasn't going to tip her off about that--she probably didn't want to know anyway. She'd probably die of embarrassment... He looked over at her, a soft smile on his face, but Makin had, once again, busied herself with the jewelry on display. From his vantage point, she seemed particularly enamored by a certain pair of earrings. He assumed this was her more 'girly' side that she had mentioned, indulging itself. Too bad for her, he couldn't particularly satisfy her cravings at the moment. For him, it was well past the point of no return, and there was no affording extra things now. He assumed (rightly so), that after this purchase, his coffers would be empty. Eh, maybe I'll come back after we return from Karstell--get a bit more coin in my pocket and all of that. First he had to survive his bout at the arena though.

He snapped his attention back to the counter, as Trevor came over to greet him. "A bracer, eh?" he picked up the brittle piece of armor, and slipped it over his arm. The fitting was a bit tight, but he'd be able to make do. He closed his eyes and tried to focus--there was definitely some magic involved. It wasn't a lot--less than the ring to be sure, but it was enough to serve some purpose in a fight. "Yeah, I guess I'll give it a go," he said, sliding the bracer off his arm; But when he heard the amount Trevor actually wanted from him, his gentle slide almost ended up with the bracer flying off the table. I definitely don't have the money for this... Maybe he was underestimating himself. Maybe he didn't need the bracer after all, and he'd be able to pull it off with just the ring. After all, the greatest offense is the best defense, right? Except under the weight of Tin Man's club... He sighed, pulled out his pouch, and began counting out the gold. "Yeah, that Marcy. What a lovely lady," he said. He was still apprehensive about her earlier comment. He stole a quick glance over at Makin, and then went back to rummaging in his pouch.

I ask for horses, and he gives me dragons. Sure, it wasn't the worst thing in the world. Afterall, Ophelia was definitely faster than a horse, but getting her to actually fly over would depend on her royal highness' mood. The chances of some flute calling her seemed rather grim. He didn't even know how to play the flute. The Hel do I look like, a bard? Though, that was a completely separate issue by itself. At the moment, he had something else to worry about. Nine-hundred and ninety-five gold. Whyyyyyyy? "Er, supposing I know how to fly a dragon, how much is it for that flute thing? And do I need to play a specific note, or like, how does it work? Can I get a refund on it if it doesn't work?" he asked, hammering away with the questions, one after the other. He hoped to get Trevor's focus off the gold. Maybe he'll let me off a bit. Or maybe he wont notice...

-:-

Meanwhile, in a place not so far away. A certain onyx colored dragon was circling above a certain arena. And in that certain arena, this certain dragon could see a certain mage summon a peculiar looking figure. This dragon could almost swear that that peculiar figure almost looked like her. But before the dragon could get a closer look, the peculiar figure vanished. The dragon could thereafter hear some particular words being spoken by some particular people. But then words weren't as interesting as the peculiar figure, so she got bored and flew away.

[Oersted]

Lanos panted as he struggled to stay on his feet until the healing magic worked it's, well, magic as he let the fact that he'd won sink in. Marius' praise was unexpected but gratefully accepted. "Th-Thanks." If he'd made one mistake during that fight he'd've lost, no question about it. The dead silence after his hard fought victory hurt but it wasn't like he hadn't expected it after earlier, it felt like his feat was being undermined and he couldn't help but feel a bit disgusted by their attitudes. But then they started clapping and cheering for him and he felt a bit of his faith in Felson's humans and elves restored. He took the sword and sheathed it. "Thank you for the challenge, when we come back I'd like to fight you without you having to hold back." He turned to leave but stopped himself, there was one more thing he wanted to say to the noble councilman. "And... thank you for protecting Valha."

He left the ring and found the man at the counter. He was awarded a scroll with basics tips on combat and a charm of sorts. He pocketed them, he'd use them later but right now he had more pressing concerns, like finding Ingverd. He found the elf and tapped him on his shoulder to get his attention, expecting him to be lost in thought about something after the way he left the stands. "Hey Ingverd, can we talk now?"

Edited January 2, 2015 by Oersted

[Nanami Touko]

Spare Change

"Oh, don't I know it! She's been real swell. Not much of a looker, but, she's got a heart o' gold. I practically owe 'er my business. Real glad I bought the shop next door." Trevor chuckled to himself, almost bragging about his good fortune. Meanwhile, Makin had finally decided that, yes, earrings worked just fine with armor! So she took the small, tear drop shaped jewels and wandered over to the counter where Raith was counting gold. He'd stopped abruptly and started talking about some whistle that the shop keep had provided.

"Huh, I've never seen one of those before," she casually said, as she set her purchase down on the counter and started fiddling for some more gold. "Hey, Raith, hurry up and buy your thing, eh? I want to get these." She tried to sound serious, as best as she could! It was still a bit embarrassing, but, whatever! She needed to start somewhere, so while she was out, and had already gotten a dress and a blouse, the earrings would come next!

Trevor smiled at the two of them, sighing a bit. "Oh, youth," he mumbled, as he looked at the earrings, and got a list out to check prices. He decided he could explain the whistle while he did. "Well, I'd never come across one either, but one day, well, it just seemed t'end up in me order! I opened a big ol' crate, and it was sitting on top. Not sure how it got there, quite honestly. I've tried it before, so I know it works-- and I washed it after; no worries, that's a promise!" A refund, though... Well... Hmmm... Ah, who cares. "You two can go ahead'n have it. I'm not sellin' it to no one else, and it's just been sittin' here, waitin' t'get picked up. I won't even charge ye for it, since you're bein' so kind as to buy somethin'! Go on an' take it. As for you, missy, the earrin's area one hundred gold."

Makin was a bit put off by the price, but, she figured, if they were authentic, it was a good enough price. "Never mind Raith, take your time. But, these are real, right?" she asked, as she took the amount out.

"They are, and that's a promise! The shop might be a wee bit run down, but nothin' in here's a fake." He smiled, and took her money, quickly counting over the man's as well. While Makin distracted herself with putting them on, Trevor's smile crinkled into a tiny frown. "Well, sir, seems you're five gold short."

"Five gold?" Makin asked, as she got one earring in. "That's nothing. Here." She placed five more tiny coins on the counter, going back to affix the other piece of jewelry.

"Well, problem solved, aye? Both of you have a good day."

Talking Time

Marius couldn't help but hold that smile, shaking his head. "It's my duty to protect all the city's citizens, even if they're just visiting, and whether or not they're human. I look forward to the two of you coming back to challenge me at full strength. I won't hold back!" He gave Lanos a thumbs up, and felt like he was a teenager again, making him laugh even more. What a wonderful day this had turned into! He let Lanos go, and waited for anymore challengers. He'd not be left bored with this group, as long as they were in town.

Meanwhile, Ingverd had been lost in thought. He'd been kicking himself, trying to get himself to go back inside and talk to Valha, but he couldn't. Part of it was embarrassment, part of it was not knowing what to say. He'd frozen, in the face of that magic; hesitated to make the move that would save her. If Marius hadn't jumped in the way... He shuddered; he didn't want to think about that! But he had to... He had to face that he'd been a coward, right in front of the person he kept saying he loved, all over some rotten shit of a mage. He couldn't forgive himself for that, and because of that, he didn't want to face Valha right now. She was probably more than upset by what had been said, and he didn't want her to have to help him with his problems while dealing with her own. He sighed, and felt himself crying, almost laughing at that. "Gods, what a weakling I am." He was taken out of his thoughts and solitude by a tap on his shoulder, quickly turning to see who it was, and wiping his eyes dry.

"O-Oh, hey," he choked out, clearing his throat. "Hey, Lanos. What's up? Don't worry about me. Just, thinking about things too much." He definitely didn't want to look weak in front of Lanos. He'd been playing the part of a big brother, he felt, so looking like that in front of him, man... That'd be a let down, for the both of them. He forced himself to laugh a bit, and sighed. "Man, what a joke that was in there, eh? I'll give that mage what for if we see him again. But, yeah, talk. What's on your mind?" He had to stay strong. For both of them.

[riariadne]

"Yeah, well... I just wanna be the one who does somethin', changes everythin' from how awful it is towards what it can be... what it should be." Valha tensed for a moment at the contact, but relaxed herself as it appeared to just be friendly. "I guess... well, we might nor really get a good shot at actually makin' a difference, if we've got a job here, yeah? If we've gotta go places there's not a lot we can do."

She looked at the fight for the first time since it started, her frown turning into a smile. "Hey, yeah! Go Lanos!" Valha cheered, clapping and waving as he left, glad that the crowd still showed him the same respect. She looked to the elf beside her and poked him on the shoulder playfully. "What about you? I bet you could go for it here 'n do pretty good, yeah? I'll watch if you do it," the harpy offered.

[scorri]

"Then we'll come back. Once we've had our fill of mercenary life or something, we'll come back and fix this place. Somehow." He blinked as she suggested he go try the arena. "I, uh... Well, I tried yesterday. Decided to quit when that dragon rider showed up but uh..." He sighed quietly. "Sure, why not? May as well. Thanks."

He headed down to the man in charge and nodded. "Right, uh... I was here yesterday? Decided I may as well try to finish what I started. Unless someone else was in line to fight?"

[Oersted]

"Uh, you alright Ingverd?" Lanos asked when the elf choked on his reply. But he quickly recovered so Lanos figured he must've just surprised him. "Oh, me? Well I managed to beat Marius," he said excitedly with a grin, though it quickly faded. Heh, that sounds like me. I wonder if he's really fine. He didn't linger on it though and instead steeled himself. He made no comment on the mage, not wanting to even acknowledge the councilman's existence right now, he was still bothered by it but that wasn't now.

"Well, how do I start..." he started twirling his hair. "I guess I should start with sorry, huh. Ingverd," he bowed his head, "I'm really sorry for how I treated you back in Ward and yesterday. I guess I thought you were trying to take Valha away from me or something as stupid of me that was. I won't lie, I was, and still am, jealous of you and how open you can be with your thoughts and feelings. I might just be too inexperienced or young but that's a problem area for me and seeing you so open is honestly kinda frustrating at times. So, uh, sorry. Again." He unbowed his head and looked Ingverd in the eyes, well, as much as he could being shorter than the elf. "But I'm not here just to say sorry; there's more." He paused, wondering how to say it. It shouldn't've been something to pause over, he'd told Marius the same thing, but he did anyway. "Thank you for protecting Valha from Leiha yesterday. I know you didn't do it for thanks but..." But what? What else was there to say? "But I'd be lost if something happened to her and with the way I acted before you guys left..." His eyes started to water. He didn't know why but it was probably just the thought that Valha could've been killed. It brought him back to three years ago. "I'd have thought it was my fault. So thanks for saving her." He wiped the water from his eyes and waited for Ingverd's response.

[Vestige]

Just a heart of gold? She's probably got a hundreds of coin purses full of gold, too, with how much she charges for those items. This guy too. This shit is all expensive. And then he tells me he's sorry about charging so much? What? You're not sorry. You're actually extremely glad some sap has come into your store to buy this. "Yup, sounds like you managed to get yourself a pretty nice deal with this place, and that Marcy next door. Good on you," he muttered, still distraught by his lack of gold, and his approaching descent into abject poverty. He flinched a bit when Makin came up behind him, "O-oh, you want to get those? They look really nice," he said, his mental health going from bad to worse. "Yeah, why don't we buy that for you," he said, trying to conceal his growing worry. Is it that hard to wait, woman? I can't afford those right now!

"So you just found them? That sounds kinda weird, to be honest. But uh, hey, if you're giving it for free, thanks, I guess?" he said, a slight hint of worry in his voice. If he's tried it, why not just keep it? You can fetch a pretty high price for a dragon. Raith took the flute off the counter, and examined it against the light. Eh, can't hurt to give it a go, I guess... He pocketed the flute, and turned his attention to other matters. Namely, the five gold he owed the shopkeep. Of course he counts out all the gold. Of course he wants me to shell out the five. No mercy from this guy, I tell you... Makin had, in the meantime, decided that she was going to pay for the earrings herself. Thank the gods. He felt kinda bad about it, since he had wanted to buy them as a gift for her, but it was too late for that now. Plus, it's not like he was going to stop her and say, "Hey, I need to buy those for you as a gift, but I'm super poor right now, so put em' down!" "Yeaaaaah, about that five go--" he started formulate some excuse, but he shut himself up when Makin plopped the remaining sum onto the counter. "Well, uh, there you go, one thousand gold, all accounted for," he said, smiling innocently. "Hey, thanks," he whispered over to Makin.

"Alright, well Trevor, thanks for everything. You have yourself a good day," he said waving to the man, and stepping out of the store with Makin in tow. "I feel like you've been paying for my stuff way too much. Breakfast, clothes, and now this. You're not secretly pulling money out of my next payment are you?" he laughed. Chances are, she probably wasn't, which kind of made him feel even worse. "Ah well, no matter. Time to try this thing out," he said, pulling out the flute from his pocket. He was a bit apprehensive about putting his mouth to it, given that Trevor had already put his, but he did say he washed it. Eh. He placed his fingers over a few of the holes, and began to blow into the mouthpiece. He abruptly started to shift his fingers from note to note, not really quite sure if he was even doing the right thing. It doesn't help that I can't actually hear any of this. But given his lack of qualification to play any musical instruments, it was probably for the best.

A few minutes passed by, and there was no sign of any dragons, dark scaled, or otherwise. "I would have been so mad if I actually paid for this thing. It's probably just some broken thing he passed off as a dragon flute, pfeh," he muttered, stuffing the thing back into his pocket. "Guess I'm walking... " But of course, just as he said that, a loud roar could be heard from deeper within the city. Orrrr maybe not? In moments the sun became eclipsed, and a shadow was cast over them of a beast all too familiar. Raith had to pull Makin aside to make a clear space for Ophelia's landing. Leave it to her to make an entrance for herself. A larger dragon would have a bit more trouble landing in the city, but fortunately Ophelia's smaller stature somewhat subverted that problem. He pulled out the flute again and gave it another look over, thoroughly impressed by the trinket. I don't know how this works, but this could be pretty handy...

"I'm surprised you actually came down here. Guess you've been pretty bored by yourself, huh? Don't worry, we're going to have lots of fun tomorrow," he said to her. A wonderful trip through the tundra to Castle Karstell. Thankfully, he wouldn't be doing too much walking. Just one of the perks of owning a dragon. He walked up to Ophelia, trying to pet her snout, but as he moved in closer, Ophelia recoiled her head a bit, and eyed Raith inquisitively. She moved in closer of her own accord, and started to rub her muzzle over his body. "Well then, guess you did miss me quite a bit huh?" he chuckled, surprised (but pleased) by the apparent display of affection. But just as he tried to reciprocate, she again recoiled her head, and moved away from him. This time, she went over to Makin and began to rub up again her! She moved back, and began to flick her serpentine tongue out into the air, hissing and groaning all the while. "<Seems the boy has found himself a new set of scales to ride,>" she said. She guffawed at her discovery and prodded at Makin's chest. "<I do recall you saying something about becoming enamored with the boy, but it seems you're quick to make good on your word,>" she laughed again, eying the naga with a bit of intrigue.

"Yeah, okay ladies, it's cool. Leave me out of the loop, totally cool," he said, throwing his hands up in the air and shaking his head. "Just because I don't have scales?" he said, pretending to sniffle. "Pfft, whatever." He went over, and saddled up onto Ophelia. Feeling thoroughly satisfied with her detective work, she offered no resistance. "Okay, so, I uh, I need to go back to the inn and get my stuff. Can you head on over to the arena yourself? I'll come over there myself in a bit," he said. "Shouldn't take too long," he added.

[Juliette]

"Not as much coming from the tundra, hmmm? This boss of yours sure must be up to something wild- I can't imagine that's just your group's idea of something interesting, there's just more to it. Hmm..." The woman smirked, seemingly liking that idea. "Well, sorry to say I don't have the time to chat the rest of the day away... I'm Heather Rhodes, in case we do run into each other again... I almost feel like we will, because of how amusing fate can be sometimes."

Heather slunk towards the inn- one that seemed to share a somewhat predictable naming scheme with everywhere in Felson. Is there a realtor called Harrison's Homes, I wonder? Bradley's Bistro? Hmf, some people... Pushing her thoughts about the unfortunate naming aside, she hung up her new clothing carefully and checked on a pair of bows to make sure that they were still in proper form before fetching a towel and heading towards the sauna adjacent to the inn. She was a bit surprised two others were already using it at the time, but nonetheless changed and sat down, closing her eyes and sighing. Hmm, what's an elf to do these days?

Edited January 3, 2015 by Juliette

[Xinnidy]

Maja quickly turned to Vriska and made for the window when called upon. "You found them? I want to see!" She whispered and joined the girl, lowering herself just low enough to spy on them. That's them! Kadin, who's that? You've never told me! Maja looked in awe, trying to make every detail she could. It wasn't a good position to hear much from, but trying to read their body language was enough to kindle her curiosity even more. Maja almost seemed to mimic Vriska's gasp as the girls spied the increasingly intimate scene. "N-no way!" She replied, both to Vriska and her own disbelief. She could not take her eyes away at that moment.

-----

Kadin felt nostalgic. He understood why Iuliana felt so eager to banter --it was just like the old times, one could say--. Kadin couldn't help but have his mind drift. It was nice to recall his memories again, as if life had more purpose. Being dead but still with the living was a true bittersweet experience, but Kadin tried his most not to feel overwhelmed. With a smile struggling to be held in his face, Kadin eyed Iuliana aga-

"...Iuliana?!"

What he did not expect, and completely shook his attention, was Iuliana's action. She was coming onto him. His eyes widened, and he became speechless. They were such dear friends, but Kadin had never dreamed of this day. It came to him, however, the many times she'd feel more distant when he mentioned Sophia. The times she'd keep to herself whenever Sophia was brought along to a celebration... He always felt they never got along, and perhaps there was some truth to that, but her underlying feelings never felt more obvious. It all hit like something he should have known, something to facepalm at in hindsight --except for the fact she was up in his face already--. The moment was more than Kadin could handle, more than he could think of...

Kadin was kissed. He closed his eyes, he made no move to stop her. He had no idea what was right or wrong, it terrified him, but at the same time... he couldn't reject Iuliana. In his mind, she was one of the truer people he knew, he couldn't think harm of her for this. It didn't help that his wife's last words were hammering in his conscious. She killed me... she killed us. What did Iuliana do? He moved his right arm, wrapping it around her torso. He returned the kiss, and her feelings. His other arm moved to hold her around the shoulders. He was still hesitant, though had certainly become somewhat passionate. It was she that cared for him, it was she that he owed her memories and a chance of clarity to. She deserved it, and his wife...

No, he couldn't think of it like that. He had no proof, it could be just the most poorly-excused adultery instead. Iuliana was a beautiful woman, and Kadin was still a man, posthumously or not. If that was really all it meant, he couldn't excuse himself for leading her on like this. He broke the kiss off. He couldn't bear his conflict. "Iuliana... I..." He gulped, a frown of self-guilt rushing to his face. "I don't know. I don't understand. Why me? Why... why do you feel this for me?" Kadin had begun to tear up. He wanted to know what was right, but it all eluded him. He knew he shared some feelings back, but what of his wife? Was she really that distant to him now? A speck of sand in the history of Kadin's life?

"Why, Iuliana? Why now, of all times?"

-----

"T-they kissed! They kissed!" Captain Maja 'Obvious' Henning spoke under her breath. Her face flushed from witnessing a display of affection (something so alien for the girl, go figure), and to a person so close to her. So... that's Kadin's wife? Wait, didn't she also die? ...Lover? The realization brought a new tone of redness to her naturally pale face. She threw a glance back at Vriska, then quickly returned to spy the couple. She didn't know whether they should keep moving or stay spying through the window, but she didn't want to miss what was going on. She had a lot of questions in mind for Kadin after this. Just who is she? He never told me about her... What *does* he remember now?