Masquerade Part 2.2: Klaatu, Barada... Necktie

[eclipse]

"Watch--" Meredith's objection died in her throat when she saw the look on Heather's face. "You, uh, don't look so good. What's wrong?" The annoying elf that she'd met earlier was replaced with someone that looked like she needed. . .something. If my dad was here, he'd have her smiling in no time. But I'm not my dad.

[Bluedoom]

"I saw snow-" Ferdinand was interrupted by the other mercenaries barging into their place, all asking Isabelle for work to be done. It pleased him to know that the mercenaries still had a sense of responsibility, and they weren't completely down due to a death of someone in their group. They had to be strong under these circumstances.

Isabelle then gave orders to everyone present in the room, and Ferdinand eagerly obliged. He was eager to see what was surrounding this place. It was as if the atmosphere of the camp motivated him to explore and find a way to survive through this mess, even though he was tired from running from the monsters. He was fine going hunting with Angus, because he seemed to have maintained a calm composure.

The only problem was Maja. Ferdinand had developed a parental feeling towards Maja, especially after seeing Vriska being eaten up by the giant snake. The girl had been running recklessly in the last battle towards great danger, but he couldn't deny that her healing power were very useful. He realized though that it wouldn't be wise to force Maja to stay at the camp, especially since she herself didn't want to drown in the depressing atmosphere. Ferdinand shrugged after giving a thought about it, all he had to do now was to keep the three of them together to avoid disaster.

"Very well, I'll do as you ask. Hopefully we won't take long." he replied to Isabelle.

Edited May 19, 2015 by MAgnificence IncaRnaTHe

[charlie_]

"Well, if you're up for it." Angus shrugged at Maja's offer. "As long as we avoid any monsters out there, we won't need the healing, but better safe than sorry I guess." And then Isabelle volunteered Ferdinand to join them, apparently. Hopefully having more of us around won't scare away the animals. "Well, we shouldn't be too long." Angus told him. "We want to get back before it gets too dark, or else we'll be stranded in the snow." It wasn't exactly how he wanted to spend his night, especially considering how dangerous the creatures they encountered at the bridge. And then there was a storm coming too, as if they didn't have enough to worry about. Better get this done... he supposed. "Are you two ready to go?"

[Xinnidy]

Maja's eyebrow twitched at Isabelle's comment. She didn't need that. She was trying to get away from those thoughts in the first place. "And what does that have to do with anything?" Maja replied, voice slightly snappy. "I'll be with Angus and Ferdinand. You don't need to worry about me." Crossing her arms, Maja turned to Angus and Ferdinand. "Yeah, I'm ready to go. I'll take care." A lot of people keep getting worried about me, after all...

[riariadne]

Valha's expression sullenned as Makin didn't even comment on what she had to say, only mumbled at Raith. I see... "If you don't want me here then just say so, boss. No need to pretend I'm not even around at all, you know..." Her mood even further afoul now, the harpy exited with a growl. Is there somethin' wrong with me? Ingverd said I was freakin' out before, now I have these... urges to go crazy. Like I need to destroy somethin'...

Valha clenched her fist as she wandered outside the houses, stopping in front of one of the snow piles. "Rrr... agh!" She swiped her claw right at it in anger, though she doubted the gesture served any purpose. She was startled when she felt something solid, quickly brushing the snow off of it. It was a block of ice, with human bodies frozen in it. "W-what the hell?" She backed off, returning to the house Makin was in immediately. "Boss! This place, there's somethin' wrong here. Th-the ice, it has people frozen in it... we can't stick around if that's here, can we?"

Edited May 19, 2015 by Reinfleche

[scorri]

Trist had barely been paying attention to what Ingverd was doing until his name was spoken. Breaking out of his daze, he shook his head. "Whu? Oh, it's not... I just... She was here and then gone and it just... My parents were here and then all of a sudden gone. And I've already been struggling with a lot of flashbacks I guess, so this... didn't help. I mean... I know that probably sounds terrible, I'm barely even thinking about the poor girl but.... Yeah." He gave a half shrug, feeling upset, embarrassed, worried, and tired all at the same time.

[Vestige]

It hurt to see Makin so broken, but at the same time, it worried him that she had become so utterly defeated. Of all the poison Ken had spat out, there was one hidden truth: death was a part of life, and it was no secret that it was on the door-step of every mercenary. This was a truth he had experienced first-hand, more than once, by now. Surely, Makin was well aware of the consequences when she created the guild, and by that process, logic dictated that Makin would be the one with the mental fortitude to to deal with any tragedies that befell the group. But here she was, pleading to him for some kind of support. Was Gerrod so important to you, that'd you'd be willing to put yourself through this? Why...? "Sorry, I'm just not entirely myself right now..." he sighed. "I can't offer you much, but I'm here... I hope that's enough," he turned to her, brushed his lips against her forehead, and brought her closer to himself. Perhaps Kendeall was right. But for now, he was content to play the fool.

-:-

No sooner had he closed his eyes, ready to doze off, than Valha stormed out, upset that she had been 'ignored' by Makin. Sure, she was, for all intents and purposes, "the boss" but was it really that difficult for Valha to read the situation? If it was that important, she could just tell Ingverd. He wanted to call her out on the spot for being so inconsiderate, but at the same time, he didn't want to create another scene. Not to mention, it would upset Makin a great deal more. "Is it that difficult for you to not act like a child?" he muttered, after she'd left. Still, he wondered who this "Leiha" person was, that she had mentioned. Valha seemed rather acquainted with her, but Raith didn't recall ever having met someone by the name. Regardless, it was quite apparent, that whoever she was, she had just as much of a vendetta against them, as Ertel did. If luck was on their side, both she and Ertel would perish before they could manage to catch up. The less they had to deal with, the better. He could almost hear Ertel's taunting voice and see his smug, pompous grin. Infuriating, is what it was. No doubt the bastard would say something about Vriska, if he'd been there to witness what had happened. If only I'd been armed that night... He could have speared the man then and there, and that would have been the end of his story. But it didn't even matter anymore. Ertel was chasing his death, that much was certain. If the creations didn't deal with him, the mercenaries would. Potions be damned. He was just a man, after all, not an army.

-:-

Now, for the second time, he tried to settle down, and let his mind catch up with itself. But perhaps that was too much to ask for. Just as quickly as she had left, she came back clearly perturbed. Her report was certainly cause for alarm, but Raith didn't so much as flinch. The news was vexing, more than anything. He almost wanted to blame her for having gone and made her discovery in the first place. As if they didn't have enough things to stress over. Not only did they have to worry about the grotesque creations, they had to worry about their pursuers, deal with Vriska's death, and recuperate from Ken's departure. And if all that wasn't enough, they now also had to now deal with people encased in ice? The sheer magnitude of events transpiring was far too surreal. It was like they were characters in some fable, following the designs of a twisted author. With the way things were going, it wouldn't surprise him if the ice began to crack, and all of the frozen bodies somehow morphed into ghouls ready to devour everyone in sight. Whoever the bastard is that's writing this damnable story, I hope they find good company in Hel.

[Juliette]

"I don't know," Heather admitted. "I suppose I'm not yet over what happened back at the bridge, perhaps... I thought I was stronger than to be quite as upset as I am." The elvish woman sighed heavily, mulling over her thoughts. "I suppose I'm not quite so good at escaping my worries as I thought."

[Oersted]

Lanos looked up at Alicia as she ruffled his hair, for once not minding the hair ruffling. Seeing her continue to smile as she cried with him erased any left over reservations about crying. He knew he wasn't the only one hurting, everyone was, but having another person crying with him was the confirmation he needed. He cried and cried and cried sme more, until it felt like he wasn't being completely crushed from the weight of his own emotions. He still hurt, he doubted he'd stop anytime soon, and felt far from fine but he still somehow felt better. As Alicia pointed out the smoke and he wiped his eyes he was reminded just how cold he was, fire seemed like a good idea. Hel, everything she mentioned sounded nice, even if he didn't know everyone the best either.

He managed a smile. "Yeah, I believe you." He was hesitant to hug Alicia, not really knowing anything more about her other than that she was truly kind. But it wasn't like it was going to hurt him or anything. It wasn't a long hug, he wrapped his wings around her, said "thank you" then it was over and he stood up. He offered her a hand up if she wanted one. "We should probably find someone to help."

[algae]

Sonia had just about finished sweeping by the time the others had entered, neatly piling the glass where it was the least likely to injure someone (which was still far from ideal, but there weren't many alternatives). Unfortunately, they had cut Ferdinand off before he could explain further. Snow? What, more of those buried things? That wouldn't be surprising. The thought added a considerable amount of weight to the next announcement. "You're going out again? But it's getting pretty late and the weather might get worse, and are you sure you'll be able to find your way back, and..." And what? They can handle themselves. It's probably more productive than just moping, right? "Just be careful out there."

[eclipse]

This was a side of Heather that Meredith hadn't expected! "Some people need time to get over shock. Others distract themselves. Still others find someone or something to blame. We can't afford to sit around, or we'll freeze to death - the entire group can't fit in this lone house. Blaming others isn't going to help, as we're the only ones around. So. . .can you give me a hand with the house over there?" she asked, pointing towards the general direction that Isabelle had indicated. "As long as I draw breath, I'll fight - whether it be for my friends and family, my job, or to survive another day." It's the least I owe my master. He'd lecture me for the rest of eternity if I gave up and died somewhere. She hadn't known Vriska, so it felt more like the death of a random stranger than a friend. That distance would either be the bane of her existence, or a blessing in disguise - and Meredith was determined to make it the latter.

[Bluedoom]

"Well then, it has been decided! Its time for some hunting, hopefully we'll be back soon!" Ferdinand replied enthusiastically. He had to try and keep their spirits up, maybe some good food would do them wonders.

******

After about half hour searching through the snow for edible animals, the trio had still found nothing. The land was barren of any living thing, it seemed. But not far away from where the trio were, was an old shop with a sign having a poster of a potion bottle. Could they find something of interest inside?

"Hmmm, that building could perhaps be a storehouse. I think it would be a good idea to scout it...Angus, have you spotted anything yet? You could try setting up a trap, perhaps."

[Xinnidy]

Having spent so much time walking through snow, Maja started to wonder just what kind of animals lived around here. Hopefully not as twisted as... whatever those were. Feeling a bit disinterested by their current poor luck, Maja took well to Ferdinand's idea. "Ooooh, maybe you're right. Come to think of it, this house doesn't seem as worn down as the others. There're a bunch of cliffs around, so maybe that was intentional?" It was kind of funny, as much as things seemed out of place in that tundra, already, there seemed to be no short supply for the out-of-place. "Well, I'm sure we could take a quick look. If it's some kind of trap, we run."

[Nanami Touko]

Flashbacks

"Your parents, huh?" Another one. It seemed that mercenaries attracted all sorts without their family still alive. Ingverd was lucky enough to have his mother, even if she bothered the life out of him, but he didn't know where his father was, or if he was still alive. He'd never asked Makin about her family, but most of their first group didn't have some sort of family. At least the warm radiating from the fireplace now, sent a pleasing chill down his spine. "Don't feel bad for that. Well-- try not to to. Sorry. Still not the best at the whole... Advice, thing." He smirked faintly. "What happened... Happened. If it's reminding you of something less pleasant, then, it is. We all react differently... I suppose I don't really blame your reaction, even if I..." He bit his lip, and smiled a wry smile. "I feel weird. I figured I'd be freaking out, but... I almost feel fine. I'm just hoping this all doesn't hit me hard, later... Anyway. I'd be willing to listen, if you wanted to talk about your parents. It might help."

A breeze came in from one of the windows, ruining the warmth from the fire. At least this place seemed to only have one window. "We should board that up. I'll go see if we have any tools about. I'll be right back, alright?" He managed a warm smile, perhaps feeling optimistic over the fire, and walked out the door to try and find something to help with the house.

Only to run into a pile of ice, with a human stuck inside it. Wh... What...!? He was about to shout over everyone's attention, before hearing Valha doing just that at the southern-most house. Right... That's where... He did a quick jog over, peeking into the door behind her to see how Makin was doing-- no change, huh? Well, at least she's with Raith now, but... They both don't... He grimaced, before taking Valha by the claw. "Hey, come help me and Trist with the houses. You can tell me what's up, and we'll let everyone else know." It's pathetic to see you like that, Makin, but I don't think telling you that is going to help, right now...

Hunting Party

And off they went. Isabelle wasn't the happiest to see some of the strongest and their best healer walk off into the encroaching flurry of snow, but if it meant food, or whatever else they could find, she couldn't really argue with the decision. For now... "Alright, let's get to work on this damn table." She rolled up her sleeves and put on her game face, strutting over to the table that Ferd had removed the legs from, and hefting it up. She wasn't very strong, but neither was this table, and after some groaning, she had it up against the window, bracing it there with her weight. "W-Well? Sonia, Vesta... G... Get the nails and start hammering it in... Should probably work out a bit, g-gosh..." Isabelle didn't look the most pleased, and hoped someone else would take on the other window, after this.

----------

Out on the snow, there was little that was inviting. There was the odd sound here and there. A brush through the snow, a howl of wind, a... A cackle. The ground could see, sometimes through the wall of white, the skulls of humans skulking about. Of course, they were attached to bodies. They were bonewalkers, not unlike what the group had fought before. For whatever reason, they kept their distance, showing a weird level of intelligence, and the group remained unassailed by the creatures, making it to the shop in question. It may not have been run down, in the sense that the roof was in tact, and the windows weren't broken, but it was definitely still old. The door remained ajar, creaking in the wind.

Oh

He did hug. That was a nice gesture, and even if he still looked beaten, he didn't look broken, and that's what Alicia had wanted to accomplish. You'd probably be happy right now, Dad, she thought, wiping the rest of those tears away, still somehow managing a smile. "Right. Let's go see who needs some help." She took his claw and stood herself up, leading him out of the derelict house, and down towards the sounds of groaning -- thank you, Isabelle -- before seeing the other group walk off. "They going hunting?" she asked to the vicinity, finally walking into the doorway and seeing Isabelle heft with the wood. "Looks like someone does need our help, Lanos!" she said in a hurry, letting his claw go and bracing her weight up against the table, with Isabelle's. "You alright, merchant girl?" she joked, seeing the strain ease right off of Isabelle's face as a much stronger person held up the wood.

"I am now!"

Warm

"...ank you..." was all she could mutter, finally crying and curling up around him. It wasn't much comfort, but it was more than she'd had a minute ago, and thus it was all she needed. Maybe a fire could help, but right now, she didn't want to move anymore, arms slowly coming around Raith and holding him in a tight hug, tail softly resting on his legs. Why are you here, Makin? she finally asked herself, through her quiet crying. Did you just want the adventure, again? Something new to cling onto, after what you had fell apart? She chided herself mentally, unable to find an answer for it, right then and there. Did you just want...? She glanced up at Raith's face, slowly bringing a hand up to touch his cheek. "Don't be mad at her," she mumbled about Valha, shaking her head gently. He's not a replacement... He's way different than him, even... Even If he reminds you. That had happened so long ago now, too... But it was still there, haunting her mind. Was it right to talk about it? Would it help? Will it help me find an answer? Maybe...

"Did I--" she tried to break their new silence, but Valha stormed back in, talking about bodies trapped in ice. "What?" she said over at her, still quiet, giving the doorway a glance. It was enough of a glance to catch Ingverd showing up, and his grimace at him. She had to hide her face again, because she knew what that meant, even if he hadn't said anything. She was at least glad he was there. Maybe he'd take Valha away, and Makin could try to collect herself, finally... She wasn't upset at Valha, but she couldn't handle being in charge right now, and he only hoped that the group didn't hold it against her once she was better-- once you're better? What're you going to do if this happens again? An unfortunate thought. She curled up tighter, just trying to get as close to Raith as she could.

"D... Did I ever tell you about Gerrod...?" she tried to start again, shivering. It was now or never, for talking about it. She was still really quiet; maybe he wouldn't hear her, but... There was an answer there somewhere, and she wanted to find it, so she could stop feeling like this.

Edited May 20, 2015 by I have opinions

[Vestige]

Raith was relieved to see that Ingverd had arrived. And doubly so, when he suggested both he and Valha go somewhere else to talk. Raith gave the man a cursory glance, and a tired nod of appreciation. It was easier for him to talk to Makin when they were alone, and he wasn't exactly pleased with Valha's company to begin with. "I'm not mad at her," he grumbled. "I'm just... " He sighed, letting his shoulders droop. There wasn't much point in pressing the issue. It would only further aggravate him, and upset her. The momentary silence was broken when Makin started to speak up again. Her voice was faint, but it was enough. He shook his head slightly, "Just bits and pieces really. I don't think we've ever spoken at length about him," he brushed his fingers through her hair, trying to comfort her a little. "But if you're sure you want to talk about him, I'm willing to listen."

[riariadne]

"B-but I..." Valha's voice caught in her throat as Ingverd led her out again. "Alright... help with the houses it is," she agreed resignedly to what he said, allowing herself to be dragged along as she thought. "Do... I ever scare you, Ingverd?" she asked as they headed to the house. "I was just, after that last battle, I think I'm startin' to scare me... I feel different when I'm out there, like I'm on a whole new level where I'm sensitive to everythin', but now I'm startin' to feel that elsewhere, 'n even friendly contact I freak out at. I'm scared that I'm gonna break one day soon. Am I crazy, Ingverd...?"

[Xinnidy]

"Hmm... well, I'll go check it out first." Maja decided, approaching the door before being prompted and peeking through the creak.

It was probably much more worn down on the inside, collecting dust and ice on the floor and furniture, of which most were broken. From the looks, it was a shop, as a sales counter was and had remained on display for Him knows how long. For some reason, it was still set up, displaying a cabinet holding some variety of weird medicine and concoctions. Unidentifiable from the distance. No sound or movement could be discerned as coming from the house... shop.

"Nobody here, but there might be supplies after all. I'm going." Maja bothered to turn back to inform the others before entering the shop with high curiosity. "Huh... It looks more like it was abandoned this way. Now I wonder what happened over here..." It was really intriguing, wasn't it? First the creatures and serpent, then the ruins of some village or town, and to top it off bonewalkers wandered the vicinity. Maybe this place is really cursed...

Shivering, Maja approached the counter to examine its contents. Potions, potions... some plants, guess the sign outside wasn't misleading at all. Maybe some local medicine man? Many of the concoctions on display had some sort of label, but either the ink was faint to read, or the label itself had been ruined by the casually-intruding weather. "That's no good, I have no idea if these are safe! What if they went bad?" Maja spoke to herself, frustrated, just a moment ago thinking it'd be a great find for the mercenaries. Wait. Maybe Isabelle or Alicia would understand! I'm sure they'd recognize something useful even without a label. They're merchants, right?

"Hey, guys! It's a shop, but pretty abandoned! There're some potions here, maybe we could take some back?" Calling out the duo outside, Maja's eyes strayed to find a label she could actually read. 'Strength potion!', it read. Huh, so there's something like this. Maybe this place isn't very old. She picked up the potion, encasing a liquid deep scarlet in color. It was a fairly entrancing color.

Strength, huh... Her mind started wandering to the discussions she had been present to not very long ago. Just like Ken said, we couldn't do a lot. We couldn't save Vriska from the serpent because it was too big, too strong for us... She stared at the potion with a blank espression, mind at full work. Everybody started feeling sad... not because we didn't save Vriska, but because we couldn't. Everybody is sad because we didn't have the strength to change that... The dots kept connecting in Maja's head, eyes widening as she reached a conclusion.

That's what being weak is about, isn't it? You can't do anything. You just regret not being able to do the things you wanted to... Maja bit her lip, realizing she was thinking about all the negativity she tried to escape from. Stupid... it's because no one tried to stop Ken, darnit! 'Adult things', gee. Sure made a lot of sense, boss. She puffed her cheeks, and returned her attention to the potion.

Maybe... One part of Maja considered just taking the potion to one of the other fighters. Still, if the potion was as advertised... Strength is all I need, right? People compliment my magic, but all I can do is heal. If I had the strength to change these things with my hand... She felt her breath escape, as if anticipating more power. I mean, I'm the only one who tried to do anything, right? Kadin just told me to let it go, Makin just said Ken leaving was an 'adult thing', but I was the only one trying... Her face soured as she cycled through these thoughts. Maja uncorked the potion and brought it closer to her face, the deep scarlet was even more mesmerizing up close...

If I had more strength, I wouldn't leave it to these 'adults', I'd do what *I* think is right. People wouldn't be so bothered about me going up front, either. Even that annoying... woman wouldn't be like 'oh you're not gonna handle it, your friend is deeeeaaaad, mleh mleh', stupid... Sighing as she felt herself just mentally repeat her frustrations, Maja brought the glass to her lips and drank the potion before she could get any sourer. It tasted like... sawdust, if sawdust or wood were liquid. It... could be worse. Maja shrugged mentally, drinking down to the last drop. She released a breath, licked her lips and downed the potion, finally done with its contents.

Man... I feel kind of greedy, I always drink these powerful potions. Pretty sure other people would like to have some... ah well, it's for the better, and they do make me stronger! Why wouldn't I? Done with her little ordeal, Maja scanned for what potions she could bring back. Hopefully not all of them were expired or looked too nasty.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Xinnidy

[charlie_]

Angus stood still, surveying the snowscape for any signs of movement (from something that actually had meat on it's bones, anyway) while he listened to Ferdinand. "We could set some traps I guess, but would we be able to-" he stopped suddenly, and his hand moved towards his quiver almost instinctively. He could've sworn he saw something moving out there, but what was it? "I saw something out there..." he muttered.

After a few seconds of searching, he spotted a snow-white fox a short making its way through the snow. I've got this. Just concentrate, and... It turned out that his aim was still pretty good, so it turned out that they would have something to bring back after all. "Phew..." It would've really sucked if he missed. "Do you think there are more around here?" he asked Ferdinand. He couldn't see anything out there now, but maybe they would be in luck?

[algae]

If the table was that heavy, would the nails really hold it up? Truth be told, it looked kind of flimsy, but if the merchant was having that much trouble with it... Luckily, by the time she returned with the tools, the other merchant what was her name again? was holding up the other side, and the nails (and perhaps more surprisingly, the wall) were, in fact, strong enough to hold it up. The way things are going, the whole thing will come down as soon as the wind picks up again. Still, it was better than nothing, and now that Strong Merchant was here, they might be able to get things done for real. Sonia handed the tools to their rightful owner and readied another particularly large piece of scrap wood. "I think we can get the other one for you, Isabelle."

[Oersted]

And find people to help they did, Alicia rushing to help Isabelle hold up a table while Sonia hammered nails into it to keep it in place. Sonia was already going for another piece of wood; probably for the other window, he reasoned. There didn't look like there was much more to do other than cover that last window so he decided to help Sonia lift and then hold it in place. She might not have even needed the help but there wasn't much more to do here.

[Nanami Touko]

The Past

Should I really talk about this? Makin hadn't ever been more than a hired arm for Gerrod, even if she'd felt that way about him, so it wasn't like she was talking about some past boyfriend to Raith, but... It still felt a bit wrong, to do so. But there's a reason there, isn't there? You've already gone over it... You know what it is. Just... Just get it out. "Alright..." She sighed, trying to clear her throat enough to actually speak. "You... Y-You know that he was my last boss... And I... I had, feelings for him, even if they never went anywhere..." She was still whispering, but it wasn't hoarse anymore, just quiet. Without anyone else there, she was definitely loud enough to be heard. "So... Wh... When he died," she flinched saying that, "I wasn't... I wasn't there. I o-only found the body." She tensed up as she went on, the hand on Raith's chest gripping his shirt tightly. "I... I-I didn't have the chance to stop, anything, so... I-It, didn't hit as hard, y'know?" She made an awkward laugh, one that was obviously pained.

"I thought that... Because of that, I could handle these things... Because I... I went, through that, I could handle someone dying, but... I..." She curled up further, starting to cry quietly again. "I was there, and I couldn't do a single thing... I was s-so weak, and so powerless, and I realized that, th-that if I had been there when he died," she started getting louder, the sobbing able to be heard under her words, "that I wouldn't have b-b-been able to take it! Not at all! I wouldn't have been able to stop it then like I couldn't stop it now, and it would've crushed me...!" That hand clinging pathetically to his shirt balled up and weakly pounded his chest. She buried her head in his shoulder, holding onto him as tightly as she could. "I'm n-not strong... I'm not strong, at all... I signed myself up for this life and I can't... Take the consequences..." She bit her lip, trembling now. "I wanna go home..."

Scared

Sorry, Valha, but they need their time alone... Makin needs her time alone. He sighed, as he almost had to drag Valha away from the house, giving the wagon a quick stop by to pick up the tools that he and Tristram needed to fix up that house. It seemed like things were going fine in the other house, so he didn't slip in to bug them. He did notice Lanos up and about, and while he found it odd that Valha wasn't the one (he assumed) to have gotten him moving again, he deemed it a good thing. About to take Valha back to where he had been working, he was assailed with her question, one that got him thinking. She has been acting more aggressive lately... I don't know a lot about Harpies... I know a lot about women, but... That would be rather rude to ask. I'm sure Valha would know if it was that, anyway... "I can't say you ever scare me... But, you do worry me." He stopped, and placed both hands on the shorter woman's shoulders.

"You're just on edge, you know? We all are, but... For whatever reason, your sister's chased us all the way out to the tundra, along with that madman, so... I can understand why you'd be scared, and feeling like that. But we're all here for you. I'm here for you, and Lanos too. So if there's something you need to talk about, you know one of us will listen. But no... You don't scare me. You're too cute to do that." He smirked, and leaned in to kiss her cheek, feeling that a full one would be far too out of place in their current situation. "Come on, let's go take our minds off of all this... Fix up the houses, and warm ourselves by a fire. That's sounding really great, right about now..." He didn't want to ask her about the people in the ice. Maybe if he didn't mention it, she'd take it out of her mind, and they could address it later... The last thing they needed was another scare for the group, so if they could hold it off until later, he wanted to.

"We're back, Trist," he said, coming into the doorway with the tools in hand, and enough nails to hopefully board up the windows. "Let's get these things covered. I want that fire over there to keep this whole place as warm as it can. Doesn't that sound nice, right about now?" He hoped that, perhaps, some manual labor would get Valha's mind all sorted out. It helped him, sometimes.

Windows

Isabelle let go of the wood, the nails luckily sticking easily into the dried mass, though probably not for more than a few days... Not that they'd be around for that long! "Alright! Good! I could use the break. Ordering all of you around is so very taxing." Isabelle found herself a comfortable spot on the now glass free floor near the fire, relaxing as the heat sent comfortable chills up her spine. It also reminded her of something else, something that caused her to groan again. "Ohhhh, now I miss that Sauna... Curses." She sighed, and leaned against the brick of the fireplace, trying to imagine herself being there.

Meanwhile, Alicia began hammering the new board that Sonia and Lanos had gladly held up to the window, getting those in as quickly as she could. "I'd say, as long as we can get a rock to hold the door closed during the night, this little house will... Well, it'll actually be rather cozy. Maybe this isn't all bad." Well okay, it's pretty bad, but this is looking up, at least. That fire did look pretty inviting, so without a second thought, Alicia brought over one of the still intact chairs and sat herself next to it. It creaked pretty loudly when she sat in it, but it didn't give way immediately, so if she didn't move too much, it should be fine. "Warrrrrrmmmmm..." was all she said, taking a moment to relax, after all of the ordeals they'd gone through.

Tonight, Angus Joins The Hunt...

The blood was clearly visible upon the snow, as Angus' arrow had collided with the body of a snow fox, killing the creature instantly. It would be a little bit gamey, but it was food, to add to the rations they already had.

As Maja drank the potion, she immediately felt more powerful, physically. It was as if it contained some magic, that was enhancing her muscles! What luck! Though, there was a slowly encroaching lightheaded feeling that she probably wasn't feeling yet... Whatever that entailed for her.

There were plenty of other potions on the shelf, in any case. The mercenaries had to simply look through them.

[riariadne]

Worry you... Valha tensed up at Ingverd's contact briefly, then sighed when he explained how he felt. "You're probably right... but I can be plenty scary if I want to!" She scratched his face gently before heading towards the house. She started to try and hammer some of the nails and board up the windows, but it wasn't long before she realized an issue with her plan. "These... clearly are not built with any harpies in mind, huh? Okay, well... I can hold the stuff up, then."

[Vestige]

They'd spoken a bit on this topic before, so it was no surprise to Raith that Makin had held feelings for Gerrod--she'd told him just as much in Felson. And it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that perhaps there were still some lingering feelings. "I... Yeah... " he nodded, "you told me that before. About your feelings. For, uh, Gerrod... " But even if that were the case, getting jealous over a dead man was hardly a healthy pastime. Even so, it stung a little. Seeing her get so bent up about a guy who was long dead made him wonder if she'd do the same for him. Was he just a replacement--the next best thing? Or not even that. Maybe he'd just been the most naive.

Mere moments ago he'd resolved himself to support her. But it was becoming quite apparent to him just how shaky that resolve had been. Now, the doubts were starting to pile on again. If Gerrod was still alive, would he even have had a chance? He didn't know Gerrod, but he knew men of his caliber. Gerrod, Caldwell--these were men he could never hope to compare himself to. His stomach dropped, and for the first time in a long time, he just wanted out. He wished he'd never stopped in Danf. He wished he'd never walked into the inn to sign up for that first mission. If he'd just kept on traveling, he'd probably be in Velkeln, right now. Perhaps with another mercenary group, or perhaps he'd still be traveling. Whatever the case may have been, at least he wouldn't have been here. What had he gotten out of taking this job? Coin? Gold could be found anywhere. Friends? He'd left those in Bau Berg. Love? If you could even call it that. Dammit Raith, when'd you get so pathetic? You told yourself it was over. You'd gotten over it. Then why? Why? Why? WHY? WHY?!

He didn't even know what to make of his emotions, let alone how to console Makin. So he did the only thing he knew how to do anymore. He faked it. The stage had been set. His role had been doled out. And now it was time to recite the lines. He wrapped his arms around her, and brought her closer to him. "I'm sure... I'm sure if Gerrod were here, he'd disagree," he whispered. "I saw you on the battlefield. How you charged in front of everyone, willing to risk your neck just so the rest wouldn't have to get hurt. If that's not brave... I don't know what is. I bet Gerrod knew that's the type of person you'd be when... when he hired you. So j-just..." His vision was starting to blur. "Just pull yourself together Makin. You can do it, I know you can," he squeezed her tighter. When will the failures end? A single tear rolled down his face, and that's all he would allow himself. "It's what he would want..."

[Nanami Touko]

Fear

The quiet sobbing slowed itself as Makin felt herself being moved, closer to Raith. She clung, as if for dear life, to the only source of comfort left. But she was so confused when he started talking. Wh-What? Raith... He kept on going on about how Gerrod would feel. How he would see her. It was so perplexing, it almost took her out of her sadness, at least alleviating it some. Did I say something wrong? I don't understand. He hugged her tighter, and she responded in kind, but it almost felt empty. It wasn't until she felt that tear hit her face, falling off of his that she grew the courage to say something. "...Wh... What about you?" It almost felt wrong to ask that. "How do you... See me?" Like, he didn't want... To be compared... "R-Raith." A new panic sprung into her mind, and it willed her to sit up, staring straight into his eyes. "Raith, you're... Y-You're not a, a replacement..." She was only stuttering because of how sore her throat was from the crying, but it probably didn't seem that way. No, no he can't think like this. Please...

She caressed his face as carefully as she could, shivering at the warm touch. "Y-You, you're funny, you're strong, you're so much fun to talk to... I don't care if you aren't him, you're still..." She gulped. How can I fix this? I have to fix this. I don't want to lose him. "Please, you have to b-believe me," she cupped his face with both hands, refusing to let go, "I know it's o-only been a few months, but, but I can't imagine having got this far on my own... Every step of the way you've been there for me." She was slowly gaining coherence back into her voice, still shaking, but getting better. "You've made me laugh, you've made me smile, you-you've been there when it mattered for me and this whole g-group, so please... ... ...I love you." She had to take a moment to make sure she didn't stutter that out. She still teared up as soon as she said it. He suddenly felt so distant, and it was scaring her. "You, you're not a replacement, y-you're not the next best thing y-you're Raith. I love you... I love you, so much." She was still upset, but this took precedence. If she had to shelve how she felt about their situation, to make sure he knew how she felt about him, then she could do it... At least, for a little bit. There was even a tiny semblance of a smile. Just a tiny one.

Tools

It was amusing to watch Valha try to work a hammer out, but the heavy head on the tool was turning out to be too much for the claws to keep a good grip on. He smiled a small smile, and took it from her, letting her hold up a board, as he took over that duty. The nails went into the wood easily. "The only scary thing is what'll happen if you drop that hammer on your feet. I'd rather not see that happen, any time soon." We've got enough hurt around stop it! Stop that thinking! Ingverd chided himself, as his mental thoughts went straight to negativity, hoping he could bring positivity into this situation. He felt like he was the only one being that positive, right now, so he had to. "So, Valha, Trist, have you ever seen snow before?" he asked, trying to bring up a topic that, perhaps, they'd be interested in talking about. "I'd only ever read stories, living in Ward, and it doesn't snow around there. I've never been to Felson before, so... Does it snow there, in the colder months?" Perhaps it did, being so close to the mountains, but he didn't know. I wonder how they're dealing with all of this... "It's really entrancing, honestly... Seeing it all like this. I haven't been able to sit down and appreciate the calm nature of it. Maybe I can get the chance, before we all sleep."

Edited May 23, 2015 by I have opinions

[scorri]

"I've seen snow before. Nothing quite like this, but yeah." Trist gave a slight shrug to the rest of his comment. "It's beautiful and dangerous. You never know when a snowbank might be deeper than it seems which means a horse could step on it and break a leg if you're not careful."