Masquerade Part 2.2: Klaatu, Barada... Necktie

[Nanami Touko]

Hurt

"I don't blame you," she said, finally managing to get that voice under control, no longer cracking and wobbling over words. It seemed he'd been alright with the kiss, so she stayed close, holding her hug and gently caressing a hand over his arm, trying to be calm and caring. Now that she wasn't freaking out over loss anymore, she could manage to give some comfort out, even if it was just a little. "But, don't blame yourself... I shouldn't be over it, but I... I should be able to keep myself together. It's okay, now." She slowly started leading him over towards the fire, a bit amused that he made his comment when he did. Her hand was still stinging-- it was going to keep stinging for a while, reminding her of her mistake... But if she could get that power under control, even if it hurt her, then, maybe there was something gained amongst all of this.

"Yeah, I am..." she said, wondering if a joke was really palatable right now, but rolling with it anyway. "My lips are really dry, and chapped... They could use some help." She cracked a small smile at that, hoping that a bit of levity would raise their spirits, so that the already sinking feelings could stay sunk, for the rest of the night. "No, I'm fine, Raith... Here." She started directing him around, to sit in front of the fire. Once she'd gotten him sitting, she slowly coiled herself around him, eventually resting herself against his chest once again. A less forced version of what had happened in the wagon, before the bridge. Breathing softly, and starting to warm up, right next to the fire, Makin slipped her coat off, and carefully started unfastening the pieces of her armor. "Just gonna... Get more comfortable, if I'm sitting next to the fire, now. I'll put the coat back on, after." She nearly blushed, but it didn't feel as awkward, considering who she was with.

A thought crossed her mind as the leather slipped off of her body, her clothes gently resting underneath. "Raith, I... I know this might not be the place to ask, but... D-Do you think I'm... I dunno..." She stopped herself from a moment, setting her armor aside and snuggling her torso back into that coat, curling up around Raith, just a bit tighter. "I know you've spent your whole life around a dragon, but... Do you really think I'm attractive? This might not be the best time to ask, but... It's just, with all this cold, it's very apparent how... Different, I am. From you." Maybe that worry was coming back, but she tried to quiet it, not wanting to get stuck in a spiral again.

Blankets

Tristram still seemed out of it, so as they left Valha near the fire, he was racking his brain for a topic. "Tristram," he started with his name, that was the simplest part, "you were a courier before, right? What did you go about transporting?" He hadn't ask this yet, so maybe he could strike up a full conversation off of it. At least the blankets were still there in the wagon, so he picked himself up a few, and handed some to Tristram. Guess I'll have to brave that house, and see if Makin's finally alright... I can only hope they are. He wanted to leave them alone for the night, honestly, but everyone needed the extra protection. The storm wasn't getting much worse, but it didn't seem to be letting up. Maybe they'd get lucky, and it'd slow down by nightfall.

Construction

Alicia tried to smile, but this time, she couldn't find it in her to do so. She simply rested her head against Lanos' shoulder, instead of letting him rest his, trying to offer him the comfort. "It'll pass," she said, wondering how long he'd felt this way about her. She didn't know anything about the girl, and hadn't even spoken to her once, but... If they had been that close, then it must've hurt more than she'd thought. She couldn't really offer him anything else. There wasn't much else to offer. Hopefully, they'd all be able to get some sleep. After that work on the house, Alicia could use the rest. They had the blankets in wagon, right? Maybe someone else is handing them out... I'll go get some in a bit, if they don't show up soon.

On the other hand, Isabelle was finding Sonia's thinking quite enjoyable. And she had to parse the information for a few moments, wondering, wondering... Oh. "What if they showed up after people settled here?" That seemed like the obvious conclusion, if they didn't run into any while setting up. That would mean the monsters came in after, but... They all seemed to have come from inland. They couldn't have lived on the main continent, people would've recorded them, and there would've definitely been knowledge on them. "Well, that doesn't make any sense, then..." She sighed, resting a head on her knee, as she pulled it up to her chin. "Oh, but, your tome seemed rather effective at dealing with them. What was up with that?" Isabelle hadn't seen it directly until the end of the fight, but it was rather impressive.

BEARS

The bear wasn't pleased as an arrow sunk into one of its back legs, falling back down onto all fours, and immediately chasing after Ferd, roaring and shouting in adrenaline and pain! Perhaps shooting it wasn't the best idea, but at least Ferdinand was able to outrun the beast, because of its fresh leg wound... Angus would probably have a harder time hitting it now, though, with it running about. He might even hit Ferdinand! What to do!?

Edited May 30, 2015 by I have opinions

[scorri]

"What? Oh, courier, yeah. Sometimes I just transported myself. Going and finding new places for my master to sell goods, that sort of thing. Other times I would transport finely worked metal goods. That's what my master did. He was a blacksmith. Is a blacksmith. Hopefully he doesn't hate me too much for abandoning him." He grinned slightly, clearly teasing slightly. Taking the blankets, he wrapped one around his own shoulders and placed the others under his arm. "Right then, who should we take these to first?"

[SB.]

Before Angus could respond to the rainbow, the bear roared and started charging towards him. Well, if Maja didn't know what they were up against before, she did now. "Stay back!" he called, reaching for another arrow. He didn't fancy the centaur's chances in close quarters with the creature, so he doubted that either himself or Maja would fair well there. His hand shook slightly as he tried to aim, nervous that he would miss, or even hit Ferdinand with the stray arrow. But it wasn't like he had much of a choice in the matter, considering that the bear would probably maul him if he didn't shoot it anyway, so he took his best shot at the creature. Hopefully it would be good enough?

[algae]

Maybe the merchant wasn't so bad after all. "I thought that too. Maybe they came from farther in the tundra? There's supposed to be a lot of caves out there, maybe they came out here for food or something, but..." The buried ones were still a problem, but at this point figuring out what happened here was almost a game. Fifty years was evidently enough distance to turn a massacre into a curiosity. "Maybe some people survived and those things chased them to the bridge?" They might have even made it out, too; the stories had to come from somewhere, right? But then why isn't there more about them on the mainland? Were the survivors just not taken seriously? Another problem...

After everything that had happened, Sonia had almost forgotten about the book."Huh? I don't know, it was just something that was on sale in Felson. Shopkeeper said something about undead, but if it works on those things too..." She passed it to Isabelle, hoping the merchant would know more about its origins. The fact that it still worked after all of this time had some interesting implications. "I guess it means that someone knew enough about those things to make weapons for them?" Maybe there's something to this 'holy' magic after all... "Wait, how did your group keep them from coming back?"

[Xinnidy]

That sure was a bear, a white and bulky, and angry. "Whoa..." Maja didn't quite listen to Angus' warning, observing just how close the animal was from Ferdinand, it seemed like a chase her and Angus would have to prevent.

Wait. That bear wasn't paying attention to Ferdinand... It was looking at them, probably triggered by Angus' arrow. Things were suddenly more dangerous. Still... part of Maja just felt like taking the challenge. Picking a hunting spear from the two she strapped to a leather belt, worn accross her upper torso, Maja readied a stance to throw it, waiting for the bear to get just a bit closer... a bit more...

Good enough. Arm lunging an upwards arc, Maja threw the spear aimed for the bear's front legs. "Ferd! Shoot at it too!" She called out to the centaur.

[Bluedoom]

Ferdinand seemed to have, without too much difficulty, outpaced the bear, although he nearly got hit by Angus' arrow. Be calm, Angus! Misfire even once and it might be it for us!

He turned to see that the bear had changed its course, and was now trying to attack Angus...and Maja? NO!Why did she have to come out of the shack now?

Ferdinand sped towards the bear, axe in his hand, ready to drive it into its skull. It was risky but it had to be done- he was the strongest of the three to take on the bear head on, and it wouldn't be good if the other two got mauled by it. In what seemed like an instant, Maja threw a spear, which struck true and pierced its right fore leg. Ferdinand kicked against the ground harder. Now was his chance!

"ANGUS, GET READY TO SHOOT! NO SECOND CHANCES, I'LL HOLD IT OFF!" he yelled at the archer before closing in on the bear and swing his axe at it from behind.

[Oersted]

"Thanks." Alicia was right; the hurt would pass, eventually.As their conversation died down Lanos found himself slipping back towards sleep at an alarming rate. He couldn't protect himself from his dreams, he had no control over his subconscious after all. And staying here certainly wasn't going to help; as kind and caring Alicia was, she just wasn't Valha. "I'm gonna go hand out blankets," he said through a yawn as he stood up and stretched. Was this an excuse to go where Valha was? Yes. Did he care? Not Really. Was he selfish for wanting to be near Valha without taking her feelings into consideration? Yes, but he was a selfish person.

Sure feels a lot colder out here now that I was actually warm. Lanos thought as he stepped outside, doing his best to close the door. It wasn't like they really needed blankets anyway with how warm it was inside the house, though on the chance the fire went out it'd probably be good to have them as backups. He didn't think anyone else would've beaten him to the blankets but sure enough, Ingverd and Tristram were already there. "Oh, uh hey Ingverd, Tristram. Mind if I help?"

[Vestige]

If she was able to jest, then he presumed she was well enough. "You'll have to try a little harder than that," he sighed, rolling his eyes at her. Burns, if left untreated, could very well become lethal. Dry lips, though irritating, held no such import. He let Makin pull him over to the fire, not wanting to tarry on the earlier subject any longer. The heat was incredibly relaxing, and he had half a mind to just nod off right then and there. But the other half of his mind couldn't help but to try and steal a glance at Makin in a state of undress. She went as far as to slip off her armor, but he was treated to nothing further. "Uh, yeah, sure, that's fine," he said, his face flushing a little. It was no longer a forbidden fruit to him, but the earlier tension made it difficult for him to ask for.

"Well, I wouldn't say my whole life, but a fair bit, yeah," he said, his lips forming a weary, thin smile. He mused on the implications of having a dragon since birth. He couldn't imagine the reaction a child would have to the towering monstrosity dragons could be. He stifled a laugh, returning to present matters. This wasn't the first time Makin had showed insecurity, or perhaps doubt, over her appearance--and he knew by now that making light of it would not end well for him. He wasn't really feeling particularly up to the task anyhow. "Different," he stretched out the word, "is a way of putting it, yes. But I wonder if you're really," he mused, running his hand through his hair. "Do you want me to wax poetic? Or would you rather have me tell you in plain words?" He didn't wait for an answer. "I'll do a bit of both," he smiled. She was right, the timing of the question was a bit poor, but he could at least be objective about it. She was pretty, and anyone who couldn't see that was either blind... or blind.

He sat still for a moment, pondering. There was near silence, save for the cackle of the fire, the howling of the wind, and the light breathing of a weary couple. It took him a few minutes to gather his thoughts. His skills were a little rusty, and he wished for more time. He leaned back onto the floor, crossing his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes, and at last, he parted his lips:

[spoiler=Beholden by Beauty]

Beauty beheld, makes the eye a thing to behold,

my eyes shine like water, now see what they hold:

A wistful maiden, enshrouded in night,

her radiance is blinding, as she basks in the light.

To her I am drawn, a moth to the flame,

for her I am rabid, a beast to tamed.

Her scent is intoxicating, a drug that I fear,

her lips taste like wine, a poison I hold dear.

She sings of redemption, a quiet melody,

she calls to temptation, a sweet ecstasy.

Men stare in wonder, the blind start to see,

their heads turn in folly, this siren whispers only to me.

Beauty beheld, makes the eye a thing to behold,

can you see now, of the beauty I've told?

He opened his eyes, and let out a yawn. It probably wasn't the greatest thing he'd ever composed, but it seemed pretty good for his first in a while. "Though, to put simply, yes, I think you're rather attractive, Makin. I don't think this is the first time I've said it, either. If you weren't," he paused, "then I wouldn't be here right now. Petty, I know," he nodded knowingly, "but everyone has their vice," he said plainly. "From top to bottom, you are every bit as alluring as any woman I've ever seen, human, or otherwise," he shrugged. Time would tell if her heart was as beautiful as the rest of her, as his mind was still plagued with doubts. But she'd said that she'd be with him for as long as it would take, so time was something he could spare--at that put some of his worries to ease. The only thing the cold had really revealed about Makin, was that she didn't function very well in it. And it goes without saying, that most people wouldn't function all too well in an arctic tundra. It was funny then, that they were spending the evening in what was once a home to someone.

[Xinnidy]

"Huh... what?" It seemed Ferdinand decided to give the beast chase instead, worried for Angus and Maja. Maja almost relied on his words, but the bear was just as fast as him, the centaur only able to hack at its back in his attempts to maul it --what a resilient bear!

"You know what... Angus, just be ready to cover me." Maja looked at the approaching animal with a smirk as she drew her second spear, walking slowly along the same line the beast was coming from. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing!" Truth be told, Maja did not. A rush of... whatever adrenaline the potion had filled her with was keeping her mind busy, instinct granting her confidence and idea of what to do. "If I miss... try to shoot him fast!" She poised with spear at its full reach, waiting for the bear to come at her.

The beast, despite having a centaur in its tail, was still charging, limps not slowing it down considerably. At one point, Maja's mind might have shouted at her to run away, being probably not the most resilient to a bear crashing at her, but that chance was long gone, the bear ever closer, and definitely not missing the trail of such a colorful target. Breathing deeply, Maja retreated her spear a bit, then moved forwards with a lunge, aiming straight at its head for the big kill.

---------------------

Back at the camp, Kadin had spent his idle time walking around the houses, the most idle activity he could think of. While he held sympathies for the company, he did not fancy the descending mood, not with his own problems in mind, he decided it was better to take a break.

But such time was long due, feeling his concerns put off of mind long enough by his stroll at the snowy ruins, Kadin flocked to the entrance of an house where he noticed quite some movement. There were Ingverd, Tristram, and now Lanos, and they looked a part busy. "Well met." Kadin neared the group, "Is there any help you need? It seems preparations are not finished."

[Nanami Touko]

Dole Them Out

"Oh, so you were like, job scouting, or something? And fine metal works, huh? Are we talking just weapons and armor, or did your boss make things like... Eh, cutlery, wall mounts, things like that?" It was a bit interesting, and he felt kinda bad for having ignored Tristram all this time, so he didn't mind inquiring further. It would at least give him something else to help keep his mind away from his own problems. "I'm sure he'll be fine with it. Who knows, maybe we'll be in Bau Berg soon, and you can go see him, let him know about your adventure. How many couriers can say they've been out here, eh?" He smiled, a finally real smile, finding a small silver lining on the situation. When they all got back, they'd have a lot of stories to tell. Maybe they could even make some money off of them. Wouldn't that be nice?

But before Ingverd knew it, he had more than just Trist trying to get in on helping. He laughed a bit, slightly overwhelmed by having to give orders. He really hoped Makin would be back up and running soon. If Isabelle could handle things, then that was fine, but she didn't seem like the friendliest person, so it'd be better to have Makin doing it. "Er, well... There's some more in the wagon. I was just going to do two trips, but... If you're both here, then, how about you two take those back into the house you came out of, Lanos? I'll take some over to Makin and Raith, make sure they're alright, and Tristram, take those ones back to Valha. I'll join you when I'm done. That should spread them out well enough. Everyone out hunting can either join myself with Trist and Valha, or go over to Raith and Makin... If they're alright, of course. Plenty of room in the other houses if they aren't. Sound good?" He started walking anyway, even if it didn't sound good, but really, it didn't seem like there'd be problems. It was just carrying blankets.

Talk

"No, that wouldn't work," Isabelle growled, getting visibly upset with trying to figure this out, not at Sonia. "There'd have been signs of things like that feeding, people would've known something was off. And if survivors did make it to the mainland, then there'd definitely be more information on this. Someone would've taken them seriously eventually-- oh, whatever!" she groaned and shook her head, throwing her hands to the side and standing up. "Enough, enough... This is just driving me bonkers. It doesn't matter, anyway, all that matters is that they stay dead. Ugh." Isabelle seemed finished with the conversation, though there was more Sonia could look through, if she wanted to.

What Isabelle wanted to talk about now, was that book. "That's telling about them, at least. They're some form of undead. Whatever form that is, I don't know, obviously. But they're something. Books like that aren't the most common, but there are plenty of spells that work on sending the dead back to being dead. So lucky you, I suppose." It just reminded her of the lance that was getting tossed around, the one Tristram had. However they came into owning these weapons, Isabelle was rather glad they did. And speak of the devil. "Tristram's lance. Seems it has some of the same magic floating about in your book, to work on the undead. I am a bit morbidly curious as to how these creatures came to be, if they are undead, but I'll save it until it matters... Which it probably never will." She went to throw another leg onto the fire, and stoked it some. At least this would keep burning into the night.

Alicia simply nodded as Lanos moved to do his thing. She wasn't all that close to him, so she didn't want to try and convince him to stay put. If it would help his head, it was probably for the best.

BEARS

Angus's second arrow flew past Ferdinand and caught the bear in its shoulder, though that seemed to do little but upset it further. Ferdinand, having to keep pace with the now slowed animal, made his swing, aiming to shut it down, but the volibear sped up at the last moment, catching the axe in its back, rather than the head. It quickly slowed pace after such a hit, and while it would have tried to persevere, Maja rushing out and striking with a new strength, secured their kill. Spears met skull and quickly broke through it, the creature letting out a low moan before collapsing against the snow, painting it red. They would eat well, tonight.

Beautiful

"Maybe later," she said to his joke back about trying harder. It wouldn't be false to say that the thought hadn't crossed her mind earlier, but now, it really wasn't top priority. Maybe if she felt better after some rest and relaxation, but definitely, right now, all she wanted to do was feel the heat of the fire, the warmth of Raith's arms, and keep calm. His blush was cute, though. It reminded her that she was older, and even if she didn't have a lot of experience with this deal, she had more than he did. She almost giggled, it was that cute. But giggles could be saved for when they were both in higher spirits. Which might take a bit longer than she'd been thinking. When he said different, she got a bit worried. Was it a bad different? Was this different something that stood out? It is a different you don't like...? "Wax poe-tic?" What did he mean? What was poetic? She didn't get to answer before he started stringing words together. It really wasn't anything to be expected.

She listened all the same, turning deeper shades of red, reflecting the fire as he went on. She didn't get the speaking style, but it was wonderful to listen to. She gently rested a hand on his chest as he continued, finding herself biting her lip, and tearing up a bit. They were... Probably the nicest words anyone had ever said about her. Even if words were just words, coming from Raith after that question, they meant a lot. She didn't know what to say, if at all. Her only response to that was to cuddle up closer to him and bury her face against his chest. A mumbled, "geez," came out, awkwardly quivering, but definitely happy. Was that all he had to say? No, he kept going ever after those lovely words, Makin shrinking again, and forgetting entirely that she was older. Maybe she really didn't have as much experience as she thought she did, because she didn't know how to handle something like this. Eventually, her eyes peeked up at him, those definitely not human eyes, wondering if he really meant all that he'd said. Maybe later was now, as she slowly found herself pulling back, ever so slightly, then undoing the first button on her coat--

"It's good to see you're both alright."

She flopped back against Raith with a squeak, eyes darting over to the door. Ingverd.

"I mean, it's nice, but, maybe wait until we're all asleep before you two get too intimate, hmm? I brought blankets... Nice to see you got a fire started." Must've been some flint already in the house, I haven't seen either of them leave. What luck! He strolled over and set them down next to the pile of snake, getting a bit of blushing scowl in return, to which he could only smirk. "I'll, uh... Leave you two be. Let you get back to whatever you were doing." He had to hold back another chuckle, quickly making his leave. If that didn't brighten his spirits, he didn't know what would. Raith's a natural snake charmer. Just get him a flute and stuff Makin into a basket, hah! That last thought did make him openly snicker, as he closed the door to their little house.

It took Makin a moment to speak again, sighing before she did. "Well... Th-That was, uhm... Yeah." That had certainly ruined whatever mood had been floating about Raith's honeyed words, but she found herself perking up into happiness, ever so slightly. She snatched one of the blankets (Ingverd knew to leave a few, there was a lot of snake), and wrapped it around Raith, grabbing another and putting it on herself. "You're close enough that your blanket will cover my tail, so... This should be fine. You, uhm... M-Might want to lose a few layers, though. So you don't overheat, and all." That's the only reason she wanted that, definitely. She went back to removing her coat, in a much more natural fashion. She didn't need that much, now that blankets had arrived, the soft fabric providing plenty of comfort on top of her situation. "Raith... Thank you." She smiled, fully, and gave him a kiss on the cheek, settling back against his chest. "It'll take some time to believe all of that, but it was... More than comforting to hear. I'll accept it all, for now..."

Edited June 2, 2015 by I have opinions

[Juliette]

"Kicked you out? What for?" Heather found herself with just as many questions as Meredith had for her. "Lanos, right? He seemed close with Vriska, and very young... I'm sure it's hard on him. At the same time, I feel it's a bit of an unrealistic expectation to be able to guard him from his feelings as well as whatever lies in wait for us. Don't push yourself too hard, so much that you forget about yourself."

Heather sighed at her brothers being brought up again. "I don't hate them, or anything childish like that. But our business is family owned, so I worked with them, and I felt their decisions started to become erred. My father passed away not too long ago, so the title of ownership went to my eldest brother, and he... is not fit for that, I feel. We fought about it, and when I couldn't see a bright future for myself continuing to stay with them, I ended up leaving. Eventually I believe I would've anyway- Ward is nice, but I was never content with staying in one place for too long. That's all there is to that, regardless."

[Vestige]

He flinched at the sound of Ingverd's voice, not entirely prepared to have another in their company. "Gods, Ingverd. Do me the courtesy of knocking next time, would you?" a hint of irritation in his voice. His irritation, however, was replaced by appreciation when he saw the blankets Ingverd had brought. "Apology accepted," he grunted, grabbing the sheets from Ingverd. As the door shut behind them, he could hear Ingverd chuckling to himself. Raith let out a sigh. "Seriously, the timing of this guy," he shook his head. It seemed Makin agreed with his sentiment, if her own reaction was anything to go by.

"Ah well, can't be helped I suppose. At least we have blankets now," he yawned. He raised an eyebrow at Makin's suggestion, but found himself going along with it all the same. "I think it'd be a little difficult for me to overheat, given our current locale. Frozen tundra, and all that. But, if you insist," he fumbled around with the buttons on his coat, until finally he managed to slip out of it. He kept it close though, just in case he (or Makin) needed another layer as the night progressed. "No need for thanks, but you're welcome," he shrugged. "It's fine if you don't believe all of it. In fact, it's probably for the best. Us men are rather simple creatures, but we get to be rather devious when it comes to women. For 'men are not to be judged by the promise of their words, but by the weight of their actions,'" he quoted. "I didn't come up with that one," he was quick to point out, "but the message is true enough, loathe as I am to admit it," he chuckled. "I wouldn't lie about that to you though," he admitted. He knew what it felt like to be deceived, and it wasn't something he would do to another without good cause.

He was at a bit of a loss now, not really sure where to carry the conversation. It felt really bizarre going from melancholic depression, to jealous anger, to placid romance all in the span of a single day. "Ummmm, so... have you, uh, read poetry before?" he questioned. He vaguely picked up on the fact that she seemed confused when he mentioned it earlier, so maybe she wasn't very familiar with it.

[eclipse]

Given the option, Meredith chose to yak about herself first. "Dad was always the type that took risks - hell, he married my mom! My parents felt that I was too comfortable with life in the house, so when I told them that I heard about mercenaries who were looking for soldiers, they told me that I wasn't allowed back home for at least a year. When I returned to the tavern the next day, the mercenaries had already left, so I wound up in Felson as a guard - first for Cedric, and later for Lanos, on Cedric's orders." She took a deep breath, and let what Heather said about her family sink in. "Huh. We're total opposites - you wanted to see the world, and my parents wanted me to take risks. I can't imagine going out and about for the sake of adventuring. . .but neither could I imagine myself taking over my dad's business. He told me I have no head for it. If you don't mind me asking. . .what was your father like?"

---

Elsewhere, Meredith's father suddenly remembered why he felt that his only daughter had no business being a merchant.

[Xinnidy]

With the tense moments before the beast fell down over, Maja took deep breaths, feeling a high rush of adrenaline from the potential danger she faced. Retrieving her lance from the bear's skull, Maja looked at the tainted red snow with contemplation. Right, I just killed a thing. Not just a zombie or anything... it comes with the job, hm? A buzzing feeling ran through her mind, and Maja couldn't help but feel alarmed, as if the fight wasn't over. She turned back and flinched when she noticed a shadow, quickly raising her lance, but let go when reminded that it was just Angus, whom Maja'd left behind. "Uh... is that enough for all of us? I think that's going to be heavy to carry back, as it is." Though Maja was talking to Angus, her eyes were still shifting around, unable to let that feeling go. What is going on? Are we being watched? Is this magic?

"Well, doesn't matter. If we can bring that bear back, then we should go now. Shouldn't keep the others waiting on food until the sun sets." With a shift, Maja picked up the bear by one paw and tried to slide it across the snow with her strength. As capable as she felt, that wasn't going to fly. "Uh, Ferd, can you help take the bear back?"

----------------------------

"Is that so? Very well, I will lend a hand." Nodding, Kadin took to the wagon and picked up a large helping of blankets. "Ah, Lanos, will these be enough? I do not know how many there are inside." Kadin brought the blankets in sight as he took off the wagon, a good seven of them folded and held by his arms, reaching the base of his chin. There was some concern regarding the incidents earlier at the bridge when he looked at Lanos, but Kadin was unsure whether it'd be any tactful, in case other people already bugged enough. Debating his thoughts inwardly, Kadin instead settled for a weak smile. "I can't see wings enjoying this weather much. Maybe you should grab extra." Perhaps some things were left unsaid. At least, I don't feel anything else. I still can't wrap my head against the crimes I was accused of... Maybe there was a silver lining, after all.

[Oersted]

"Can do," Lanos answered Ingverd before beginning to carefully take blankets from the wagon. Kadin was much faster than him, already acquiring quite the pile while Lanos himself had only two. "Yeah, that should be enough, there's six people in there. Though if you count the people out hunting we might need one or two more." Which was the number Lanos had, perfect. "I'll be f-fine, it's plenty w-warm in the houses." Lanos couldn't help but just stop after that display and then let out a sigh. "You're pr-probably right..." he said as he scooped up a couple more blankets.

[scorri]

Trist nodded to Ingverd before heading over to where Valha was. She was still asleep, so he waited just outside the house, figuring that Ingverd would get there eventually.

[Juliette]

"I see... I'm not sure whether or not I should think that harsh or fair," Heather wondered aloud. "I'm sure they have your interests at heart, at least. What an interesting way to find yourself here among all of us- though, from what I can tell everyone had their own unusual circumstances leading up to this. Funny how that works."

Heather paused to think for a few moments when Meredith brought up her father. "He was an inspiration to all of us- encouraging us to be responsible, develop good habits, and follow what we believe in for ourselves. I looked up to him, and still do. I doubt that I'll ever not, honestly. He was wonderful." She sat reminiscing for a few moments before speaking again. "What do you think of Lanos? I don't have much of an opinion on the harpies... they seem very quirky. I rarely ran into any of their kind before now, and I've no idea how to understand them."

[algae]

Even if it wasn't particularly surprising to see the elf get frustrated, it still caught Sonia off guard. Perhaps these mysteries were too much of a distraction. "Y-yeah, I guess as long as we know what we're dealing with, we'll be fine. Everything else, we can find out on the way." Whether or not knowledge made up for losing two magic users (or if knowing would even help) was another story entirely. And while it might not matter, strictly speaking, the whole area seemed to be rife with history, and maybe even clues about their next destination. And if these things are undead, that would tie in to all of the legends, but do undead even last that long? Or, how long do the spells that hold them together last? Would someone have to keep coming back to create more when they all wore out, and do they have to be nearby to control them? ...Is someone controlling them?

[Bluedoom]

Ferdinand breathed a sigh of relief as the bear plummeted to the ground upon Maja striking it accurately. It seemed to Ferdinand that he had underestimated her- she was capable of holding her own in close quarters combat. Yet I still feel like the kids shouldn't stay...perhaps age is getting to me.

"Good work Maja, I'll carry the bear. Shouldn't be too heavy... I hope."

He noticed Maja being alarmed by something, her eyes shifting around. "Anything wrong? You don't seem to be calm at all."

[Xinnidy]

"Uh... I don't know." Maja answered Ferdinand, letting her gaze drop to the bear. "I just ...thought it wasn't over? Maybe something is nearby, I have no idea." It was as if the adrenaline rush just wasn't dropping, and Maja had no idea how put it in words. "Like... I don't know, I don't feel anything magic, but I still think we're not alone... this is weird. Maybe it is all these bonewalkers around?" Shrugging, Maja took another paw and tried to position the bear so it'd be more manageable to Ferdinand. "Ugh, this guy is really fat, maybe we should slide him across the ice." Either way, they were taking that bear to the camp. No way they'd miss out on a lot of food like that. Hee, maybe Makin will be impressed that I took this guy down! At least, it was something Maja would be proud of.

-----------------------

"Heh. The cold is not easy to endure for long, make sure you're comfortable." Giving a pat on the harpy's shoulder, Kadin followed Lanos to the house. "...Sometimes, we can only get stronger if we give ourselves time, take it easy." Kadin gave his word of advice. The most sensible advice he could be without directly touching the subject, Kadin figured.

[Nanami Touko]

Rhythm

"Mmm... I know you wouldn't lie. Like you said, if you didn't mean it, you wouldn't left a while ago. You had a pretty good chance to leave while we were in Felson, anyway, and you didn't take it, so..." She cuddled him closer, yawning, trying to relax. Her emotions were fading away straight into tired, and it was starting to take over. They'd have to sleep soon, or at least Makin would, with the days events all having added up. There was one question left to answer before she dozed off, though, and it was about that thing Raith had said. It was so pretty... "Uhm... Uhhhh... Lemme think..." She furrowed her brow and grumbled a bit, trying to remember if she'd ever read any of this mysterious Poe-try-- "Oh! Uh. Kurt, brought it up once. He's the guy that owned that inn we stated at in Felson... Said it was something about rhyming words together, but... Well, whatever it is, we don't have anything like it in the desert. So... It was nice to hear something so eloquent and beautiful. Eheh." With a rather sheepish glance, Makin finally closed her eyes, and rested entirely against Raith. "My tail's not on too tight, so... I hope you're comfortable... I'm gonna... Nod off..." She yawned again, and started trying to drag herself towards sleep, whether it was still the evening or not.

Sleep

With emotions running out on most of the mercenaries, and energy running out on the others, sleep was coming earlier than it would on a normal day. Despite it only being the start of the evening, a lot of them were starting to fall asleep. The hunting group did return before all passed out, and some food was given out. As gamey as the bear was, it was refreshing to eat something, especially something so plentiful. With bellies full, the group descended into sleep, and started to regain their strength, for another day...

Dawn

The sun still hadn't come up yet, but something stirred Makin. The soft sound of footsteps in the snow had broken her light sleep. She couldn't tell what it was, obviously, but they were walking at a steady pace. Not towards the door, just... Around the house. She heard them throught he cracks in the wall, but as it was still dark, she couldn't make anything out. The fire inside the house was dim now, just embers crackling amongst themselves on the charcoal. I guess... I guess I should check it out. Makin slowly uncoiled herself from Raith, calmly laid him down on the floor, and took a moment to fasten herself back into her coat. I should probably... No, I'm sure it's just some animal snooping because of the smell and the light.

With what bravery she could muster in the dark of night, she slowly creeped towards the door, and opened it a crack-- there was a skeleton. A skeleton, right in front of the door. The walking noise had been a bonewalker, slowly patrolling their new campsite. Makin froze, and it took everything she had to not scream. It was terrifying to see something like that, up close, so late at night, when everyone had been so defenseless in their sleeping. To make matters worse... It noticed her. It slowly turned its undead skull to stare back with hollow eyes, the bones cracking every so slightly as it did. But it did nothing else, finally breaking its gaze and turning to walk off, back over the tundra... The storm had ended by now, but from the way the house Makin was in was positioned, she couldn't see where it had went. She finally closed the door, and collapsed against the wood floor, shaking. That had certainly been one of the more terrifying experiences in her life. But it was clear that something was going on. She could still hear footsteps, so whatever the creatures were doing around, it wasn't something good.

"A-Armor..." she whispered to herself, quickly making towards it and starting to clip the leather into place. She prodded Raith with her tail as she worked, hoping the movement would rouse him. It was clear that their newfound rest wasn't about to last very long.

The sounds of snow crunching under foot could be easily heard around all of the houses, shaking some of the mercenaries from their sleep!

What could these skeletal scouts be doing, so late at night...?

Wake up, and Deploy!

[Oersted]

[spoiler=Pre-TS]"Yeah," Lanos said with a nod before leading the solid ghost to the house. He's... talking about Vriska's death's effect on me. Right. "Thanks," Lanos said to Kadin's advice, sensing that he didn't really want to get into the issue. The blankets were distributed, except for the extras Lanos grabbed for hmself, and he once again left the warmth of the house to venture out into the cold, this time head right to one of the other houses. Tristram was standing outside so Lanos figured Valha was inside and that she was, sleeping by the fire. He placed on of the blankets over her and sat himself against the wall, finally giving into his fatigue after wrapping himself in the other blanket.

Lanos had gotten almost no sleep, staying awake after having two different and vivid nightmares; Valha's presence not helping like he'd thought it would. And now it sounded like there was someone or something walking around outside. But who would be walking around in the dark at whatever time it was now? He doubted it was one of the mercenaries, it sounded like it was circling the house. He crawled as quietly as he could over to Valha and lightly shook her. "Valha," he whispered, "It sounds like there's something walking around outside the house, I don't think it's anything good."

[riariadne]

"Valha! You are not fit to rule the harpies, much less anything!"

"Some joke, this one wanting to be in charge! For all her talk of morals, she started it all on her own by stealing, and she's got the gall to call herself in the right."

"You're not a hero, Valha, you're just as bad as the rest of us... I know you've got a vicious side! I've seen it, felt it, and that's how you really are."

"STOP!" Valha screeched at the apparitions before her uselessly in anger. "I'm better than this... better than you all know!"

"... Stop..." The little harpy rolled to the side in her sleep distressed by her dreams, but when she felt something she was quick to growl and claw at the offender- though rather weakly in her sleep. Coming to her senses made it clear that the person who woke her was not an enemy. "Oh... sorry. Just a little paranoid." Giving the other harpy a small hug as compensation, Valha shook her head and stretched her wings to help wake herself better again. "I know it's good to be the early bird, but... walkin' around? Out there?" she whispered in response. "It's so dark 'n cold out... After yesterday, I just wanna keep bein' a sleepy bird. But I guess I don't have a choice. Maybe that's for the better, if my dreams keep bein' how they were. We better all take a look together, then..."

Valha slowly clawed her way up to her feet, collecting her equipment then heading towards Ingverd, who looked to be asleep, and nudged him gently. "Hey... Lanos said he heard a funny sound outside. With how it is out there, seems like we should stick together. You up for it?"

[Vestige]

Makin's gentle prodding was well meant, but it translated quite poorly into Raith's dreams. He shot up, drenched in a cold sweat. His first thought was to look around for signs of danger, but his vision eventually came to rest upon Makin who was slowly putting on her armor. The familiar sight put his worried mind at rest, and his heart slowed to a quiet murmur. He stretched a bit, yawning as he slipped out from under the blankets and slipped on his coat. "Something the matter?" he questioned. If she was slipping on her armor, chances are he wasn't roused for anything particularly pleasant. Even without a reply, it soon became obvious that something was indeed "the matter". The sound of crisp movement echoed across the landscape, and for a moment he thought he were being beset by an army. He shook his head, dismissing the idea. There was no clinking of armor to be heard. I'd be glad if we saw any sort of soldier out here--presuming they were of flesh and blood. And of sound mind. Rabid militants were not something he was too fond of facing, though he didn't imagine it to be impossible. He'd seen some unbelievable things out here already. He grabbed his staff and stood up. "Sounds like trouble..." he muttered. Trouble indeed.

[algae]

There had to be something out there. Sonia would have had an easier time believing she was just hearing things if the sounds didn't keep coming. The decision to stay awake for much of the night (which was a conscious decision and certainly not a consequence of lingering fear and paranoia) had just justified itself, as had the decision to keep her weapons within reach. Surely the source of the noises knew there were people in the building, but whether it would try to do anything about them was another matter entirely. If it's more of those things, they'll do exactly what they did to the people that lived here before. Not worth the risk. Setting up a sneak attack was, however, so she quietly grabbed her tome anad placed herself within reach of the door. If it was, in fact, some horrible monster, maybe she could hit it first and buy the others some time, and if it wasn't... well, they were too busy sleeping to see her get worked up over nothing.