Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 4

[Vestige]

"It's Alain," he replied. He closed the door behind him, and followed after Constance. It was slightly odd that both of the fellow practitioners he'd met were so old, but he chalked it up to mere coincidence. Unlike the old man from Wyke, it seemed Constance more or less had her wits about her. Emily's further commentary elicited yet another smile from Alain, but he managed to control himself to keep it at just that. "So, can you tell what's ailing her? It's certainly not a fever as I'm sure you've gathered."

[Ether]

Well, it seemed that things would be fixed up, that was good. Adele wondered why Queen Ethel was deferring to Owen in regards to punishment... was it to test his character, or did she see an aspiring young ruler whom she wished to guide? It was impossible to tell with this woman... she seemed to go through life with the most laissez-faire attitude, yet when it came time to administer a punishment or something of the like, she seemed almost a sadist. She was certainly one of the last people to get on the bad side of, that much was for certain... though that particular gleeful pastime of hers made this deference even stranger...

Perhaps they would find out in time, or perhaps not. There wasn't much to be done for it either way, aside from see how Owen would respond.

[Xinnidy]

It was painful to listen to his own sister, locked behind unjust bars, venting her frustrations on the world, and she had all reason to. What could Owen say in return, however, to calm her? If I could change things, we wouldn't be here, would we? My sister would be at peace, not worrying about kidnap plans or about being sent to jail like this. Hanging his head low, Owen said nothing back, pondering himself the weight and answer to her problem. If there is some way I could make people change their opinion, I would truly like to learn it...

The awkward mood, at least to him, broke when Ethel finally stepped down the dungeon, the opening of the dungeon's entrance calling for Owen's attention. Finally, what a relief. Letting the Queen come close and speak first, the prince's eyes lit up as she asked him what should be done. Me? But, in this case... To add to the predicament, his sister wanted much of the same --to hear his opinion, that is, even if these were foreign guards...

"The lead guard had rather strong opinions about justice, if a bit headstrong. For all his worth, he seemed eager to give quite a speech about how King Edwin's laws were to be uncontested, save by the Queen herself. All that, and my sister and Adele had to surrender themselves amidst a cheering crowd." His tone was cold as he retold the event, a calculated, contained report with a hint of disdain. "A guard that follows rules blindly needs not speak so much, only to further embarrass my sister --a guest of yours-- in public. It'd be wise to remind him that." It was petty, for certain, but that man's speech still ate at Owen's pride. It would be only fair to be vindicated from the feeling of helplessness he had by sharing it. "I know not to pass judgement over another kingdom's man, but if you were to ask my opinion... I'd say he could use some time away from cheering crowds, refining his speeches. I've heard Tytila has a place to house the mad and dangerous, not as perturbed as most areas of the city, perhaps they could use another guard." After all said and done, Owen blinked, turning his sights to the floor and calming down. Was that too much? The man was just doing his job, but something about it all did bother Owen tremendously. "...or just apologies on his knees, that would be fine as well."

He was just a guest, after all.

Edited April 29, 2017 by Xinnidy

[Nanami Touko]

"Owen!" Cass piped up, aghast at his decision. "He didn't arrest us in a cheering crowd, for starters. He quieted the whole place and threatened any who continued to be taken away as well... I don't quite appreciate this, but... As frustrating as it is, it's just a mistake. I don't think Asylum detail, is..." An apology on his knees, huh... Was that still too much? Cass was upset at the system, not the man in question. He was just a stranger, doing what he thought was his job, succinctly and without incident.

"I hope you're not doing this simply because it was me that was wronged..."

Edited April 30, 2017 by Nanami Touko

[Dandragon]

This was definitely a... strange request. No one had ever asked to be punched in the gut, at least nobody sane. Yet, here was this towering man, removing the very thing that protected him from lethal weapons, just so Serge could punch him and not hit solid iron plating. Of course, it was very easy to see that Marrok had well built muscles and abs underneath the armor, so he wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't injure himself, regardless. Yeah, Serge was pretty strong, but nothing compared to Marrok.

Though, as strange as the request was, there was a temptation to follow through. He was being offered to release all the pent up anger inside in a somewhat healthy way, and he wasn't sure if he would get an opportunity like this, again. So, after a few moments of looking back at Marrok's face, than his chest, then his face again, then back to his chest, Serge took a deep breath, and decided to take the offer. So, he stood up, and adopted a fighting stance, before putting as much weight as he could into his right fist, he lunged forward, and delivered a single punch into Marrok's pecs... then pulled back and held his fist in his other hand, his miuth agape but no louder a sound than a mere whisper of an 'ahhhhhh', and pained look over his face. That definitely hurt him more than it hurt Marrok, if it did at all.

[Jotari]

Again I encounter his scent. These people, Belial himself must have sent them to me for some purpose. She smiled at the girl. Not matter how her aura felt, the persona in front of her was clearly naive and clueless. Of course that could be an act...

"Most secret" she said. "But I'm sure we can trust you." She straightened up and looked at the mage, Alain. "This girl, has she been in contact with Malaphar?"

[charlie_]

"Mmm..." Claire nodded sympathetically, not quite sure how to comfort Charlotte - especially since the girl likely didn't want to be overheard. "It still beats everything that happened in Magon, at the very least." Would the joke help? While the Gaffneys and Adele had certainly run into trouble, it was incredibly unlikely that there would be any threat to their lives. That was comforting, at least.

"Getting something to eat is alright with me... I just realised that I skipped over breakfast." Claire had been in rush to make sure that she caught Alain, and then the others had arrived without any notice. She hadn't exactly had a huge amount of free time on her hands. "Where do you reccommend?" Claire glanced at her sleeves, still a little self-conscious. Hopefully her answer wouldn't be anywhere too formal...

[Vestige]

"Yes, to some extent I suppose she has," the young mage admitted. Then again, so have you. He narrowed his gaze onto Constance. Claire had mentioned that Constance had been a teacher of sorts to Malaphar, though it was almost unfathomable that Malaphar was once anyone's student. "What does he have to do with Emily though? As far as I'm concerned, Emily's affliction and Malaphar are tangentially related at best," he said. 

[Shin]

Mad House

Ethel smiled, pleased with the judgement Owen had verbalised. "It sounds like this guard was a bit too vocal with his work. I wouldn't want people to think that your sister was a criminal deserving of arrest. There are a couple of people inside the asylum who could do with some extra security. A senior guard should make things much safer." she replied, pointing over at Sebastian. "You there, guard. Please escort our guests to somewhere more comfortable, the prison is hardly a place for the royalty of our beloved neighbour, Wyke."

Sebastian obeyed, moving over to unlock Adele's cell, shortly followed by Cass' own. The empty clunks from the locks signalled their freedom. "I'm sure our guard can also take a break to come and apologise, it would be poor form to be punished without learning his lesson." she added, watching as the cell doors opened. "People won't try and misbehave if they know they can't get away with it. It's quite fun being in charge, despite all the work, it lets you make things happen your way. Now, we should really sort this mess out. There would be far less nonsense if you went to speak to my own personal designer... or even try Sylvester's, it all depends on if you're willing to try going out again. "

Fistory

Marrok barely flinched as Serge's fist connected with him, his solid body providing more than enough of a shield against the attack. However, there had still been a satisfying thump. Marrok laughed again, rather pleased with Serge's attempt. "Not bad at all, I could feel that one! Plenty of space to improve, my boy! Maybe soon you'll be able to punch twice without breaking a hand!" he replied, crossing his arms. "Sometimes you just need to let all that steam loose! Nothing like a good slug at something to get back on track!"

Giving Serge a moment to recover, Marrok sat down next to the young man. "It ain't easy being a hero, you look like you know that already." he said solemnly, his voice far less loud than before. "All of us here have lost people we care about, and we're probably going to risk our own lives too. Everyone dies in the end, but if you try hard, you have a lot more say in when and how."

Dark Connection

Emily's eyes darted between the two mages, not quite following the conversation at its deeper levels. However, even she couldn't remain oblivious to the mention of Malaphar. "Miss Constance, do you know Malaphar? He's really scary, I didn't understand his magic at all and it gave me a really bad feeling when he used it." she added in, looking at Alain. "It made my knees shake, like it will just get worse and worse. Morganna asked me lots of questions about him, but I didn't know any answers."

She laughed, looking down at the bed. "I can't remember any of the questions she asked though, all I know is that she wanted to know as much as she could about him." she added. "Recently it feels like my memory is just falling apart, there are things that I just can't put into words.

[Juliette]

"Losing some defenses is alright with me," Freya responded confidently. "I'm tough myself, too, so I'll go with the fourth option outlined yesterday, for twelve hundred gold." She patted the top of the armor, moving it and her money forward across the counter. "I'll be fine without as much defense, and a few days is enough time for me to work with, so that's fine with me too. Anything else you need to know about it for that to be worked on, or is that all?"

[Nanami Touko]

Deaf ears, is it? Cass quietly sighed, not entirely happy with their dual decision, but not up to speaking out against it. She didn't feel much sympathy for the guard, nor anger, just a large pool of apathy that was confused by this sort of strike. Still, their cells were unlocked, and they were free to leave again. "A personal designer, is it... No, I'll... Lady Montana mentioned that place, I believe. This Sylvesters. As long as the guards will not hinder us again, I'll do my best to stand tall. These people will not get the best of me." She'd vented her frustrations and gotten back her stride. A few tomatoes and attempts at intimidation wouldn't stop her from doing this.

"What of you, Adele? And Owen... Are you both fine with returning to town, or do you think we should do otherwise? I'd very much like to try again." Confidence. Just be it. These fearful fools will not stamp you out, not without a fight.

Edited April 30, 2017 by Nanami Touko

[Shin]

Naked Snake

The armour took the money from Freya, briefly counting the coins to confirm her payment. "That should be fine, just pop back in a few days and I should be done by then." he replied, lifting the armour carefully. "Haven't had a chance to deal with something like this for a while, but I've got a feeling that it'll turn out pretty good." The armourer slowly walked through a door behind the counter, supposedly to his work area to start the task.

Freya spends 1200G to adjust her stats! Spreadsheet has been updated!

[Xinnidy]

Owen bit his lip, the guilt ramping up as soon as Cassandra objected to it. He continued hanging his head low, taking a glance to her side, but not saying a word. She did have a point, he bothered enough to calm the crowd, but still... After all that was done, that having been Edwin's law, the way he put it... it bothered me to no end. Still... As weak-willed as ever, Owen couldn't bear to look at his sister any longer.

Owen listened to Ethel's response, still riddled with a growing guilt. He could have possibly have ruined a man's life over that. He did say it was temporary, did she catch that? "...If he's already going to prepare for a temporary shift, I won't demand terribly for an apology. He is not my subject, after all." Besides, Owen didn't want to see the man face-to-face after this judgement. "He only got a bit carried with the way he addressed us, which is why I suggested either option as ways to learn." Perhaps Ethel had a point, and harsh punishments were a surefire way to get civilian unrest with regards to Cass to die down... but was it?

With his sister and Adele finally free, at least Owen could distract himself from that for the time being, just glad to be able to leave that dungeon with them. "If you will, sister, then I'll follow you, and we'll visit Sylvester's. With me at your side, at least I can have peace of mind. I'll do my best to keep them in check."

[Ether]

Owen's suggestion was... unique, to say the least. Asylum duty... Cassandra seemed surprised by the suggestion, which Adeltrudis found a bit strange. Was it truly so harsh a punishment that gave her cause to speak out? The inmates in such a place might be a bit odd, but to change from patrolling town watchman to prison guard didn't seem so severe. Regardless, it seemed Ethel was taken to the idea, so it would be done. Still, it seemed that things had been mostly resolved, with Cassandra now asking if they should return to continue their shopping, or save it for another time.

"Well, if you want to go again, so long as the remainder of the guard are made aware first, I suppose that's fine. Oh, when we were taken in, some of our possessions were confiscated, weaponry held for self-defense, should the need arise. It would be best not to forget to retrieve them."

[Nanami Touko]

That was what she wanted to hear. With a smile and a nod, Cass was ready to head on. "Yes, I would appreciate our equipment back, as well. And the guards will be informed, yes? I can... Hopefully deal, with unruly peasants, but... Well, I don't wish to cause more of a stir than that, especially not challenging what the people see as authority when you're not about. Hmm... Queen Ethel? I've had an idea, that might save us both another trip, and minor headache."

Cass folded her arms, nodding confidently. "Perhaps you could assign us a guard that you trust? If we're escorted by someone upholding the law, then suspicion or challenge is likely not to arise again. Then we don't have to worry, and you won't have to be distracted from your duties."

[riariadne]

"Well, food it is, then... hmm, but all the best restaurants are so expensive," Sidney mused aloud. "I keep forgetting to ask for money. Well, maybe we could just eat at my house- we have plenty there, and we can make a few stops at interesting places along the way if we want, or after. How does that sound? Or would you rather go somewhere else anyway?"

[Xinnidy]

Oh, that is a good point. Owen had all but forgotten of the weapons, in no small part thanks to not being confiscated. It was kind of a miracle, really. Was it not an unecessary risk to leave him potentially armed in the dungeons? Even Owen would understand dropping his sword, oh well, at least their assumption that Owen wouldn't try anything funny was very much right.

"A guard is not a bad idea, I'd feel safer in case another unadvised quartet ordered us to surrender." Provided it was viable, the option would be great. Hopefully they'd resume their morning adventures in brief time.

Edited May 1, 2017 by Xinnidy

[Jotari]

Part of Constance wanted to move to the next room so they could speak more openly, but the girl was too interesting to leave behind. It felt like she could say something important at any second without meaning to. "Morganna?" Constance muttered. That was one of Tartus' prized students. How is she involved with all of this? "Emily" Constance said gently. "What happened to you? When did you start loosing your memories?" Alain would probably know the reasoning for the girl's affliction better but Constance didn't really want to talk about Emily right in front of her. That and she figured the girl's response could be both more truthful and more illuminating.

[Dandragon]

Serge had already sat down by the time Marrok had done the same, with the former still holding his own hand. But, as he once again listened to the wise words of the Iron Knight, he looked over at Vesta, who was still inside the Guild, and thought back to Octon and Abdul at the Coliseum. Serge wasn't sure if Abdul had been prepared to die that day, but Octon...Even knowing the risks, he had stood his ground. He didn't run from the Coliseum with his life, even if he could of. But was it out of the urge for revenge, the need for money, or something else? He wasn't sure, and doubted he would ever know.

Even so, everyone inside the guild, every single mercenary looking for a job...they were all prepared to die. It came with the territory. And it was something that Serge had honestly forgotten. Hans, Lars, Emily, and even Morganna for a time. They all joined, knowing that whatever they had taken would probably have huge risks. Even Larissa had stayed, after Niko had left, and after Emily had died. With a smile on his face, Serge looked away from Vesta and closed his eyes. Why did he keep having to remind himself of this? And while he hated to even think the words, he hadn't done too terribly of a job keeping everyone else alive. ...And yet...

"It still hurts." He said quietly, opening his eyes slightly. "Even after all the death I've seen, It still hurts when someone I know dies." He put his hand over his chest, where he felt his heart beat. "It feels like I failed to stop it, like I failed to protect them. Like I failed to keep a promise I made them when I said they were a friend. It makes me sad. And it makes me angry, too. And it feels like a curse I've had since I was alive." He took his hand away from his torso, and looked at the open palm for a moment. "But I don't wanna lose that feeling. Or forget it. Cause I know if I do, I'll just let it happen, again and again, and I won't care. But, I want to care. I want to care enough to try and stop it." His hand shook as it closed into a fist, as Serge held back the tears as best he could. "And I feel like I'm going insane." He didn't know why he was pouring his heart out to this random old man. Maybe the words of 'fatherly advice' had stuck with him. Maybe he couldn't hold any of his feelings back, anymore. Or maybe he had forgotten where he was for a moment. Whatever the reason, Serge was expressing his grievances that tore at his heart in such a public place, in front of some of the most steeled adventurers and mercenaries, and he felt weak. He felt like a lost child, looking for his mommy and daddy. And, in a way, that's what he was.

[Shin]

Choke the Point

Ethel laughed, looking over at Owen. "It's good to think about your decisions, Owen... but sometimes you need to be decisive. Otherwise, people will think that they can change your mind on anything." she replied, looking over at Sebastian. "I do wonder who I could send... you're clearly busy here but I think I know the man for the job. With someone like him around, nobody would dare give you trouble. You, the one guarding the cells. Go fetch Captain Thwomp, tell him that Queen Ethel has specifically requested him to come and escort Princess Cassandra."

Giving a dutiful bow, Sebastian prepared to leave the prison. "Of course, your majesty. I shall be as prompt as I can." he replied, quickly walking out of the room. It wasn't long before the door opened again, a familiar hulking figure appearing in front of Owen's eyes again. Nearly seven feet tall and large enough to have to duck through the door, Thwomp had arrived. Dropping down onto one knee, Thwomp bowed in front of Ethel, the impact echoing across the hall.

"Your Majesty, Thwomp came as soon as possible... and understands assigned task. Thwomp would be honoured to follow." he announced, amusing his liege with his dedication. Ushering him up, Ethel smiled, gesturing over to Cass and Adele, looking over at their confiscated weaponry on a bench nearby.

"That should suffice. I hope you have fun shopping, Cassandra." Ethel added, visibly pleased with how the situation had been resolved. "Maybe you'll do better the second time around? It would be ever so tedious to visit you here again."

No Clue

"Yeah, Morganna! She was with us pretty recently, but then she dumped Alain to run away with Emmet." she replied, still stuck in her own surreal fantasy world.

Emily looked rather lost, perhaps oblivious of the seriousness of her revival. "I was helping everyone fight some bandits when we left Magon, but then there was an argument and I got knocked out by a spear." Emily continued, recalling her account of the disaster. "I had a few funny dreams, but then I woke up here. I think my memory was OK before the accident... but I'm not sure, I haven't ever been good at remembering things."

Iron Heart

Marrok listened astutely to Serge's woes, not making a single sound throughout the entire account. "Just because you get used to it doesn't stop it from being tough, Serge." Marrok replied, looking rather genuine in his sympathy. "If you carry all of that inside you all the time, it will drive you insane. Everyone has their own worries and woes, that's why we make friends with the people around us to help each other deal them them. If there are people around you that you care about, you need to keep them safe, but you need to remember that they can feel just like you."

Standing up, Marrok stretched his arms, letting out a tensed yawn. "Thinking with all these complicated things makes me want to run around or go climb a tree." he added, stepping towards the door. "You should go find your people, I'm sure they're wondering where you are."

[Dandragon]

Serge was speechless as Marrok stood up from the table, mostly because he didn't know what to say after that. Obvious things had just completely left his mind for so long, and now here he was, being told the answer like a little kid. The door opened, the man left, and Serge wondered if he would ever see him, again. The point was, however, was that he was right. He was entirely right. And it made Serge feel stupid for not realizing sooner. So, like Marrok, Serge got up from his table, and stepped out of the doors of the Heroes' Guild, intending to join the group that had gone shopping. It would at least give him something else to think about.

--

After asking for directions several times, and spending about 20 minutes wandering the city, Serge was finally pointed in the direction of his comrades, albeit with some...disturbing news alongside. Cassandra and Adele had both gotten arrested, for some reason. And he was not looking forward to figuring out why. He hoped that it didn't hurt their chances of getting any help from the queen, but he couldn't do anything about it either way. All of that left his mind, for the moment, when he spotted both Sidney and Claire. With a smile, he waved to the both of them, and walked over nonchalantly, saying nothing about the inner turmoils in his mind and heart. "So...I got my errand done. What are you two up to?"

[Nanami Touko]

"Good God, he's massive," Cass muttered in response to the literal tower of a man that has decided to join them  on their escapade. "Yes... Quite. I take it then, Thwomp," she said a bit slow, confused as to where such a name came from, "that you are not directly opposed to why we are out today?" She was curious if this was duty, an order, or simply both for him. He seemed... Rather gentle, all things considered. His deep voice and scattered words did not hold themselves to be threatening.

"In any case, if we somehow find ourselves here again, we'll have had to set the town on fire. I'm sure having this man with us will dissuade any rowdy people from doing more than glaring or hurling more fruit. And as long as our new clothes do not find themselves dirtied, I don't mind taking another tomato. Thank you for your time, Queen Ethel. I'll make sure that Owen isn't late to the meeting you asked for." Owen still did have that to attend to, so she didn't want to keep him too long, especially with time wasted as it was.

"Let's be off, then~ I want to put another cell behind us, and find something pretty to wear."

[charlie_]

"There's nowhere else I really want to go, unless you think we should stay and wait and see if the others come back..." Claire offered a slight shrug, not particularly sold on the idea. There was no telling how long that would take, or how likely it was they would run into them again either - wouldn't they want to avoid the same shop? 

Before the decision could be finalised, another familiar faced arrived - although it wasn't one that the mage had been hoping to see. "Hello, Serge." she replied, taking a quick glance at the mercenary. Well, he's not falling apart today, I guess. That might be a first as far as their conversations went, actually. Huh. "Well, We're kind of missing some people now, so that's thrown us off a little bit." She looked back towards Charlotte. Claire wasn't about to just invite the swordsman into the Montana house without her permission, or really know what to do with him at all.

Edited May 1, 2017 by SB.

[riariadne]

"That could take forever. We can just go and check maybe a couple places along the way, I think Sylvester's... no, it's the other way, or, err... well, I guess I don't exactly remember where everything is here with it being so long. But I think it's on the way back, anyway, and Cass wanted to get you something nice to put on for the wedding. I am the maid of honor, so it's up to me to help organize everything, though that'll be a lot harder without us all being here at once," Sidney prattled on. It seemed like a good idea to her, but it was not to be, as someone else came along to interrupt things. Engel above, why is this so difficult? She did her best not to roll her eyes at Serge...

But her best was fairly bad. Still, he was talking with Claire first, so he probably didn't notice."It's all so busy, very very busy! We were trying to find some suitable clothes, but Owen, Cassandra, and Adele got carted off in the most unfortunate of circumstances, so now we're all split up and it's making it unbelievably challenging to find some nice dresses and suits." It was a somewhat changed story than what she was telling Claire, and even that didn't outline her full plans for the day, but she hoped the mage didn't speak up about it. Inviting him over was out of the question, considering Claire was probably borderline enough to have over, so her options had to change. "Helping to organize a wedding is hard enough as is, and here we are with so much going wrong. What's a girl to do?"

EDIT: fuck you sf

Edited May 3, 2017 by Reinfleche
sf sux

[Jotari]

That doesn't make any sense. She doesn't have a head wound. A mild stroke perhaps? It seemed unlikely but it was the only conclusion Constance could draw. She smiled at Emily again. "Well it was nice meeting you Emily. Alain and I are going to discuss some things privately now. It would probably be best if you didn't tell anyone I was here." She beckoned the mage to come with her into the next room.