Roleplay

2793

May 29, 2019 11:29:52

@Cebelrai

Ira followed Qorra's gesture to the tree, and he looked it over from where he stood before approaching it for a better look. He circled it a few times, gauging its size and the space it had between the buildings before he nodded. He was sure no one would mind if he made a little adjustment to it, though as he placed his hands on the trunk he realized maybe he should have asked before he acted. It was a little too late for that, though.

Under his touch, the tree began growing and changing. The trunk grew a bit wider and the branches grew stronger. The leaves were greener and the roots though out of sight shot downward into the mountain for greater hold and nutrition. He looked back at the harpy with a bright smile. "It'll be just as good as my last home."

Mika listened as Faen explained her knowledge of magic and what she'd discovered about mana that the mages had kept quiet. He nodded along quietly as he started to understand, but it was still hard to wrap his head around the initial shock. He was impressed, though this didn't seem like the time to dwell on the achievement. He was managing to follow along with what Faen was saying, he couldn't afford to get distracted now.

It felt like he'd missed a lot of important things in the city with what she'd said. He'd thought he'd adjusted well to the cultural differences, but this made him doubt that. It felt like she was starting to get to a point where she might expect more of a verbal response from Mika. He started to open his mouth when suddenly Faen was on her feet.

He only just noticed the man had approached them. He recognized him from the tavern the previous night, but Faen had called him out by the same name as the summon she'd been talking about. This must be him... Mika was definitely startled to find he was so human in appearance, but he stayed in his seat and his eyes went to the table to avoid the cold look the spirit gave him. He didn't want any conflict, and he didn't understand why Bartholomew was so hostile toward him.

Well, maybe it was justified? He hadn't had a say in whether or not Mika was made privy to knowing what he was. It made sense for it to be just as much his secret as Faen's, given how the city seemed to respond to anything not human. He wanted to speak up and tell him he didn't want to stir any trouble, but this wasn't the place, and Faen was already sending him away. He shook his head quickly at her apology before quietly admitting, "I get it... Maybe he and I can talk and find better ground another day... But to what you were saying? What exactly is your plan for all this?"

(Edit: Forgot Double, oops)

Double let himself a fair distance into the apartment, taking just a quick second to gauge where the furniture was and 'alternative' escape routes in case he needed to them. He took a seat at one of the chairs available and gestured for Wolfsbane to come sit with him, even if he got the sense the hunter might still be rather unwelcoming and resistant to his stay being more than a few minutes.

"We went over the available evidence and there's been some... discrepancies." His pause was only to check his voice was still in line with what he needed, but he at least made an effort to place it well. "I need you to repeat to me what you found tonight. Every detail, exactly as you reported it."

With any luck, he could pull more leads from Wolfsbane's thoughts if he recounted his events like other people tended to. Then he could start actually acting on what he knew.

Last edited on May 29, 2019 11:39:07 by ValkoinenLeuka

@ValkoinenLeuka

Qorra stared as the tree transformed before her eyes. She'd seen him control roots in battle, reshape a tree into a hiding space, and he'd told her of how he made the apple trees in the orchard bear more fruit. But to actually watch such a feat of magic.

"That's so amazing," she said quietly, reaching a hand out to the tree. She half expected her hand to disappear into an illusion, but the tree was solid and healthy. "This tree's been practically dead ever since we moved into the cave. Then, with a smile she said, "I'm glad you'll be comfortable here. I'll let you get some shut eye. It's been a long day. Come join us for breakfast in the morning?" she added as she started back to the cave

Faen almost laughed. The last thing she wanted right now was for Bartholomew and Mika to talk. She got the feeling Mika still didn't quite grasp what a spirit was. Humans and spirits didn't need "common ground." Bartholomew was supposed to obey her, regardless of what he thought or felt. But before she could say anything to that effect, Mika dropped a bomb on her.

What was her plan? She leaned back in her chair and looked sadly into her empty mug. She considered ordering another drink, but thought better of it. "I don't have one," she finally admitted with a sigh. "I'm just one girl. The Mage's just see me as a source of entertainment, not anyone of consequence. I don't have any pull with them. And the lower class sees me as the mage's lapdog. They don't trust me. You've seen that yourself.

"But you," she said suddenly, "you're one of them. They might listen to you..." she trailed off. If she didn't have a plan, what right did she have to try and involve him. But he'd been at that meeting the other night. Surely that meant he wanted change too.

She sighed again. "I'm just tired. I'm tired of seeing the lower class suffer just because they don't have the same knowledge as the mages."

Bartholomew moved slowly down the street. Faen had said to go "directly" home, which meant he had to take the shortest route. But that didn't mean he had to be quick about it.

Faen rarely gave him such strict orders. Then again, he rarely gave her reason to. But her behavior had been so odd that he couldn't contain his curiosity. He'd been surprised to see her with a man, but even more surprised when he'd gotten close enough to overhear their conversation.

He'd hoped that the commoners' reaction to her in the tavern would have been enough to steer her away from this path. But apparently not. She seemed determined to enlighten the masses and depose the mages. He scoffed. She'd better not expect to drag him into the conflict. She knew his powers weren't for fighting.

Was there anything he could say to dissuade her? This was the cushiest job he'd ever had, and he didn't want to lose it.

Brand barely contained a sigh as he sat where indicated.

But when the officer asked him to recount his whole report, his temper flared. "With all due respect, sir," he growled through gritted teeth. "My report is complete. Nothing will change." If anything, whatever he said now would be wrong. He was so exhausted he could barely think straight. What had he reported? Massive property damage; dozens of injuries; eight dead (or was it nine maybe?); the mysterious creature - large, white, fox-like with six limbs; the beautiful, white-haired lady who'd supposedly become the monster; and that girl they'd spoken to, the bard. What discrepancies could the officer be looking into?

((Brand's being reluctant, but I tried to give Double plenty of mental fodder. XD ))

Cebelrai

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3274

May 29, 2019 14:22:01

@ValkoinenLeuka

Qorra stared as the tree transformed before her eyes. She'd seen him control roots in battle, reshape a tree into a hiding space, and he'd told her of how he made the apple trees in the orchard bear more fruit. But to actually watch such a feat of magic.

"That's so amazing," she said quietly, reaching a hand out to the tree. She half expected her hand to disappear into an illusion, but the tree was solid and healthy. "This tree's been practically dead ever since we moved into the cave. Then, with a smile she said, "I'm glad you'll be comfortable here. I'll let you get some shut eye. It's been a long day. Come join us for breakfast in the morning?" she added as she started back to the cave

Faen almost laughed. The last thing she wanted right now was for Bartholomew and Mika to talk. She got the feeling Mika still didn't quite grasp what a spirit was. Humans and spirits didn't need "common ground." Bartholomew was supposed to obey her, regardless of what he thought or felt. But before she could say anything to that effect, Mika dropped a bomb on her.

What was her plan? She leaned back in her chair and looked sadly into her empty mug. She considered ordering another drink, but thought better of it. "I don't have one," she finally admitted with a sigh. "I'm just one girl. The Mage's just see me as a source of entertainment, not anyone of consequence. I don't have any pull with them. And the lower class sees me as the mage's lapdog. They don't trust me. You've seen that yourself.

"But you," she said suddenly, "you're one of them. They might listen to you..." she trailed off. If she didn't have a plan, what right did she have to try and involve him. But he'd been at that meeting the other night. Surely that meant he wanted change too.

She sighed again. "I'm just tired. I'm tired of seeing the lower class suffer just because they don't have the same knowledge as the mages."

Bartholomew moved slowly down the street. Faen had said to go "directly" home, which meant he had to take the shortest route. But that didn't mean he had to be quick about it.

Faen rarely gave him such strict orders. Then again, he rarely gave her reason to. But her behavior had been so odd that he couldn't contain his curiosity. He'd been surprised to see her with a man, but even more surprised when he'd gotten close enough to overhear their conversation.

He'd hoped that the commoners' reaction to her in the tavern would have been enough to steer her away from this path. But apparently not. She seemed determined to enlighten the masses and depose the mages. He scoffed. She'd better not expect to drag him into the conflict. She knew his powers weren't for fighting.

Was there anything he could say to dissuade her? This was the cushiest job he'd ever had, and he didn't want to lose it.

Brand barely contained a sigh as he sat where indicated.

But when the officer asked him to recount his whole report, his temper flared. "With all due respect, sir," he growled through gritted teeth. "My report is complete. Nothing will change." If anything, whatever he said now would be wrong. He was so exhausted he could barely think straight. What had he reported? Massive property damage; dozens of injuries; eight dead (or was it nine maybe?); the mysterious creature - large, white, fox-like with six limbs; the beautiful, white-haired lady who'd supposedly become the monster; and that girl they'd spoken to, the bard. What discrepancies could the officer be looking into?

((Brand's being reluctant, but I tried to give Double plenty of mental fodder. XD ))

Ira smiled again. “Any tree can bounce back with a little help from a dryad. Or most far creatures that come from the woods. You don’t think the rest of the town will be upset if I restore some of the green?”

The thought of covering the newly developed area in greenery and vines made him already feel a little more at home. He felt safer to think he could just make the grass a little taller and a little greener. As soon as he had permission, he would see to it. He nodded to her invitation. “I will! Where do you have meals? Is it outside?”

————

Mika nodded a bit once again as Faen explained that she didn’t actually have a plan. That was reasonable, she was just one person and she didn’t know what she had to work with yet. It made sense in his mind, but then Faen started saying that maybe he could help her sway the folks in his area and his eyes went wide. He shook his head, almost getting up from his seat until he realized that might draw more attention.

“No no no, I am not made to make arguements like this.” Mika protested quietly. “I’m still relatively new here, I have no pull in my community, and honestly I’m probably the last person they would trust. But maybe we can find someone they would trust and talk to them together?” He offered. There was no way he’d bring anyone to their side if he had to address a crowd. He knew he didn’t have it in him. His brother back home had teased him for weeks about a particular incident where a seal had gotten into his boat and he’d apologized and left rather than shoo it away. How was he supposed to sway someone’s opinion if he couldn’t handle that situation on his own?

————

Though his attention perked at Wolfbane’s thoughts as he cycled through them, Double remained still and his posture didn’t change one bit to betray anything as he sifted through this information. He could formulate a plan with this alone, but he still needed certain pieces. Particularly the bard, if she had seen the beast herself before it transformed.

“Again, there were conflicting reports. I’m trying to find where the differences started.” He started, not bothering to quell the anger he sensed rising and that frankly was easily readable on the hunter’s face. Double couldn’t help wondering if Wolfsbane was always this way with his superiors. “The bard that you interviewed, did you get her name or her address? We might do well to see if she can repeat her statement she made tonight.”

He did spare a second to consider how he could string the hunter along. He still had pieces of his original plan coming to mind, and he weighed the possible benefits and consequences of keeping a few pieces. He would need access to a number of places only hunters could go, and it was much harder (and more dangrous) for him to be poking about alone. He had a few thoughts for pacifying the hunter long enough to make his statement and at least hold his attention, though he had to be certain he had the upper hand here. He had just invited himself in to a hunter’s house, he couldn’t get too comfortable.

ValkoinenLeuka

2793

May 29, 2019 21:47:52

Ira smiled again. “Any tree can bounce back with a little help from a dryad. Or most far creatures that come from the woods. You don’t think the rest of the town will be upset if I restore some of the green?”

The thought of covering the newly developed area in greenery and vines made him already feel a little more at home. He felt safer to think he could just make the grass a little taller and a little greener. As soon as he had permission, he would see to it. He nodded to her invitation. “I will! Where do you have meals? Is it outside?”

————

Mika nodded a bit once again as Faen explained that she didn’t actually have a plan. That was reasonable, she was just one person and she didn’t know what she had to work with yet. It made sense in his mind, but then Faen started saying that maybe he could help her sway the folks in his area and his eyes went wide. He shook his head, almost getting up from his seat until he realized that might draw more attention.

“No no no, I am not made to make arguements like this.” Mika protested quietly. “I’m still relatively new here, I have no pull in my community, and honestly I’m probably the last person they would trust. But maybe we can find someone they would trust and talk to them together?” He offered. There was no way he’d bring anyone to their side if he had to address a crowd. He knew he didn’t have it in him. His brother back home had teased him for weeks about a particular incident where a seal had gotten into his boat and he’d apologized and left rather than shoo it away. How was he supposed to sway someone’s opinion if he couldn’t handle that situation on his own?

————

Though his attention perked at Wolfbane’s thoughts as he cycled through them, Double remained still and his posture didn’t change one bit to betray anything as he sifted through this information. He could formulate a plan with this alone, but he still needed certain pieces. Particularly the bard, if she had seen the beast herself before it transformed.

“Again, there were conflicting reports. I’m trying to find where the differences started.” He started, not bothering to quell the anger he sensed rising and that frankly was easily readable on the hunter’s face. Double couldn’t help wondering if Wolfsbane was always this way with his superiors. “The bard that you interviewed, did you get her name or her address? We might do well to see if she can repeat her statement she made tonight.”

He did spare a second to consider how he could string the hunter along. He still had pieces of his original plan coming to mind, and he weighed the possible benefits and consequences of keeping a few pieces. He would need access to a number of places only hunters could go, and it was much harder (and more dangrous) for him to be poking about alone. He had a few thoughts for pacifying the hunter long enough to make his statement and at least hold his attention, though he had to be certain he had the upper hand here. He had just invited himself in to a hunter’s house, he couldn’t get too comfortable.

@ValkoinenLeuka
((Sorry for the delay. I got in a real funk over the weekend. ^^; ))

Qorra sort of just shrugged at Ira's first question. She honestly didn't think most creatures would care, if they even noticed. As long as he didn't do it on anyone's private property. To the second she called, "Just up here, where we sleep."

And with that she disappeared back under the overhanging cliff. The other members of her band were winding down for the evening as well. A couple still chatted by the dying fire. Several had left and headed off to their actual homes. The rest had pulled out cots and furs and were getting settled.

She went to the back of the cave where they kept supplies and pulled out a large, rough sack filled with wool. She dragged it closer to the fire and flopped into it. She started to arrange it to make it as nest-like as possible. While she was getting everything adjusted, the gargoyle came over.

"That new friend of yours seems pretty powerful," he commented.

"Yeah. He's good at magic, at least," Qorra agreed.

"He could be a valuable asset to our cause," the gargoyle continued.

"No," Qorra said quickly. "He's done more than enough for us already. I don't want him mixed up any further. He doesn't really have the personality for this kind of life."

The gargoyle looked a little put out, but didn't say anything else. Qorra laid back down. The salve Ira had made her was starting to wear off. But she was so tired, the pain couldn't keep her awake. Within minutes, she'd drifted off to sleep.

Faen's heart fell. Had this whole evening been for nothing? The only person who'd been willing to listen to her, and that's all he was willing to do. She couldn't go back to another one of those meetings for fear of being accused of spying. She didn't know anyone else in the lower class, or even the middle, who'd be willing to listen. And she couldn't do anything on her own.

She sat there for a minute, not saying anything. The events of the evening were catching up to her and she felt exhausted. Finally, she got slowly to her feet. "I should probably just go," she said.

Brand stared at the officer for a moment. Had he even read the report? He and Blair had both included the girl's name. And the mage who'd hosted the party would have been a better source for how to get in touch with her.

What had her name been again? Fran, Fray, Fae? Brand ran a hand over his face. "It's all there in the report, sir," he said pointedly. This was highly irregular, for an officer to come into his home while off duty and question him about a report. Couldn't it wait until morning? Did he mean to track down the girl now, in the middle of the night?

Brand tried to remember who the man reported to. He had half a mind to lodge a formal complaint come the morning. Brand may not have been the highest ranking hunter, but his quality of work should have earned him a certain amount of respect.

"I don't think the girl will be much help to you anyway," Brand grunted. "She was obviously pretty shaken by the ordeal. I'd wager she'd never seen a monster before in her life." Then again, there had seemed to be something off about the girl, like she might have known more than she was letting on.

Cebelrai

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June 03, 2019 13:22:57

@ValkoinenLeuka
((Sorry for the delay. I got in a real funk over the weekend. ^^; ))

Qorra sort of just shrugged at Ira's first question. She honestly didn't think most creatures would care, if they even noticed. As long as he didn't do it on anyone's private property. To the second she called, "Just up here, where we sleep."

And with that she disappeared back under the overhanging cliff. The other members of her band were winding down for the evening as well. A couple still chatted by the dying fire. Several had left and headed off to their actual homes. The rest had pulled out cots and furs and were getting settled.

She went to the back of the cave where they kept supplies and pulled out a large, rough sack filled with wool. She dragged it closer to the fire and flopped into it. She started to arrange it to make it as nest-like as possible. While she was getting everything adjusted, the gargoyle came over.

"That new friend of yours seems pretty powerful," he commented.

"Yeah. He's good at magic, at least," Qorra agreed.

"He could be a valuable asset to our cause," the gargoyle continued.

"No," Qorra said quickly. "He's done more than enough for us already. I don't want him mixed up any further. He doesn't really have the personality for this kind of life."

The gargoyle looked a little put out, but didn't say anything else. Qorra laid back down. The salve Ira had made her was starting to wear off. But she was so tired, the pain couldn't keep her awake. Within minutes, she'd drifted off to sleep.

Faen's heart fell. Had this whole evening been for nothing? The only person who'd been willing to listen to her, and that's all he was willing to do. She couldn't go back to another one of those meetings for fear of being accused of spying. She didn't know anyone else in the lower class, or even the middle, who'd be willing to listen. And she couldn't do anything on her own.

She sat there for a minute, not saying anything. The events of the evening were catching up to her and she felt exhausted. Finally, she got slowly to her feet. "I should probably just go," she said.

Brand stared at the officer for a moment. Had he even read the report? He and Blair had both included the girl's name. And the mage who'd hosted the party would have been a better source for how to get in touch with her.

What had her name been again? Fran, Fray, Fae? Brand ran a hand over his face. "It's all there in the report, sir," he said pointedly. This was highly irregular, for an officer to come into his home while off duty and question him about a report. Couldn't it wait until morning? Did he mean to track down the girl now, in the middle of the night?

Brand tried to remember who the man reported to. He had half a mind to lodge a formal complaint come the morning. Brand may not have been the highest ranking hunter, but his quality of work should have earned him a certain amount of respect.

"I don't think the girl will be much help to you anyway," Brand grunted. "She was obviously pretty shaken by the ordeal. I'd wager she'd never seen a monster before in her life." Then again, there had seemed to be something off about the girl, like she might have known more than she was letting on.

(No worries, hope you’re doing better now :) )

Ira nodded to Qorra as she vanished over the rockface. He merged himself away into the core of the tree, slowly adjusting to the new feeling. If this was going to be his tree for a while, he should try to get accustomed to it quickly. Shame it wasn’t any sort of fruit tree like the orchard, he would have started it on flowering tonight and had it ready for fruit by morning.

Still, it was nice to hear something outside the tree again. It was better than the silence the woods carried at night.

Ira managed to keep his early morning habits and rise with the sun, though he still stayed in his tree until he heard the town around him beginning to stir. He moved upward, coming out near the fork and seating himself against the bark as he watched other creatures begin moving from their houses to start their days.

————

Normally Mika wouldn’t have stopped someone from leaving, but he heard the defeat in Faen’s tone and his heart sunk. He didn’t want to be the reason she gave up trying to make things better.

“Wait,” He still kept his voice down and he placed a hand on the table in front of her to keep her attention. He wasn’t keen on catching her hand here or at any tavern, it just felt rude. “I’m not the person you need but I will help how I can. We can find someone to share this with, someone with real pull who can address a crowd. I do think you have something that can at least convince that one person. And if not, we can sit and talk one on one with as many people as you need until we find that person.”

That made sense, right? If they couldn’t call a crowd, they could build their own crowd person by person. And many among those individuals would be someone who could speak and sway a crowd. But this wasn’t something he could just repeat alone. He didn’t have the answers, and if Faen gave up now, there wouldn’t be any answers at all.

——————

Double was silent for a long moment, processing everything he heard, both out loud and otherwise. He was confident he could proceed on what he’d gathered tonight, even if he couldn’t get the hunter under his thumb. Still, he wanted the hunter. The assets he could provide were too good to pass up. His pride wouldn’t let him leave without trying, and he couldn’t resist the gamble of playing high stakes.

“No, I doubt a bard would have much contact with monsters. But I guarantee you I can get something good from talking with her. If you would be interested in helping me find her, and maybe following up on what we find, we might be able to pin the beast down.” As he spoke, his voice slipped away from the ranked hunter and more toward the voice he used naturally. “Given your reputation, you probably stand a better chance facing it than most.”

He gave Wolfsbane a look that could have been mistaken for a patient smile, but in truth it was knowing and a touch smug. He expected the hunter to put together the little oddities and unusualness of the visit to know something was wrong. Half of him expected an attack, and he was still mentally assembling what else he had to at least keep the hunter placid until he could be certain he’d secured the bargain.

ValkoinenLeuka

2793

June 05, 2019 12:03:24

(No worries, hope you’re doing better now :) )

Ira nodded to Qorra as she vanished over the rockface. He merged himself away into the core of the tree, slowly adjusting to the new feeling. If this was going to be his tree for a while, he should try to get accustomed to it quickly. Shame it wasn’t any sort of fruit tree like the orchard, he would have started it on flowering tonight and had it ready for fruit by morning.

Still, it was nice to hear something outside the tree again. It was better than the silence the woods carried at night.

Ira managed to keep his early morning habits and rise with the sun, though he still stayed in his tree until he heard the town around him beginning to stir. He moved upward, coming out near the fork and seating himself against the bark as he watched other creatures begin moving from their houses to start their days.

————

Normally Mika wouldn’t have stopped someone from leaving, but he heard the defeat in Faen’s tone and his heart sunk. He didn’t want to be the reason she gave up trying to make things better.

“Wait,” He still kept his voice down and he placed a hand on the table in front of her to keep her attention. He wasn’t keen on catching her hand here or at any tavern, it just felt rude. “I’m not the person you need but I will help how I can. We can find someone to share this with, someone with real pull who can address a crowd. I do think you have something that can at least convince that one person. And if not, we can sit and talk one on one with as many people as you need until we find that person.”

That made sense, right? If they couldn’t call a crowd, they could build their own crowd person by person. And many among those individuals would be someone who could speak and sway a crowd. But this wasn’t something he could just repeat alone. He didn’t have the answers, and if Faen gave up now, there wouldn’t be any answers at all.

——————

Double was silent for a long moment, processing everything he heard, both out loud and otherwise. He was confident he could proceed on what he’d gathered tonight, even if he couldn’t get the hunter under his thumb. Still, he wanted the hunter. The assets he could provide were too good to pass up. His pride wouldn’t let him leave without trying, and he couldn’t resist the gamble of playing high stakes.

“No, I doubt a bard would have much contact with monsters. But I guarantee you I can get something good from talking with her. If you would be interested in helping me find her, and maybe following up on what we find, we might be able to pin the beast down.” As he spoke, his voice slipped away from the ranked hunter and more toward the voice he used naturally. “Given your reputation, you probably stand a better chance facing it than most.”

He gave Wolfsbane a look that could have been mistaken for a patient smile, but in truth it was knowing and a touch smug. He expected the hunter to put together the little oddities and unusualness of the visit to know something was wrong. Half of him expected an attack, and he was still mentally assembling what else he had to at least keep the hunter placid until he could be certain he’d secured the bargain.

@ValkoinenLeuka
((Thanks. It kinda comes and goes, but I'm feeling pretty good atm. ^^
Also, I'm going to leave Qorra and Ira in limbo 'til the rest get to morning, if that's cool. So this one's a little short.

Also, do we need to make a new person who can actually address a crowd? lol. I can think up a new person, if you want.))

Faen looked at Mika's hand on the table and felt a strange urge to place hers on top. But she resisted. Maybe she'd been too quick give up. He was willing to do more than just listen, even if it wasn't as much as she'd been hoping for. But it was a start, and she should take what she could get. Even as a new comer, she believed he would win the trust of those in the lower class easier than she. And he knew more of them. He could ask questions and seek out new people. If she tried that, she'd definitely be labeled a spy.

She nodded, tears prickling her eyes. She was touched, but she attributed it more to exhaustion. A lot had happened that evening. "Thank you, Mika," she said quietly, hope stirring once again. "I really do need to get going for now, though," she added with a small smile, wiping a hand across her eyes. "Do you want to meet again, maybe in a few days?" She ran through her mental calendar. She had a few performances coming up, if they didn't get canceled after tonight's fiasco, but she was sure she'd have time in the next few days to pursue this further.

If Brand hadn't been so exhausted, he might have noticed the change in the officer's tone and voice. But he was too preoccupied with thoughts of sleep. He did pick up on the fact that he was being offered a job, not given orders. And yet, he wasn't sure he actually had a choice in the matter.

But the prospect of hunting and slaying this unknown beast was tempting. He knew it was a long shot. The trail had gone cold and it wouldn't get any easier to track with time. But his life's mission was to eliminate monsters. This one was clearly dangerous. He had no great love for the mages, and so wasn't motivated by any sort of revenge. But if this thing ended up in the slums...

"I'll consider this and give you my answer in the morning, sir," Brand replied. His answer would be yes, of course, but he wanted to string the officer out a bit in retaliation for the late-night awakening.

Cebelrai

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June 06, 2019 08:41:52

@ValkoinenLeuka
((Thanks. It kinda comes and goes, but I'm feeling pretty good atm. ^^
Also, I'm going to leave Qorra and Ira in limbo 'til the rest get to morning, if that's cool. So this one's a little short.

Also, do we need to make a new person who can actually address a crowd? lol. I can think up a new person, if you want.))

Faen looked at Mika's hand on the table and felt a strange urge to place hers on top. But she resisted. Maybe she'd been too quick give up. He was willing to do more than just listen, even if it wasn't as much as she'd been hoping for. But it was a start, and she should take what she could get. Even as a new comer, she believed he would win the trust of those in the lower class easier than she. And he knew more of them. He could ask questions and seek out new people. If she tried that, she'd definitely be labeled a spy.

She nodded, tears prickling her eyes. She was touched, but she attributed it more to exhaustion. A lot had happened that evening. "Thank you, Mika," she said quietly, hope stirring once again. "I really do need to get going for now, though," she added with a small smile, wiping a hand across her eyes. "Do you want to meet again, maybe in a few days?" She ran through her mental calendar. She had a few performances coming up, if they didn't get canceled after tonight's fiasco, but she was sure she'd have time in the next few days to pursue this further.

If Brand hadn't been so exhausted, he might have noticed the change in the officer's tone and voice. But he was too preoccupied with thoughts of sleep. He did pick up on the fact that he was being offered a job, not given orders. And yet, he wasn't sure he actually had a choice in the matter.

But the prospect of hunting and slaying this unknown beast was tempting. He knew it was a long shot. The trail had gone cold and it wouldn't get any easier to track with time. But his life's mission was to eliminate monsters. This one was clearly dangerous. He had no great love for the mages, and so wasn't motivated by any sort of revenge. But if this thing ended up in the slums...

"I'll consider this and give you my answer in the morning, sir," Brand replied. His answer would be yes, of course, but he wanted to string the officer out a bit in retaliation for the late-night awakening.

(@Cebelrai I know what you mean. Sorry, this month was really hectic. Honestly, they might find an NPC type character to talk to, or worst case scenario, Double can find his way into the mix XD. We might not need a fully paged character unless you want to make one.)

Mika nodded at that. "A few days sounds good. I won't have a day from work anytime soon, but I should be able to find some time in the evening again." He wasn't certain if Faen would be alright continuing to meet him after dark, or even if he would be okay working tomorrow. He couldn't afford to miss a day's pay regardless, so he would just have to find a way to keep himself together until he could catch up on his sleep.

As he was standing from the table, he remembered that Faen had sent Bartholomew home ahead of her. He wasn't certain if it was his place or not to offer, but he would feel rude not saying anything. "Are you alright walking home alone? I know you got here yourself just fine, but I thought I would ask..."

"I'm afraid morning doesn't quite work for me." Double replied, ready to approach the situation more directly. "I need you to answer me now, because I won't be here in the morning. After all, when monsters blend into a crowd of humans too well, who know where these things end up."

Double rose from his seat, already a different face and set of clothes by the time he was fully upright. He'd lost the armor and the ranked hunter's tired, grizzled features. Instead, he took the woman's form as Brand remembered her. He hadn't caught her voice from the hunter's thoughts, so it remained as his own natural sound. "I could go anywhere, and I could do anything. But if there was someone with me, Wolfbane," He gave Brand something of a grin, "I might have to play by their rules instead."

ValkoinenLeuka

2793

July 08, 2019 11:28:58

(@Cebelrai I know what you mean. Sorry, this month was really hectic. Honestly, they might find an NPC type character to talk to, or worst case scenario, Double can find his way into the mix XD. We might not need a fully paged character unless you want to make one.)

Mika nodded at that. "A few days sounds good. I won't have a day from work anytime soon, but I should be able to find some time in the evening again." He wasn't certain if Faen would be alright continuing to meet him after dark, or even if he would be okay working tomorrow. He couldn't afford to miss a day's pay regardless, so he would just have to find a way to keep himself together until he could catch up on his sleep.

As he was standing from the table, he remembered that Faen had sent Bartholomew home ahead of her. He wasn't certain if it was his place or not to offer, but he would feel rude not saying anything. "Are you alright walking home alone? I know you got here yourself just fine, but I thought I would ask..."

"I'm afraid morning doesn't quite work for me." Double replied, ready to approach the situation more directly. "I need you to answer me now, because I won't be here in the morning. After all, when monsters blend into a crowd of humans too well, who know where these things end up."

Double rose from his seat, already a different face and set of clothes by the time he was fully upright. He'd lost the armor and the ranked hunter's tired, grizzled features. Instead, he took the woman's form as Brand remembered her. He hadn't caught her voice from the hunter's thoughts, so it remained as his own natural sound. "I could go anywhere, and I could do anything. But if there was someone with me, Wolfbane," He gave Brand something of a grin, "I might have to play by their rules instead."