Take A Deep Breath

[+Sorana]

8 hours ago, The Awakened Salad said:

She waited until the hairdresser had finished speaking, then interjected, “I can’t promise anything, but I can try and get food for both of you. There’s a food vendor I’ve worked for before. I might be able to convince him to give you two a free meal, as my pay.” 

"Thank you." Ophelia sagged in relief, still holding the bag close to her chest. "Thank you so much." She paused, tried to think of something she could offer in return and came up with nothing. She couldn't really give a used dress away, could she?

"I could cut your hair?" She finally offered hesitantly, because it was the only thing she could do, that was real and no charity. "For free." She clarified, although if the girl had a place where she worked she probably would have been able to afford it. Maybe? Ophelia had no idea what she should ask for a hair a cut, she had never worked for only a few hours for the same person. She was used to take care of the same ones daily, to get their hair done in the mornings, to regularly cut it a little, to see the same faces daily.

Slowly she moved a little away from the boy, afraid that he would reach out for her bag again. The girl she had thrown the coin to bought some food with it, reminding her, that she probably had just given away her only chance for a hot meal today. Not that it mattered. Hopefully she would find another way to eat something.

"I am Ophelia." She introduced herself when she realized, that she didn't had a chance to do that so far.

[I think I am here.]

22 hours ago, Sorana said:

She continued to press her bag to her chest and then looked at the sailor. "Do you need a haircut, sir?" She asked, hoped that her voice wasn't shaking too much. "I am good and I can also trim your beard."

Aoryen looked at the girl, offended.

“By the waves, no! What’re you thinking, girl? A man’s honour rests in his beard, it’s the Sailors’ Code!” He smiled and took a moment to pose. After his moment in the sun he looked back down at the girl. “But, er, a trim could do well by one like me. I have some shiniest of my own I can pay with.”

He craned his neck at the other girl offering food. “And what would that be, lass? A bodyguard? You’d be better hiring some rough-and-tough bloke of a mercenary, girl.”

[+Sorana]

1 hour ago, I think I am here. said:

“By the waves, no! What’re you thinking, girl? A man’s honour rests in his beard, it’s the Sailors’ Code!” He smiled and took a moment to pose. After his moment in the sun he looked back down at the girl. “But, er, a trim could do well by one like me. I have some shiniest of my own I can pay with.”

Ophelia shrank back at his offended glance, cowered a little. "I'm sorry." She started and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. It was never my intention to offend you, I only, I wanted - " She fell silent when she realized that he had resumed speaking after letting go of his pose. Pay with. What did he want to pay, he had been so offended about a trim of his beard, so why should he talk about coin? Unhappily she looked at her feet, wished that she had never tried to find a customer. Obviously she was even worse with that, than she had expected. She had thought that it would be easy. Shop up, demonstrate your skills, have a place to work. The last days showed easily, that she had been wrong. That she had no idea about anything outside of being a nice and quiet servant.

She was still clinging to her bag, tried to figure out why he had mentioned money, when she felt like slapping herself. "So you hair?" She asked timidly, hoped that she wasn't trespassing again, or that a sailor's hair carried some virtue as well.

[I think I am here.]

20 minutes ago, Sorana said:

She was still clinging to her bag, tried to figure out why he had mentioned money, when she felt like slapping herself. "So you hair?" She asked timidly, hoped that she wasn't trespassing again, or that a sailor's hair carried some virtue as well.

“Aye, my hair. How much will it be costin’, then?” He said then raised a hand.

“It better not be my Breath, that’ll be one chip I can’t bargain with today, lass.”

Edited October 31, 2019 by I think I am here.

[AonEne]

On 10/28/2019 at 10:44 PM, AonEne said:

“All right,” Clare whispered, suddenly shy at the thought of staying with this boy and his family. “Thank you.” She followed him. 

Quote

Are we RPing this, or skipping to morning...? 

 

[The Awakened Salad]

On 31/10/2019 at 5:13 PM, Sorana said:

"I am Ophelia." She introduced herself when she realized, that she didn't had a chance to do that so far.

“My name’s Ana,” Ana said. Her mind had already started to brighten when Ophelia had offered to cut her hair. She wished she had something to pay her, aside from the almost-promise of getting her food. But if she cut her hair, would that make her stand out even more? Make her even more of an outcast? 
“Thank you,” she said to Ophelia. “But I don’t want to accept it right now. It wouldn’t be right if you did that for me and then I couldn’t get you any food.” 

On 31/10/2019 at 10:32 PM, I think I am here. said:

He craned his neck at the other girl offering food. “And what would that be, lass? A bodyguard? You’d be better hiring some rough-and-tough bloke of a mercenary, girl.”

 “No, no! Nothing of that sort...” Ana trailed off, realising just how large the sailor in front of her was. If she managed to offend him... his hands were so big they looked like they could crush her skull. She looked down at the mud still staining her skirt. Thankfully no one seemed to notice, or there were bigger concerns than her attire. 
“I just wanted to ask if you could scare off some street urchins,” she said, still looking down. “They’ve been harassing my father and I ever since we moved here. I’ve tried telling them to go away, but of course that doesn’t work. They’ve stolen our food when I come home from the markets, and they throw rocks at my father’s window when he tries to sleep. I know they’re just trying to survive... but... Why do they hate us so much?” She stopped talking when she realised she was rambling. Quickly, she added, “But of course you don’t have to if you don’t want to. And I better actually get you some food first, to uphold my end of the deal.” 

Edited December 13, 2019 by Ookla the Silent

[+Sorana]

How much did a haircut cost. Ophelia tried to come up with a number and finally setteled with something she really needed. "A warm meal." She told the sailor and smiled a little at him. A warm meal. And if it worked and she really got another one from Ana, that made two meals. Enough to survive the day. "I would never ask for your breath." She added with a sincerity to her words, that made them stand out, that rang loudly in her ears. "Never. Not for a haircut, not for food, for nothing." Not after everything that had happened. Not after she had been betrayed like that. Once you lost it, only then did you know how much it had influenced you, how much light it had added to your life.

Disappointment settled heavily on her shoulders when Ana declined, and she looked at her hair again, knew that if she only allowed her to spend a few minutes on it, she could so wonders. More if she had some time, but a few tiny improvements. She sighed and accepted the no, felt sorry for the short strands of hair. It was rare that hair had such a beautiful colour, that looked so healthy, with so little care. Still she didn't adress it again. A no was a no. You didn't press when there was a no. Everybody knew that.

[Karger]

Quote

How much does a breath cost?

 

[AonEne]

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A lot. 

 

[+Invocation]

On 10/28/2019 at 11:44 PM, AonEne said:

“All right,” Clare whispered, suddenly shy at the thought of staying with this boy and his family. “Thank you.” She followed him. 

"So." Kazil felt awkward bringing this up. He'd gathered that it could be a somewhat unpleasant question to ask, but he was very curious. Then again she was a Tonist, so she probably gave it to their gods. "What happened to your Breath?"

Edited November 1, 2019 by Invocation

[AonEne]

1 minute ago, Invocation said:

"So." Kazil felt awkward bringing this up. He'd gathered that it could be a somewhat unpleasant question to ask, but he was very curious. Then again she was a Tonist, so she probably gave it to their gods. "What happened to your Breath?"

Clare wilted. He had noticed. “A man told me he’d give me food for it, and then he didn’t.” She made a betrayed face. “He was rude.” 

[+Invocation]

Just now, AonEne said:

Clare wilted. He had noticed. “A man told me he’d give me food for it, and then he didn’t.” She made a betrayed face. “He was rude.” 

"Ah. No shame in that. Something near to that happened to me too." I thought I had that pinned. He mentally shrugged. Guess you can never guess based on first impressions, huh? "Ah, well. It could have been worse for the both of us, yes?"

[AonEne]

3 minutes ago, Invocation said:

"Ah. No shame in that. Something near to that happened to me too." I thought I had that pinned. He mentally shrugged. Guess you can never guess based on first impressions, huh? "Ah, well. It could have been worse for the both of us, yes?"

“How?” Her eyes went wide. “Do you mean we’d be DEAD?” 

[+Invocation]

Just now, AonEne said:

“How?” Her eyes went wide. “Do you mean we’d be DEAD?” 

"Possibly." That's not the way to talk to kids, Kazil. Yeah well how was he supposed to know how to talk to kids? He was a kid! "Or maybe just really boring. This way, we're neither of those things, so I'd say we got the best option."

[AonEne]

34 minutes ago, Invocation said:

"Possibly." That's not the way to talk to kids, Kazil. Yeah well how was he supposed to know how to talk to kids? He was a kid! "Or maybe just really boring. This way, we're neither of those things, so I'd say we got the best option."

Clare smiled. “I like not being boring or dead. But you wouldn’t be boring anyway, I bet. You’re cool! Cooler than me,” she added bashfully. If I was cool, maybe my mom would love me still. 

[+Invocation]

Just now, AonEne said:

Clare smiled. “I like not being boring or dead. But you wouldn’t be boring anyway, I bet. You’re cool! Cooler than me,” she added bashfully. If I was cool, maybe my mom would love me still. 

"Ah, you're plenty cool, little one. All you need to be cool is to keep on doing what you like best, you know? Everything can rot. It's what makes you happy that matters." I'm really bad at motivational speeches. Cliche and probably ineffectual at the same time has to be some kind of record. Kazil grimaced in spite of himself. 

Quote

Hey Ene should we send these two over to the area of the rest of them? I think I figured out a way to do so if you're down for it.

 

[AonEne]

17 minutes ago, Invocation said:

Hey Ene should we send these two over to the area of the rest of them? 

Quote

If you’ve got a way, go for it! 

“Mmmm,” Clare offered, nodding sagely, acting like she understood. 

[+Invocation]

22 minutes ago, AonEne said:

“Mmmm,” Clare offered, nodding sagely, acting like she understood. 

As Kazil was desperately looking around for something to distract himself from the shame of actually having to pretend to be the wise one for once, he spied a familiar face walking down a side alley. No way...it can't be him. But what if it is? It can't be. But what if...? Screw it. I'm going for it. "You're going to have to keep up with me moving at speed really quickly, Clare. I think I may have just spied a way to help at least one of us. If you can't keep up, come back here. I'll do my best to find you." There's no way there were two Pahn Khals in the city with that beard style. No way, even in T'Telir, that those two things could line up. It had to be him. Him. Him, the cursed "agent" who stole Kazil's Breath.

Here was a chance. He would not throw this shot away. He tensed his legs, spied his chance at an opening in the crowd, and shot off after the man down the alley. He would catch him. 

He chased the man who had given his name as Agenti for what seemed like an hour, not caring if his little companion kept up, dodging through crowd after crowd, at one point jumping over a horse, and at another sliding under a carriage, fraying his pants on the cobblestones. 

And yet he never caught the Pahn Khal man he was chasing. By the time he accepted that he'd truly lost the man, they were near the heart of the city, in a food square, vendors to one side and restaurants around. In that moment, rage pulsing and running fever up, he cast all thoughts of how he would look from his head and began to shout. "Has anyone seen a Pahn Khal man? With a strange beard? Anyone? Please!"

@ [everyone, because I think we're all in the same place now.]

[I think I am here.]

On 01/11/2019 at 5:37 AM, The Awakened Salad said:

“I just wanted to ask if you could scare off some street urchins,” she said, still looking down. “They’ve been harassing my father and I ever since we moved here. I’ve tried telling them to go away, but of course that doesn’t work. They’ve stolen our food when I come home from the markets, and they throw rocks at my Father’s window when he tries to sleep. I know they’re just trying to survive... but... Why do they hate us so much?” She stopped talking when she realised she was rambling. Quickly, she added, “But of course you don’t have to if you don’t want to. And I better actually get you some food first, to uphold my end of the deal.” 

“Street urchins,” Aoryen repeated, then nodded. Not sea urchins, street urchins. Hooligans. That was fine, anything for a meal. He looked to the girl offering to cut his hair and shrugged. A hot meal as payment. Well, he didn’t have a meal on him now, but he was sure he’d get one if it meant paying her. Sailor’s Code. You always paid your debts.

“It’s a right deal then, girl,” he said. “For the both of you.”

Seeing a boy (so many kids here, Aoryen thought) run into the square, shouting about seeing a Pahn Khal man with a beard. Aoryen furrowed his brow and shook his head.

“What business d’you have with him?”

[+Sorana]

8 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

“It’s a right deal then, girl,” he said. “For the both of you.”

Seeing a boy (so many kids here, Aoryen thought) run into the square, shouting about seeing a Pahn Khal man with a beard. Aoryen furrowed his brow and shook his head.

“What business d’you have with him?”

"Someone stole my breath!" Ophelia exclaimed and then pulled up her shoulder's when she realized she had nearly shouted all over the place. She swallowed and added in a normal volume. "What I was trying to say is, that I haven't seen him, but that someone who might fit this description took my breath without paying me. I think."

She fell silent, then realized that she still hadn't replied to the question. "I met him not too far from here, but that was days ago. I don't know if he's still there."

Quote

I hope that's alright Invo , if not I can edit. But that was too much of a coincidence to let it slip.

@Invocation

Edited November 3, 2019 by Sorana

[The Awakened Salad]

Ana watched as Ophelia's face darkened when she refused her request, but there was nothing to be done now. If she suddenly changed her mind, would that make her look indecisive? Pliable? She offered Ophelia a small smile. "Maybe one day," she said.

She shifted her attention to the sailor, waiting for his response. She wanted to throw her arms around him when he agreed to help her. One victory for the day. "Thank you so much," she said, curtsying, slipping into old habits of etiquette. "May I ask your name?" She blushed, remembering she was talking to a sailor, of all people, and from what she'd experienced, they were the last people who cared about manners. Still, he was doing her a favor, so it was only right to be polite. 

"I'll go and see if I can get you two some food," she said to Ophelia and the sailor, then turned away and headed to a nearby vendor's cart. Her heart was beating quickly, excitement and nervousness tangled in her pulse. She had never really spoken to strangers before, especially on her own, but she had done it! Sure, it was still scary, but she felt accomplished, even if it was something most people would find trivial. The man running the stand smiled at her as she approached. He was grilling fish skewers. "Hello again, miss. After some work, are we?" 

Ana nodded, "I am, but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind... umm..." she wrung her hands together. "I know two people who are in need of a warm meal. Would it be all right if, instead of paying me, you'd give them something to eat?" She looked at the man hopefully. "I'll work extra for you. I can clean dishes, and dispose of scraps," she added quickly. Part of her berated herself for giving up money to feed two strangers. But she had already committed to it, so there was no going back. Besides, they had food at home - just a little bit - but it was probably more than Ophelia had. And the sailor - she hadn't even waited for him to tell her his name before she had rushed off! - he was going to help her with those urchins, which would help in the long run. The man smiled, "Of course, dear." He held up a finger. "I'll give you these fish skewers here, if you promise to come back and help straight after you give them to those two you were talking about. If you don't, well, I'll just tell you that I don't give away free food. Bad for business, you know." He gave Ana a hard stare, then smiled again and handed her the food. Ana took two skewers in each hand, marveling at the generosity. "Thank you," she said. "I promise I'll come right back." She turned around and started to head back to Ophelia and the sailor. As she did, she noticed a boy, around her age, run into the square and shout about a Pahn Khal man. She watched as Ophelia started, and yelled something too, but it was lost in the crowd. Ana rejoined the group and offered two skewers each to Ophelia and the sailor.

"These are for you."

@Sorana

@I think I am here.

Edited November 4, 2019 by The Awakened Salad
Fixed some continuity errors

[+Sorana]

2 hours ago, The Awakened Salad said:

"These are for you."

Ophelia stared at the food in surprise, then she inclined her head gratefully. "Thank you." She took a first bite and it tasted delicious. "Thank you so much." Hastily she took another bite, then another grateful for the first warm meal in days. It was warm and it smelled so good the she paused, only to take a deep breath, savoured the smell of the food.

"It's fantastic." She smiled at Ana and then hastily continued to eat, took one bite after the other, chewed, swallowed and then took immediatly bit into the skewer again. She didn't look up again until the food was gone, and then licked at her fingers to get every remaining crumb as well. She paused when she realized that all of them had to be observing her and slowly lowered her hand again, suddenly embarressed at the way she had stuffed the food into herself.

[AonEne]

Clare burst out of an alley, gasping for breath. “Kaz -“ she got out before staggering into the wall and pressing herself to it, breathing hard. I followed you, I made it, she wanted to whisper, but she was a few minutes behind and she was exhausted. 

[+Invocation]

On 11/4/2019 at 8:52 PM, AonEne said:

Clare burst out of an alley, gasping for breath. “Kaz -“ she got out before staggering into the wall and pressing herself to it, breathing hard. I followed you, I made it, she wanted to whisper, but she was a few minutes behind and she was exhausted. 

Kazil almost didn't hear her, still trying to get people to answer him but eventually it got through his skull and he turned to her, grimacing. "I'm sorry about that. I saw...I thought I saw someone I knew. I didn't mean to leave you behind."

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Apologies for the delay, Ene. I have been so very tired.

 

[AonEne]

38 minutes ago, Invocation said:

Kazil almost didn't hear her, still trying to get people to answer him but eventually it got through his skull and he turned to her, grimacing. "I'm sorry about that. I saw...I thought I saw someone I knew. I didn't mean to leave you behind." 

Quote

Don’t worry about it! Probably the not as much sleep catching up to you way later.  

“It’s okay,” Clare panted. “I got here.”