The Vigil (E6T2)

[Grey Knight]

Rik sighed and stamped his foot. The pavement beneath him split, and he floated upwards on a platform of rock.

He reached the top a minute later, his platform barely more than rubble from the telekinetic force he was putting on it. He stumbled onto the top of the doors and released his hold, sending the rocks clattering down.

"I do not think my master would care very much about your soldiers and assassins," he said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Though if I thought there was a way you could banish them, I would contract you in a heartbeat. Head explosion be damned." His face twisted in a snarl. "Unfortunately, I am... expendable. Should you reject me and I explode, I believe you would simply see a new face come to you. I have the advantage of not being a boorish twat, which the next applicant would surely be. This is why you should consider me."

@Sherlock Holmes

[Sherlock Holmes]

Tena cocked her head at him, somewhat displeased that he'd not failed. However, if he was capable of everything he seemed to think he was... "I'll consider you, but I can't accept you just because you can fly a bit and you might explode and kill me. Can you do a more complete interview, or will I have to reject you because you have so little proof of your abilities?"

Tena had known literally dozens of people who could fly or do other magic, they were as common as street cats in this city. She looked Rik over again, taking in his diminutive frame and his ill-kempt look. Would he be capable enough to be of enough use, even if he was as magically adept as he thought himself to be? Someone under the thrall of a mysterious, supposedly dangerous stranger who looked like he didn't care much for himself wouldn't do work well, it seemed to her. Perhaps he was incapable of keeping a level head under the amount of stress he seemed to be under. 

@Grey Knight

[mathiau]

Folorian, the Scholar Guild

Temeria. This felt like a name Folorian ought to know. Someone he'd met in the fake years of the Forgery perhaps?

He stopped himself from answering 'everything' to her question about what was broken in the city.

Before he could give her an actual answer he noticed she had changed her posture as to face someone else, he shifted he focus so he could see who that was just in time to hear a woman named Sei asking to join the Guild. Temeria reacted by showing impatience at her arrival, implying she was most likely not very advanced in her oaths. To be fair the very one-the-nose name her spren had should have been a clue

Kerr, can you find someone to take care of this lady's admission?

The spren immediately darted to a nearby room

Folorian turned toward Sei "Ok, er... I have sent for someone who will take care about you" partially because I don't remember where are the paper in this reality "they'll be there in a few minutes"

He turned back to Temeria and left Sei fully out of his focus "Ok, so, your question is more complicated than you seem to think and I'll have to ask you a few questions before I can answer yours. First, what kind of broken are you searching for? Is it physically broken, like a ruin that hasn't been properly removed? Is it systemicly broken, like poverty or corruption? Is it something else, like a group of bandit or a monster's nest?" he barely marked a pause "Actually, this is going to take some time, we should sit" he said, pointing in the approximate direction of where he knew chairs were

@Sorana@NerdyAarakocra@Rushu42@18th Shard

Quote

I intend to have the person Kerr is searching for be an NPC I'll create for my next post, but if anyone else of the guild want to do Sei's admission please feel free

[+ZincAboutIt]

~Raef Lapis; The Eleventh Heightening, New Hallandren~

The lunch rush today was smaller than expected, and for once Raef was glad of it. He sat, tucked away at the corner table his father's employees used for a quick break or to store a cup of tea, putting a few last-minute touches on a new Seal design sketch he was eager to try. He drew with his right hand, adding precise strokes of red ink, and spooned piping-hot fish curry into his mouth with his left, stopping occasionally to dip into a bowl of soft, sticky rice for a bit of respite from the searing spice. 

"How can you do that?"

Raef looked up, his pen halfway out of the inkwell, to meet the eyes of Tetara, one of Father's servers. She had deep brown hair and mischievous amber eyes; it was no wonder his father had hired her. Raef smiled, setting his pen back in the inkwell, and blew on the ink. In the Forgery, Tetara hadn't worked here, which was a pity. She'd been here for the better part of five years, and saved him from a nasty burn three years before. Raef remembered the burn scar that had been on his arm just a week ago and suppressed a shiver.

"Do what?"

Tetara nodded towards his face. "Eat that much chili paste with all those rings in your mouth."

"With great relish," Raef said, shoving another spoonful of curry into his mouth, this one full of prawn and squid. He chewed happily, cheeks bulging, and winked at Tetara. "If nop lie eefs a' ofn 'oon."

"Sorry, didn't catch that," Tetara laughed, face caught in an expression between disgust and amusement.

Raef swallowed, then took a sip of tea before grinning at her. "I said, 'it's not like it's an open wound.' And anyway, I only have three, and it's been two years since the last."

"Four," Tetara said. "You've got four."

Raef blinked, running his tongue over the two slender hoops in his lower lip, then feeling his other two tongue piercings click against his teeth. "Oh. Right, of course. Four. Sorry, I only had three in the um..."

Tetara looked uncomfortable, shifting her weight from one leg to the next. "Colors, I'm sorry Raef. Damned Forgery put us all on the wrong foot. You going to the Vigil tonight?"

He nodded, sipping more of his tea as he gathered his thoughts. "Meeting Lazslo and Avimar. Laz has been taking it... poorly."

'Poorly' was an understatement. His friend's older sister - the one who'd drowned when they were all kids - had been alive during the Forgery. It was like losing her all over again; they'd had to hospitalize his mother. It was all a damned mess, and made even more awkward by the fact that Raef had had much the same life in the Forgery. All the grief around him, all the emotion... he felt like he was intruding. Like he had somehow cheated, and the fact that he wasn't torn apart in some way was a moral failing.

It was Tetara's turn to nod, giving a small sigh. "Your father's on a tear about forgetting that recipe again. Don't go back into the kitchen unless you want a pan to the head."

Gods. Raef pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh for the love of -" He groaned. "Of all the things to be mad about..."

Tetara smiled and gave a chuckle. "It's ridiculous, but it's very Zeke. We could all use a little familiarity."

"Well, I can't argue with that." Raef shared the smile, then looked back down at his sketch and his curry. 

"I'll let you get back to it," Tetara said, tapping the tabletop and looked towards the door, where someone had just entered. "More customers."

"See you, Tet," Raef said, already halfway back into his sketch, dipping his pen excitedly as he realized another precise mark that could be the breakthrough he was looking for.

He groped blindly for the little bowl of coriander chili sauce they kept on every table here, adding a spoonful and stirring. Maybe he could stop by the morgue on the way to the Vigil, give this Seal a spin...?

Now you sound like Mother. The morgue on the way to the Vigil? Really?

Raef wrinkled his nose and ate a spoonful of rice, pulling the deep green of his silk tunic a bit and adjusting the silver-blue sash at his waist before stopping himself. He always fidgeted when he was uncomfortable; a childhood habit that he should have broken years back. Along with still living in his parents' house. He was twenty-three now, and gainfully employed. So what was keeping him here?

Tetara's words returned to him. 'We could all use a little familiarity.' But Raef was growing tired of familiarity. He made another stroke on his Seal sketch, losing himself in the design. What he wanted - what he needed - was something totally new.

[+Sorana]

Folorian turned towards Sei first and Temeria forced herself to keep her mouth shut. She was here for help. It was most likely better if she tried not to offend them immediatly. Not that it would change something, but who knew. And yet,  She doubted that Aln would ever really like her. Realizing that she was being talked to  Temeria inwardly cursed herself. Aln. If the prospect of her sister nearby diverted her attention so much, that she didn't realize someone talked to her - if Folorian had wanted to, he could have killed her. She hadn't acted that green in years.

"... is more complicated than you seem to think and I'll have to ask you a few questions before I can answer yours. First, what kind of broken are you searching for? Is it physically broken, like a ruin that hasn't been properly removed? Is it systemicly broken, like poverty or corruption? Is it something else, like a group of bandit or a monster's nest?" he inquired and then went on without a break, inviting her inside.

"Thank you." Temeria nodded and walked past him, into the building.

She turned around as soon as she had entered, realizing that she hadn't replied to his question at all. It was quieter here, the noise of the city suddenly far away.

"A ruin would be nice. Ember loves to look into things." And if a few additional stones or doors broke in a ruin, nobody would care at all. "Although bandits and monsters sound amazing." She added with a grin. They sounded like a fight and she missed a good fight. Maybe that was also an easy way to do some good. Knock a few heads together, burn down a monster and there - good was done. And even better, it was in a way she understood.

"I'm not the one to deal with the system." She admitted with a grimace. "But maybe," she considered her words and started again when a thought occured to her. "To be honest, I fear that, this is exactly what I will have to deal with, too. It might be the most important part of all."

"If you had promised to do some good in the city, to try to fix things. Where would you start?"

She finished with a question for him. He was, quite obviously, more learnt than she ever expected to become. "With something small like a ruin, or a bandit or a monster, or ignore all of that and focus on the big picture?"

@mathiau

Edited November 11, 2022 by Sorana
typo

[mathiau]

Folorian, the Scholar Guild 

"If you had promised to do some good in the city, to try to fix things. Where would you start? With something small like a ruin, or a bandit or a monster, or ignore all of that and focus on the big picture?" Temeria asked

Release an infohazard about the fundamental about the lie that was reality to the whole city apparently.

"I would focus on what I can do" he said "If I had an idea on how to solve the systemic issue, I would try it. If I knew how to heal some of the symptom, I would do that. I... I can give knowledge and attempt to give guidance to those who need it, so I do that."

He paused for a second thoughtful, "How good are you at destruction? If there were two houses made of wood next too each other, would you be able to burn one without damaging the other? Are you able to manifest Ember as a Shardblade yet?"

@Sorana

~~~~

Dann the Scholar Guild

A tall man carrying a few papers walked to Sei Lu

"Excuse me, are you the young woman looking to join our guild?"

@NerdyAarakocra

Edited November 12, 2022 by mathiau

[+Sorana]

Temeria, The Scholar's Guild

"I can't." Temeria replied simply. "Manifest Ember as a Shardblade, I mean." She added to clarify which of his two questions she was refering to. "We're still trying to figure out how everything works and which words are the right ones to progress." That sounded definitely better, than 'I have no clue what to do'. "But we will. In the right place, to the right time, we will. And until then, " she tapped her knuckles lightly on the heft of her sword, "I've got my old companion with us to help us out should the need for a blade arise."

She thought about his other question for a while. "I'm not sure." She finally stated and reached for the stone in her pocket, showing it to him. "I did this, but I'm not quite sure if I can reproduce it easily. And to burn down a house without harming one directly next to it, I think I might be able to vaporize one in several steps." She fell silent for another moment, glanced over to Ember pensively. "I don't think, that we would be able to control our flames that tightly. But we can most certainly try." Although it would probably be better to do so with two ruins.

She pocketed the stone again, feeling suddenly small and empty. If Mac hadn't been able to do something about this city, how could she ever how to make a difference? "Can you think of something small, or a place where I can't do much harm should I make a mistake?" She asked quietly, her excitement and energy puffed away, like a flame snuffed out. "I don't think I can deal with anything else."

@mathiau

 

[Voidus]

Temeria, The Scholar's Guild

Ember had liked the idea of burning houses down. He hadn't tried that one before, usually the houses had people in them and though lots of them were terribly dull Ember didn't think that most people deserved to be burned in their houses. Even if they would definitely look interesting afterwards. Maybe if the people who were in the houses were already dead? Or if Temeria said it was okay. Ember was an excellent judge of character, but sometimes he didn't quite understand humans as well as Temeria did. Probably because he hadn't cut enough of them open.

"Oooh I remember that now." He said aloud, flaring into a happy yellow. "Being a sword. Well not me, but others. We can do that I think? But Temeria has to... do something. Say something more."

His figure lost some of its form as he spun in a slow corkscrew, thinking as he flew back to Temeria's shoulder and reforming there. Forming a little flaming blade of his own he took some practice swings in the air, copy some of the motions he had seen Temeria practice. It felt nice, felt like doing things. Though it would be nicer if there was something he could cut. When he could turn into a blade, Ember would cut everything.

He was almost too excited about that thought, so deeply satisfied that he didn't notice as Temeria's mood suddenly dipped, her voice quieting. Some of the fight left her in that moment, the motivation to do. She was thinking about something else probably. A promise? Those were important at least. He just hoped she wasn't getting infected by the dullness of people who sat in places like this staring at books without even trying to take them apart.

"Practice." He said authoritatively, sword vanishing as he stood straight-backed with his hands clasped behind him. "If we practice we can do it. Maybe practice on the houses where bad people live? It's okay to cut them isn't it?"

~Laurelai; Alleycity, 20 years ago~

The burning hot smell of rose-scented soap had never left her. Not after the other man had screamed a word at her and backed away. Not after she had confusedly followed him only to stop when he pulled out something long and pointed. Laurelai thought she remembered what those were, but she couldn't quite remember the name. Her parents hadn't liked her watching when people on the television used them.

"Cultro?" She asked "Diligenter. Dilligenter."

The man screamed something again back up and shaking the strange piece of sharp metal and then running back down the street, too fast for her to follow. She looked back to where the other man had been. Where now only ashes remained, and a wave of heat from the flames that had replaced the man. Had he... gone? Like her parents? Was this what had happened to them as well?

She wiped at her face, the stains of ash and soot and that strange paint were everywhere now, and she wasn't sure if she could get rid of them just by wiping them. She wanted a bath. But usually when it was time for a bath, her mother or father would come pick her up and tell her. And now they weren't. Her eyes stung and something hurt inside her chest. This street wasn't like walking to the shops with her parents, this was scary and there were fires everywhere and people who yelled at her. Sitting down on the stone street, Laurelai cried.

She cried for hours, the longest she ever remembered. Always, always before someone had come to collect her when she cried like this. Had hugged her and made it all better. Had given her a warm feeling and a comfortable bath. But now... now she was alone here, other cries only faintly heard in the distance. Nobody came. Her parents never arrived. But finally, just when it felt like it would all become too much, when she began to think that her parents had left forever, a flood of warmth hit her chest. Similar, but not quite the same as what she had felt before the man with the boots smelled like soap. It seemed somehow to start at her head, following the lines that her mother had drawn there just hours ago. It trickled into her and warmed her from the inside.

Laurelai was smiling a little when the next group found her on the streets. They told her many things, though she didn't understand them and they didn't understand her. But they seemed happy to see her, they kept smiling and speaking gently and one very kind woman picked her up when they started walking so Laurelai didn't have to run to keep up. She didn't feel like her mother, but she did smell a little of roses like her sometimes did after bath time.

Heat. Ashes and soot bursting outwards, covering her as the man disappeared into the flames and the smell seared itself into her.

Tears welled up in Laurelai's eyes again. She wriggled uncomfortably but the woman kept patting her back, trying to reassure her. Laurelai continued to cry, hoping that maybe eventually it would bring back that warm feeling from her mother's drawing. But it did not, not until she was brought to a large building that was still in tact. This one had lots of people out the front, lots of children. They looked as scared as she felt, and she wondered where their parents were as well. An older girl with brown hair stared at Laurelai with big, wide blue eyes. Laurelai gave a shy little wave back as she was set down among the other children.

[NerdyAarakocra]

"Yes. Yes I am."

@mathiau

[Grey Knight]

On 11/10/2022 at 7:04 PM, Sherlock Holmes said:

Tena cocked her head at him, somewhat displeased that he'd not failed. However, if he was capable of everything he seemed to think he was... "I'll consider you, but I can't accept you just because you can fly a bit and you might explode and kill me. Can you do a more complete interview, or will I have to reject you because you have so little proof of your abilities?"

Tena had known literally dozens of people who could fly or do other magic, they were as common as street cats in this city. She looked Rik over again, taking in his diminutive frame and his ill-kempt look. Would he be capable enough to be of enough use, even if he was as magically adept as he thought himself to be? Someone under the thrall of a mysterious, supposedly dangerous stranger who looked like he didn't care much for himself wouldn't do work well, it seemed to her. Perhaps he was incapable of keeping a level head under the amount of stress he seemed to be under.

So the Rosharan wanted a test of the Grand Magister's abilities, did she? Rik doubted she would be impressed by some brutish display of force. But suspicion rolled thickly off of her mind. A too-subtle display of power would merely disappoint her, or worse convince her that he was-- horror of horrors!-- incompetent.

Rik glanced up. There was a small stained glass window above the doors, depicting some scene of battle with amateurish skill. He decided he could make something better.

"I will provide you an excellent demonstration, Tenareo." He squared his feet and braced his staff into the ground. "However, it will be taxing in the extreme. If I fall unconscious, do catch me before I fall to my death." Then, he stretched forth his hand.

Blades of precisely-directed force sheared the window from the iron bars holding it in the wall. He caught the window it before could fall, gently lowering it down to eye level.

"Pressure is one of the greatest forces in the galaxy, Ghostblood. Greater than all other magicks. For example, Pyromancy may claim mastery of heat and cold, but a proper understanding of the sciences reveals that these things come from the movement of atoms, not arcane elements. Pressure, properly applied, can create a void colder than the Stygian depths or a material hotter than the core of a planet." Rik wiped off the sweat beading on his face. "Observe."

He clenched his hand, and the pane of glass was crushed into a ball the size of a marble. His vision went black for a moment, and he struggled to keep on his feet. Moments passed, and the darkness slowly receded. And directly in front of him, the ball of glass had turned molten.

@Sherlock Holmes

[+ZincAboutIt]

~Lita; Mistkeep, Alleycity~

"I've been considering something for a few days now, and I was hoping you'd give me your opinion." Lita turned them down another small street in the Mistkeep, tin pitched to a whisper to avoid sensory overwhelm from the multitude of people and sounds that permeated the neighborhood. They were nearing one of the nicest parts of the district, which was already largely nice. Even the more threadbare parts of Mistkeep were nothing compared to the Mistwarrens in Smokestack, though Lita still kept herself alert. The Vigil had everyone mixing and blending; it was the ideal hunting ground for a pickpocket or con. Plenty of noble lords and ladies found themselves robbed blind in the "nice part of town" because they never expected someone would have the gall to do it.

"Have you considered that every other Guild in the city has some sort of headquarters, a place where one can go if interested? Meanwhile, the best most can hope for is to wander into an Alley and avoid enough maiming to inquire about membership. Is this truly the best we can do? Wouldn't it be... more advantageous to have a place to go where one could ask a few of the 'right kinds' of questions?"

Lita stepped neatly over a crack in the sidewalk, pointing out a vacant lot between two other nondescript buildings.

"To the fine people of the city, a place to get a drink, perhaps meet someone interesting. And to those with more rarefied taste, somewhere that you can get anything at all, if you know how to ask..."

She looked to Laurelai and smiled knowingly. "There is an utterly shocking Department slush fund from when Mac was Head. I thought I might put some of it to good use. As always, your insight is most ardently welcome."

@Voidus

[Voidus]

~Laurelai; Mistkeep, Alleycity~

"Well" Laurelai began, the faintest of mischievous smiles present. "My first insight is that if there is indeed a 'shocking slush fund' then we had best put it to good use for other things this evening as well."

She gave a quick glance over the lot that Lita had picked, observant blue eyes flashing over its size and then the buildings to either side before then travelling quickly up and down the entire street. It was well chosen, deep in one of the wealthier neighborhoods even by Mistkeep standards, but not nestled in amongst all the other high-profile restaurants and hotels that would draw too many people. A wonderful hidden gem.

"Perfect location for it." She continued, a little more analytical than tricksterous this time. "Just the right degree of exposure. I wonder that nobody has ever had the idea before, hardly a wonder the types of people we have in R&D when we're reliant on recruiting the kinds of people who voluntarily step into what is almost certainly their death."

It was an enjoyable distraction, both the analysis and the further musings that spread out from it. Small puzzles that she could devote attention to rather than worrying about anything else. There were plenty of reasons to be in favour of such a proposal, not the least of which was that if Lita was the one operating the place then that made one more location Laurelai could be guaranteed to find good wine or port when she was in need of it. The only problem would be...

"Have you run it by... higher ups?" She asked, voice kept deliberately neutral. "And I suppose the only other concern is getting other departments on board. Some preferred the quiet anonymity we had during... the last few months."

@ZincAboutIt

~Whisper, Ivenspark Cemetery~

The headaches were getting worse. Both in intensity and frequency they had been growing steadily for the past week. Whisper had been sure she could get them under control, simply tap some health or borrow some Regrowth and deal with it. But whatever caused the problem was not physical unfortunately. Nor was it the placement of her spikes, those had been made with precision and she had checked and rechecked them dozens of times. 

The young woman let one leg dangle over the edge of the tombstone, leaning on her other to keep her balance as she sat precariously atop it. It was quiet here, which was helpful if another headache began. She had on numerous occasions now had to abandon some work in the city due to the sudden pains, concentrating on a Lightweaving was difficult when it felt like a particularly insensitive denizen from R&D had decided you needed a new eye spike.

Should come here more. She mused, watching a dark ethereal form float nearby. Not the most pleasant, but the quiet is nice.

She smiled a moment before shaking her head. No, she could not stay here. Here she was not useful, just hiding from pain. The whispers from the Chapel had all faded by now, though she had devoted to memory all those that she had heard. But she would need to work twice as hard if she wanted to be half as useful. Need to plan even more than she had before. So many plans had been set in motion when she had used the Chapel, now she needed to somehow keep all of those balls in the air as a mortal.

She slipped to the ground silently, bare feet making almost no noise at all as she landed and began walking slowly between the graves. She paused only to lay a single flower down, not at any of the graves as none marked the one she was mourning. But it felt like it was appropriate regardless, she had heard that it was a ritual common across many worlds. And the pain in her head did seem to ease slightly as she did so.

[Mrs. Voidus]

Valeria - Alley City, Karl's House, The Library

 

In the eight or so hours since Valeria had landed on the dusty cobbled street she had learned much about her surroundings. First, people appeared very much like the people on her home world - barring these folk had far less pronounced ear tips that rounded at the top, unlike her own pointed ones. Second, not a single person spoke her language. And thirdly, food seemed to consist of similar make as what she was accustomed to, and had not as yet had any reactions. 

This last point was of an enormous relief to her, as while an eternity of experiencing neither hunger, nor satiety might have dimmed her understanding of such things, had she any capacity to think on this in her Void time, she did not. Though she did marvel briefly at having forgotten what hunger was entirely. 

It had taken an entire day in itself of pacing the busy streets for Valeria to even begin to notice the dull queasiness in her abdomen and the following desperate discomfort in her throat. Water was found easily enough. But food was something she was hesitant to try, even with the many food stalls and shops that were seemingly abandoned. Valeria was no thief, even had she possessed the surety that she would not die from eating something otherworldly.

Other worldly?  She pondered as she walked. There had been some debate at the university on the existence of other life supporting planets of course, but this? Utterly unheard of. 

 Is this just my imagination? Am I dreaming of an easy path to her? 

Valeria slowed to a dawdle as a frightening new possibility dawned on her. I would not dream to be in pain. And yet my feet...

Dejectedly then she sat upon a green painted bench that faced one of these abandoned fruit vendors, its open door contrasting the unlit interior. 

Why can I feel pain? My goal, my everything was to find her. But why do I know this now? WHY CAN I THINK?" 

"Deficit sum," she sighed quietly to herself at the exact moment her stomach gurgled traitorously and the sun had begun its decent below the horizon.

 

Finding no other thing to do she began instead to worry beneath the braided leather straps of her sandals for blisters and cursed that she had neither pockets nor purse to carry money. Not that she believed for a second that these people used the same promissory notes of her homeland, even had she had any on her person on the night of the dinner party. 

The dinner party. The sensory overload that was that night came to her in discordant bursts. 

-The smell of rain against their treated Pine door, the silence between one chair and another crashing to the floor with a comical bounce, and the horrible brightness that came before endless black. - 

Valeria shook back with an unsubtle wince as a man in a blue collared shirt paused beside her, eyeing between her pained expression and now bared feet. Wordlessly he  took from his pocket two translucent disks and placed them beside her before hurrying along. 

The Valeria from a week ago would have been hideously offended to be in such a state of disarray as to be mistaken for someone without means. Not that she considered herself to think less of those who were, having worked with many pro-bono. But,  she thought I worked so hard to belong in high society. Though, she now realised as she considered involuntarily sleeping under the stars for the first time in her adult life, hard work alone had very little to do with success.

After all, her dress WAS filthy now, initial preening or no. Her hair was not much better, as it seemed that an eternity of not considering ones appearance after effectively walking through a tornado would do nothing for an elaborately constructed coiffure, regardless of expensive clasp.

Collecting the illuminated coins in one hand, confident that at least she would find sustenance enough to search another day she called into the crowd. "Gratias Tibi!"

It seemed however that between her relatively underused voice, the numerous folk chattering worriedly around her and the rude delay of her thanks; her gratitude was rendered as lost as she was. 

It stung to slip her swollen feet back into the shoes so soon after removing them, but if this person had compassion enough to help her once, perhaps he could again. Or at least he could prove a good enough place to start the next leg of her journey.

 

"Ignoscas domine?" She called when she leaped from the bench and swapped one of her new coins with a plump purple fruit from the stand across the way.  He did not stop. 

Don't be allergic, she hoped as she took a tentative bite. The sweet juice was warm from the sun and she unglamorously licked stray drips from her chin as she followed him on his determined path.  A flash of a sapphire tinted collar had her call out again, "Domine, salve?"

At last he turned from his march with the mildly irritated expression people have when their determination is challenged. Valeria was VERY familiar with that look. 

 

"Look lady," he began. "I don't have any more to spare. I'm really sorry, but I have to keep moving. I've got a missus and an infant somewhere out there and Gods know I'm not about to find them by hanging around here."

Valeria perked up at the one word she recognised. 

"Sic!" She cried joyously. "Infans! Mea infantem. Vidistine virginem sicut me?"

The kind balding man shook his head sadly. "I don't know about any of that, boy someone must have done a number on you. Something awful I bet. People can be so cruel."

It was clear to Valeria that while he did not understand her words, he did seem to want to help her. Awful? She knew that word too. 

"Sic, Awful. Interitus. Finis. Voidus."

His eyes grew wide at her admission. "Voidus did this to you? Storms we've got to get inside."

He took her arm in his and whisked her along road after road for what seemed like hours, and it took effort for Valeria to keep up. As all colour had faded from the sky into that inky grey that foreshadowed the night. The stranger apologised when she stumbled again, and let her walk beside him at a slower pace. 

At the fourth trip, Valeria removed her sandals entirely, having snapped the strap between toes and heel. He did not notice. 

 

When he finally stopped she had to limp to close the gap between them, but he was entirely transfixed at the broken latch and chipped yellow paint of the door before him. 

"Sunt tibi bene?" Valeria asked when a drunken couple brushed passed her and he had not flinched. 

He stirred from his revere and looked at her with such pain in his eyes that she felt she did not need words to understand. He opened and closed his mouth as though unsure he wanted to voice his fears. "What if she doesn't remember? What if, I don't know, she didn't want to come back? What if she did?" 

It was all Valeria could do to nod compassionately and place a warm hand on his shoulder with a quick pat. He looked between her hand and her before gingerly lifting her fingers from his person with a dry cough.  "Let's just see shall we?" 

They found the home empty. 

 

It was not empty of furnishings, which Valeria quite liked the style of, unfamiliar as it was. But there was enough dust and spiderwebs to indicate that if anyone HAD been there, it was not for long, if at all in at least half a year. The man walked to a room that must have been a dining space, and pulled out a chair for her to sit before heading off again to return with two glasses of water. Valeria sipped at hers cautiously at first but the man seemed too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice, or indeed touch his own drink which he had placed beside the chair that he had turned to face the door. 

She recognised that he was waiting, and so did not wish to interrupt. But as time rolled on she grew tired and felt her eyelids become heavy. She gently coughed to gather his attention. 

"meum nomen est Valeria." she said as clearly as she could, tapping her chest. "Valeria."

The man blinked in surprise before pointing to his own chest. "Karl. My name is Karl."

"Gratias Tibi, Karl." she said with a small smile, but he had already turned back to the door and she let sleep take her. 

 

 

When she woke the next morning her neck ached. She stretched it and straitened her back from the slumped position she sat in, with her arms folded beneath her head on the table. She noticed she was alone and called out after seeing that the door had been closed and somewhat repaired. "Karl?"

"I'm over here," he called back, though still she did not catch the meaning. 

As she stood to find him a soft rustling of fabric slipped from her shoulders in a subtle gust of lavender. The scent drew to her mind the reality that her own favoured "perfume", a cooling dab of buttercream behind her ears after a long day of baking cookies for her clients, was fading. It was odd, she knew, but she would never forget the excitable snuffling and licking up her neck Lucien undertook that first time, and the spectacular hour afterwards. With a sigh she collected the woollen shawl and folded it reverently over her arm as she walked toward the voice. 

 

"Valeria, you're awake." Karl said as he pressed a flashing button and hot water came in a steady stream into a mug. 

She watched the device with curiosity, but not as closely as she watched his face as she handed him the shawl. "hoc est tuxor tua? she asked as she pointed between the golden ring on his finger and the shawl. 

"Huh? Oh, that's my wife's. I'm sorry, you looked cold and all our blankets are gone for some reason. Maybe someone needed them? I don't know." He trailed off in both speech and attention. 

"Gratias tibi" she said again. 

"What?" He said, facing her again. "That concussion hasn't worn off huh? You don't look hurt?"

Before she could understand what was happening he raised his fist up to his own head and mimicked punching it. "Someone hit you?" He shouted, perhaps hoping that volume would be the issue. But Valeria shook her head. 

"Habes Papyris?" she asked in amusement. But then she saw his fridge. So like her own. and on it was a single black marker. She grinned. 

Taking the pen she drew a rough drawing of her planet, a black circle with estimations of the continents within it. She pointed with the marker "domus meus." 

She then wrote the word "Voidus" above it, and franticly scribbled it out.  Then she filled an entire square with the black and erased a stick figure of herself, and beside that was a smaller, identical figure to which she pointed "mea infantum," and drew a question mark beside it. 

 

He nodded in what seemed to be the beginnings of understanding and pointed worriedly at the scribbled world. "Voidus did this? THE Voidus?" She agreed with no small fraction of fear creeping into her heart at his apparent knowledge of the monster. But he moved on, "So you are an other worlder." He slapped his head abruptly. before wiping the fridge and scrawling a note himself. If she could have read it, she would have known it to be a letter to his wife, detailing his short departure and eminent return, and abundant love. 

"Come with me," he said. "We can go to the library. they have these medallion things, we use them at parties sometimes. Just, Its too hard to explain. Come on!" 

She followed him bemusedly as he gestured for her to follow. 

And within the hour they were at a counter, Karl presenting a pendant to her expectantly. 

 

Valeria eyed him suspiciously but took it none the less, and placed it over her hair. How she wished in that moment she had thought to fix it before going out again.

"Well?" he said excitedly between her and the bored librarian. "Did it work?"

Valeria's heart fluttered and a hope like she hadn't felt in years welled from her heart and warmed her every pore. Shock at the wonderous magic, and the sudden understanding in her ears. 

She smiled and drew herself into her typically perfect posture. 

"Thank you Karl, I believe it works rather well."

He clapped and hooped but once before being cut off with an angry "SHH!" from their onlooker. 

"This is wonderous magic indeed. And perhaps now, you can help me, and I you."

Karl nodded again with a smile. 

"I wonder perchance, as unlikely as is seems, if you have ever made the acquaintance of my dear husband Lucien Esserethel? I am seeking him, and our daughter Laurelai. I believe he has some magic, and I followed her here but my magic cannot sense her. She was but three years old when last I saw her, though that may have been a millennia ago."  

As Valeria spoke, Karl's face changed from excitement to pity. First at her predicament, then second at her presumable madness. 

"You've been looking for a millennia you say?" He looked around him for invisible support. 

 

"Yes," Valeria said. "The Void space is a timeless one, but my Will carried me through. I have seen everything and nothing, and not had the presence of mind to witness it." She paused. "But I will find her. She must be here somewhere. And if Voidus has come here too, she is in danger." 

Perhaps it should have been expected for this stranger to want to be rid of her. They had, after all, only met the day before. But it stung none the less as he began to back away from her, offering weak excuses. "I'm sorry." He said. "But I have to protect my family." He said. And "good luck." He offered before turning from the library without her. 

Well then. Perhaps there is not kindness in strangers. She thought as she gave her last coin to the librarian and walking off on her own. 

[Sherlock Holmes]

On 11/14/2022 at 2:50 PM, Grey Knight said:

So the Rosharan wanted a test of the Grand Magister's abilities, did she? Rik doubted she would be impressed by some brutish display of force. But suspicion rolled thickly off of her mind. A too-subtle display of power would merely disappoint her, or worse convince her that he was-- horror of horrors!-- incompetent.

Rik glanced up. There was a small stained glass window above the doors, depicting some scene of battle with amateurish skill. He decided he could make something better.

"I will provide you an excellent demonstration, Tenareo." He squared his feet and braced his staff into the ground. "However, it will be taxing in the extreme. If I fall unconscious, do catch me before I fall to my death." Then, he stretched forth his hand.

Blades of precisely-directed force sheared the window from the iron bars holding it in the wall. He caught the window it before could fall, gently lowering it down to eye level.

"Pressure is one of the greatest forces in the galaxy, Ghostblood. Greater than all other magicks. For example, Pyromancy may claim mastery of heat and cold, but a proper understanding of the sciences reveals that these things come from the movement of atoms, not arcane elements. Pressure, properly applied, can create a void colder than the Stygian depths or a material hotter than the core of a planet." Rik wiped off the sweat beading on his face. "Observe."

He clenched his hand, and the pane of glass was crushed into a ball the size of a marble. His vision went black for a moment, and he struggled to keep on his feet. Moments passed, and the darkness slowly receded. And directly in front of him, the ball of glass had turned molten.

Tena raised her eyebrows at the display. She'd not seen something quite like that in some time, she seemed to recall. It surprised her more than she allowed to show on her face. "A good display. Can you remake it as it was?" 

When Tena heard the word "Ghostblood", it struck something in her. It didn't apply any more, did it? The Ghostbloods existed all through the cosmere and researched all the magics of it, but they'd abandoned this planet for the most part. Abandoned it and left her in charge. Her group wasn't the Ghostbloods anymore-- they couldn't be, not without the support of all the others-- but what were they? They needed a new name and a new identity, and perhaps new members could help define that. 

"You can call me Tena, by the way," she told Rik. "No one but my grandfather calls me Tenareo, and he gave me that name. You can respect me as you see fit, but just talk to me with my name."

@Grey Knight

[Grey Knight]

13 hours ago, Sherlock Holmes said:

Tena raised her eyebrows at the display. She'd not seen something quite like that in some time, she seemed to recall. It surprised her more than she allowed to show on her face. "A good display. Can you remake it as it was?"

"Of... course." Rik heaved a shaky breath. "Just... a moment, please."

His head was pounding now. He felt cold, and worst of all sweaty. This was going to ruin his clothes.

"But that window... was boring." He shifted his stance and focused back on the ball of molten glass. It was less compressed now, his grasp having slipped for a moment, but it was still malleable. "Far too sentimental. I will make it better."

Shaping the glass was far simpler than melting it. He split it into streams and set it to a spin. The dyes and paints had been burned to ash, so his creation was unfortunately dull and bland. Nevertheless, in a few minutes he was able to set two freshly formed goblets onto the ground.

"Once they cool, we can use them to drink," he said. "Do you have a preference for beverage, or will it be waters all around?"

@Sherlock Holmes

[Sherlock Holmes]

On 11/18/2022 at 2:52 PM, Grey Knight said:

"Of... course." Rik heaved a shaky breath. "Just... a moment, please."

His head was pounding now. He felt cold, and worst of all sweaty. This was going to ruin his clothes.

"But that window... was boring." He shifted his stance and focused back on the ball of molten glass. It was less compressed now, his grasp having slipped for a moment, but it was still malleable. "Far too sentimental. I will make it better."

Shaping the glass was far simpler than melting it. He split it into streams and set it to a spin. The dyes and paints had been burned to ash, so his creation was unfortunately dull and bland. Nevertheless, in a few minutes he was able to set two freshly formed goblets onto the ground.

"Once they cool, we can use them to drink," he said. "Do you have a preference for beverage, or will it be waters all around?"

Tena grinned. "That's incredible." Watching something like that... It was fascinating, far beyond anything she could do, and she understood the temptation that had made her predecessors so greedy in conquering the Alleyplanet. With control of something like that, how could she avoid taking what was within her reach? Still, the power wasn't hers yet, and still wouldn't be hers if she agreed to take on Rik as a Ghostblood.

No, not a Ghostblood. Not anymore. What were they, then? She thought about it as she continued to talk. "I'll have cider. Can you tell me about yourself? The jobs you've worked, what sort of worker you are, all that." She was eager and didn't bother to keep it from her face. "You can make art with these powers, can't you? How much have you done with them?"

She remembered one time when she'd watched a Willshaper make a flat plane of stone into a carving, depicting a woman climbing a staircase up a mountain. She'd not known what the carving had meant, but it had been beautiful all the same. Was Rik such a man, capable of making beautiful things? Tena had never had any skill in art, and she'd not had any time to work on her skills. At this point in her life, she didn't know if there would be any point in trying. Still, she loved seeing art, even though she couldn't make it.

@Grey Knight

Edited November 21, 2022 by Sherlock Holmes

[+Sorana]

Temeria, The Scholar's Guild

Temeria looked down at her hands in an attempt to avoid Folorian's gaze. It was good, that he didn't know who she was. If he knew, in the end he would start to look down on Aln because of her failure for a sister. And she had cost Aln so much already. Their mother, their home, her childhood. It had all been twisted because of her, because Temeria had never found the courage to stop what was going on. She was so good at looking away. She couldn't taint her guild, too.

"Practice." a voice said close to her ear and she perked up, looked over to Ember. He stood straight-backed with his hands clasped behind him. "If we practice we can do it. Maybe practice on the houses where bad people live? It's okay to cut them isn't it?" His words warmed her and she found a smile creep its way on her face. "It is okay to cut them." she agreed. "It's alright to cut the bad people." Realizing how she sounded she quickly added for Folorian's sake. "We only need to make sure we don't accidently hit someone good as well." There. That hopefully added a little different touch to her words.

She looked down at her hands again and then forced herself to lift her gaze. First back to Ember, to whom she nodded again. "You're right. We need to practice. So let's do that." It took her another moment before she managed to turn her head and looked Folorian straight in the eye.

"Ember has a point. I don't even know what we're supposed to be able to do one day. So we're probably not exactly what this city needs right now." she fell silent, tried to come up with something else, something that spoke for herself, that didn't make her seem utterly and completely worthless and failed. "I'm sorry." she added. "I'm wasting your time. You're a guild and not some guide for overly motivated people like myself. I only came here because of my sister, but -" she froze in place feeling very, very cold. "It was the only place I could think of, that might know what to do." She finished weakly.

@mathiau @Voidus

[EmulatonStromenkiin]

Balance the Realizer, TUBA Headquarters

Balance woke from his nightmares with a start, jerking into an upright position. He looked around him, confused, as he slowly realized that he was back in TUBA headquarters. He had not been back here since the he had gone to the Boardinghouse. And yet, it looked ... cleaner. There was a soft white light filling the room from some electric lights overhead. It glinted on a mirror propped in a corner, and he quickly got out of bed. He noticed as he did so that he was wearing the same clothes as before, only without the dirt and mud that had been on them. He reached the mirror and hesitated for a moment, then looked in it.

What he saw made him gasp. The right side of his face, from his cheekbone down, was made of wireframes. His wireframes. He held up his right hand and saw that it, too was made of wireframes.

"What is going on?" he asked in a voice that was not quite his own. There was a strange buzzing quality to it, as if he was speaking through a synthesizer. Worriedly, he glanced around, looking for any cameras. Not finding any, he relaxed slightly and pulled up his hood. It concealed his face rather well, like it was designed to. There wasn't much he could do about his hand, though. He didn't have any gloves. He strode over to the door and opened it. Seeing no-one in sight, he dashed down the corridor, heading outside.

[Grey Knight]

On 11/20/2022 at 11:38 AM, Sherlock Holmes said:

Tena grinned. "That's incredible." Watching something like that... It was fascinating, far beyond anything she could do, and she understood the temptation that had made her predecessors so greedy in conquering the Alleyplanet. With control of something like that, how could she avoid taking what was within her reach? Still, the power wasn't hers yet, and still wouldn't be hers if she agreed to take on Rik as a Ghostblood.

No, not a Ghostblood. Not anymore. What were they, then? She thought about it as she continued to talk. "I'll have cider. Can you tell me about yourself? The jobs you've worked, what sort of worker you are, all that." She was eager and didn't bother to keep it from her face. "You can make art with these powers, can't you? How much have you done with them?"

"It is elementary work," Rik grumbled. "Given the correct dyes and preparation, I could easily turn this crude matter into something actually useful. But my talents to not extend to creating drinks out of nothing, Tena. I'm afraid you'll have to get me off this roof and take me to a reputable bar before I can provide them."

"As for my work, I'll have you know that back on Earth I was something of a gentleman scholar. Though I initially bumbled about with petty despotism, like so many other Epics, it was never my true calling." He smiled slightly. "I spent many years after Calamity attempting to rediscover the sciences lost in the collapse of society. I wrote a whole book about it. Sent it to Knighthawk Foundry for publishing, but never heard back from the man."

"And then... it happened." He spat over the side, face twisting. "A Great Epic found me. My master, now. It had somehow found the Cosmere, and wanted someone expendable to act as its liaison. Pray you never meet it, Ghostblood."

[Sherlock Holmes]

3 hours ago, Grey Knight said:

"It is elementary work," Rik grumbled. "Given the correct dyes and preparation, I could easily turn this crude matter into something actually useful. But my talents to not extend to creating drinks out of nothing, Tena. I'm afraid you'll have to get me off this roof and take me to a reputable bar before I can provide them."

"As for my work, I'll have you know that back on Earth I was something of a gentleman scholar. Though I initially bumbled about with petty despotism, like so many other Epics, it was never my true calling." He smiled slightly. "I spent many years after Calamity attempting to rediscover the sciences lost in the collapse of society. I wrote a whole book about it. Sent it to Knighthawk Foundry for publishing, but never heard back from the man."

"And then... it happened." He spat over the side, face twisting. "A Great Epic found me. My master, now. It had somehow found the Cosmere, and wanted someone expendable to act as its liaison. Pray you never meet it, Ghostblood."

"I hope I don't, if they're as fearsome as you seem to think they are," Tena said. "I have known powerful beings before, though I can hardly claim to understand them." She started to walk, gesturing for the Epic to join her. "I find your story interesting, and your passion for science commendable. I've not got the mind for it myself, but I'm well aware of how useful it is to employ scientists. Are you adept in fighting as well? We're not the sort to make a lot of mess--" she thought of the Seven Day War and the nonsense Hellbent had caused-- "not usually. I'd prefer if you were a quiet fighter, but I'm no subtle thing myself. Still, I like to think that the only way our victims see us coming is if they're looking in a mirror." She smiled crookedly. "Though I'd have to reprimand the Ghostblood sloppy enough to not wait for a more discreet time."

Mirror. She liked the sound of that word, and the sound of what she'd said. The only way they see us coming is if they're looking in a mirror. Why did that appeal to her so much? The part of her that was eager to be dramatic, to speak clever words and philosophize, clung to the phrase. There was romanticism in the original name: imagining that all of the low-lying, clever killers were given their stealth by supernatural connection, but it was insubstantial, implied no action. Her people should be the ghosts seen in mirrors-- or, ideally, not seen at all-- so were they mirror-ghosts? That lacked the elegant sound of "the Ghostbloods", however. She thought for a moment longer on the matter as she walked uphill, further from the centre of the blast that had carved the Alleycity's biggest canyon.

[mathiau]

Folorian, The Scholar's Guild

"Yes, there are indeed words to be said. Oaths to be exact, each order have theirs." Folorian said " The first is always 'Life before Death, power before weakness, journey before destination.', though I suspect you alread said it. I cannot really help you with the next ones though, first because I do not know what Releasers say and second because knowing them isn't enough, you have to be ready to live them and they'll naturally come yo you when you're ready for that. Though  I do know they're about responsibility and self-mastery. As far as power go, Releasers where mostly know for their fits of destructions, both their magnitude and their precision, but you should also be able to manipulate friction: deciding what stick to what and what slips as well as how much air slows you." He thought for a few seconds "Wait a minute I'll be right back."

He came back with a map of the Alleycity and circle a few buildings in diverse places of the city. "As you might know, some people in the DA made a world-altering Forgery that went out a few days ago, there are places where things didn't go back the right way, transforming the buildings into messes that looks like they were designed by Maurits Escher, it would help the rebuilding process if they were not there. I circled a few that you should be able to destroy without any risk for the rest of the city."

@Voidus@Sorana

Dann, The Scholar's Guild

"The procedure is rather simple, mostly you have to sign this"

He gave her a paper on which was written "I, the undersigned, hereby pledge myself to the Guild of Scholars, and promise to strive to gather and spread knowledge throughout the Alleyverse and corresponding worlds.

Signed, _______________"

"We would also like to know what skill you have -both natural and magica. It's fine if you have none yet, we're here to learn after all"

@Ookla the Nerdy

[MacThorstenson]

Mac, Ivenspark cemetery. 

Mac stood up, his vigil done. Quickly he brushed himself off, and started walking back toward the gate, being careful not to touch any thorny plants as the night grew darker. It had been a relatively peaceful evening, and he didn't feel like breaking the quiet spell that hovered over the cemetery. As the underbrush turned into the remnants of a footpath, and the footpath to a pocketed road, he noticed more and more floating green dots moving among the trees. While the shades were always present, there was a certain comfort to their translucence during the day. Out of sight out of mind and all that.

Finally, he neared the gate, and dropped a coin on this side for a quick push over, pulling it back to him as he walked toward the center of the city, his mind on the guild meeting that was about to occur.

@Sorana

 

[+Sorana]

"Thank you so much!" Temeria exclaimed and bent forward over the map. She reached into her pocket and took out a small notebook. Squinting at the street names on the map she noted down the addresses. "That sounds exactly like something we can do." She looked at Ember. "We can go and look into the buildings, turn them to dust and train our surge at the same time."

She put the notebook back into her pocket. "And we can do something good at the same time." A smile touched her face. "Honestly, thank you so much. For the explanation regarding my surges and for the map and that you took the time for my question. I know that it's not what people look for usually."

Temeria bit down on her lip and hesitated. He hadn't reacted when she'd mentioned her sister and she didn't really want to push him in that direction. But on the other hand, it was a chance to see her again. Torn between the two options she grit her teeth unable to decide, unable to stay here for longer. The longer she stayed, the higher the chances that Aln would arrive. She simply wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. So better to avoid it completely.

"I, I've got to go. I don't want to bother you further." She took a step towards the door, hesitated again, and then inhaled deeply. "Just, maybe, if you see Aln, tell her that if she wants to, we could go and grab a coffee together." Hastily she walked over to the door and pushed it oped, unable to look him into his eyes again. "I'm still at the Boarding House." She had ruined so much already, if she stayed she would ruin this as well. She always did. This was something her sister had build up, it had no room for her, not now, not until they had spoken again. "Tell her I'm sorry. I really am." She ducked her head and took a step outside, swallowed when she felt a tight knot form in her throat, but forced herself to look back. It wasn't his fault, he had only been polite.

"Thanks again. I'm glad that she found some good people." Temeria lifted a hand and brushed a tear off her face, angry at herself. She was too old to cry like a little girl. It had been a mistake to go to this place. She should have kept her distance, waited for Aln to reach out to her. Another tear joined the first and she shook her head nearly ran from the building and off into the streets, tears streaming over her face. Tears of shame, of a life she'd ripped into pieces.

Temeria ran, hand clutched around the handle of a sword, her eyes on the street her thoughts a whirlwind. She had to go and train. She owed it to Folorian. It wasn't his fault that she was such a mess. She hasted around a corner, nearly running directly into the man walking towards it and lifted her head to apologize but no word left her mouth. Instead she stared at him. "But you're gone."

@MacThorstenson

Edited December 1, 2022 by Sorana
typo

[NerdyAarakocra]

On 11/29/2022 at 8:27 PM, mathiau said:

Dann, The Scholar's Guild

"The procedure is rather simple, mostly you have to sign this"

He gave her a paper on which was written "I, the undersigned, hereby pledge myself to the Guild of Scholars, and promise to strive to gather and spread knowledge throughout the Alleyverse and corresponding worlds.

Signed, _______________"

"We would also like to know what skill you have -both natural and magica. It's fine if you have none yet, we're here to learn after all"

Sei signed the paper. "I'm a Forger, looking to learn more. I suppose I'm a good shot with a bow, although I fail to see how that would be useful."

[Voidus]

~Ember, Scholar's Court~

His form flickered indecisively as Ember waited on Temeria's shoulder. Rather than streak off into the air as he usually would when they were walking he stayed close for now, watching her with a frown equal parts concern and confusion.

It was much easier to think now than it had been, but some things remained difficult. Some memories returned quicker than others and some Ember wasn't sure he'd ever even had to begin with. Humans remained very confusing, perhaps because he hadn't seen inside enough of them yet. Temeria had been broken, that he was quite sure of by how she was acting. But it was a strange kind of breaking that didn't let him see inside her as easily.

No. He realized as he thought the matter over. It does, I'm just not looking in the right way.

"Temeria-" Ember began, uncharacteristically somber.

But before he could finish he was jolted in place as Temeria had to shift suddenly to avoid careening into someone else. At first Ember ignored them in favour of ensuring that Temeria was okay. But an instant later he flared brightly, sword appearing in hand and held defensively in front of him. Such a weapon would do little good in this situation, Ember's instincts told him, but it was always best to fight if you had to.

Dangerous. He realized, looking the man over and realizing he recognized him. This is the one from... before. Before I could remember properly.

~Voidus, the Cauldron~

Stepping from a darkened alleyway, Voidus held Vivica loosely against him as the two arrived onto the streets of the city proper. There was still some time before the meeting started, and it would not cause any problems were he to arrive a little late anyway. Plenty of time that the two could take in the city together, enjoy a rare afternoon where he had no more immediate matters that needed attending to.

"The city is busy today." He noted aloud, giving a relaxed smile to Viv. "Shall we take in the sights? What is something you always wished to do while we were in the Forgery?"

Even the momentary tension at remembering the Forgery could not sour his mood, and was quickly shaken off now. He even gave a small nod of greeting to a few passersby as they stepped to the street proper. There were many more people than usual today, as he had mentioned, but perhaps it had simply been too long since he'd been out in the city in anything other than cataclysmic circumstances.

@ZincAboutIt