Free States of the Crescent

[The Stormfather He/Him]

1 hour ago, Spark of Hope said:

 

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I think so.

 

[Through the Living Hope]

@The Stormfather

Marewill entered the house just before Mark. The first person they saw was Rashi.

"Is there a room we can borrow really quick?" she asked, seeming very urgent.

"Of course, but why?"

"Mark and I need to talk about something."

She sighed. "Alright." Rashi led Marewill and Mark to a room where they could talk privately.

[The Stormfather He/Him]

4 hours ago, Spark of Hope said:

@The Stormfather

Marewill entered the house just before Mark. The first person they saw was Rashi.

"Is there a room we can borrow really quick?" she asked, seeming very urgent.

"Of course, but why?"

"Mark and I need to talk about something."

She sighed. "Alright." Rashi led Marewill and Mark to a room where they could talk privately.

Mark followed confusedly. "What's going on?"

[Through the Living Hope]

28 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

Mark followed confusedly. "What's going on?"

"We need to talk about this." She held up the papers she'd swiped after Rashi left.

[The Stormfather He/Him]

47 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

"We need to talk about this." She held up the papers she'd swiped after Rashi left.

"Yeah. Yeah we really do." 

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Which paper did she steal? Was it the map or the financial records?

 

[Through the Living Hope]

On 1/15/2025 at 2:56 PM, The Stormfather said:

The Marksman seemed to require quite a lot of money, looking at the ledgers. Also, listed in the section for whatever the Marksman was (I don't know how these ledgers work) Were a few sections.

Transportation, room and board, many things that would be required for a group of people to get them in a liveable scenario.

And then weapons. Nearly half of the money sent to The Marksman was put into buying them weapons.

Mark's eyes snapped to the door. "Mare, we might want to get out of here soon. I don't know how long Sweets is going to be able to distract everyone here. I certainly don't want to have to fight them. I won't fight them. Never again."

 

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This one

7 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

"Yeah. Yeah we really do." 

 

“Besides this, they clearly had their eyes on places important to us.”

[The Stormfather He/Him]

11 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

“Besides this, they clearly had their eyes on places important to us.”

"Yeah. Something... Something seems wrong here. Even if they wanted to track us, spy on us, or even kill us why do they need to know where important places in our life are? What's the reasoning to this? Or... Maybe... Maybe they can't track us. Maybe these places are places they think that we're... likely to go to?" Mark paused. "Although in that case, I don't know why that... Place... The place where..." Mark shuddered. "I won't be going back there anytime soon. The Marksman... maybe some kind of soldier group? A Peacekeeper squad?"

[Through the Living Hope]

27 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

"Yeah. Something... Something seems wrong here. Even if they wanted to track us, spy on us, or even kill us why do they need to know where important places in our life are? What's the reasoning to this? Or... Maybe... Maybe they can't track us. Maybe these places are places they think that we're... likely to go to?" Mark paused. "Although in that case, I don't know why that... Place... The place where..." Mark shuddered. "I won't be going back there anytime soon. The Marksman... maybe some kind of soldier group? A Peacekeeper squad?"

“It’s possible. It’s either that, or they want to destroy the lives we’ve made here.”

She dragged her hand down her face. “I think we need to get the police involved.”

[The Stormfather He/Him]

15 hours ago, Spark of Hope said:

“It’s possible. It’s either that, or they want to destroy the lives we’ve made here.”

She dragged her hand down her face. “I think we need to get the police involved.”

"Maybe. The police are generally... Unhelpful, when dealing with the Steeles."

[Through the Living Hope]

8 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

"Maybe. The police are generally... Unhelpful, when dealing with the Steeles."

"Then we don't tell them the Steeles' involvement. We can forge the words on this paper - without getting our DNA on it - and anonymously tip them."

[The Stormfather He/Him]

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

"Then we don't tell them the Steeles' involvement. We can forge the words on this paper - without getting our DNA on it - and anonymously tip them."

"That'll work."

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Are the police separated from the Peacekeepers?

 

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, The Stormfather said:

"That'll work."

 

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I'd assume so; Peacekeepers are capital-controlled and based, so they'd probably have a complete overhaul in the justice system when the FSotC were established.

"If I get some gloves, I can forge the paper..." 

She left the room for a few minutes, coming back wearing gloves and holding paper and a pen.

[The Stormfather He/Him]

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

"If I get some gloves, I can forge the paper..." 

She left the room for a few minutes, coming back wearing gloves and holding paper and a pen.

I thought you were done with crime and espionage, Mark

"One more time." Mark murmured. "One more time, that's it." 

You're no good at this, Human. You shouldn't be this sentimental freak, the weakling who can't even see a random alleyway on a map without nearly crying.

"I'm not a weakling." He whispered. "And I am not a Killer."

You are.

"No."

You know that you are. You're a murderer, a man who slaughters dozens when they so much as threaten his oh-so-precious friends.

"They were going to kill us."

Do you now that?

Mark raised his voice. "They were soldiers sent to murder us! Do you expect me to stand by while the wretched Peacekeepers threaten everythign that I have left in my life, everything that I ever will have? How exactly am I supposed to stand by and watch as they shoot the only people who have actually understood me?"

You still killed them. They had lives. Families. You know that what you did was wrong Mark, and you know that you aren't who you seem to be to everyone else.

Mark's voice drops back down to a whisper. Mist curled around his fingertips and a small, hooked sharddagger appeared in his hand.

"Get out of my head."

I am your head. I am what you are, what you deny to be. I am the Killer, the assassin who you tried to leave behind.

"I killed you."

You are still alive.

"That doesn't matter. I killed you, left you to rot in that arena."

Yet you made it out, so I did as well.

"I am not a killer."

Maybe not now, but what will happen when those Peacekeepers come for you again? 

"I won't kill them. I-" Mark turned around, ignoring Marewill beside him. "I am not a killer."

Really? I know a few people who would beg to differ. Those you killed for Adris. Quelkin. The Peacekeepers.

Sereine.

"Get her name out of your godforsaken mouth and get out of my Storming head!"

You are still what you used to be. A child, who lashes out when angered. Except this child has too much power, lashes out and kills dozens.

"I am not a killer."

So you keep saying.

"I'm... I'm not. I-" Mark paused. "I am an Edgedancer. I listen. I remember."

Did you listen to the Peacekeepers before you killed them? Did you listen to Sereine's screams as you murdered her-

"Did you not hear what I said second? I remember. Some people had to die, but I will never forget who they were. Maybe I could have spared a few, but even when I killed wrongly, there is not a single one of them who I do not remember." Mark's dagger extended into a scimitar, stamped with the symbol of brass.

"I may be a killer, but at least I don't spend my time trying to drive the person who keeps me alive insane. I may be a killer, but at least I am not heartless. At least I don't forget the name of my own girlfriend."

"I may be a killer, but at least I remember. Do you remember? Do you listen? Or do you just kill. That's all you are. Even if I am a murderer, I am something else as well." 

"I'm a storming radiant. Do you expect me to be fine? The ideals are meant to help us. If I swore one, how do you expect me to be normal? The ideals are what stop me from being... you. When you forget the ideals that I swore, you become something much worse." Mark dismissed his blade.

"When you forget the words you said, you become nothing but an automaton, made for slaughter."

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I'm in the middle of geography class.

Lol.

 

[Through the Living Hope]

4 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

I thought you were done with crime and espionage, Mark

"One more time." Mark murmured. "One more time, that's it." 

You're no good at this, Human. You shouldn't be this sentimental freak, the weakling who can't even see a random alleyway on a map without nearly crying.

"I'm not a weakling." He whispered. "And I am not a Killer."

You are.

"No."

You know that you are. You're a murderer, a man who slaughters dozens when they so much as threaten his oh-so-precious friends.

"They were going to kill us."

Do you now that?

Mark raised his voice. "They were soldiers sent to murder us! Do you expect me to stand by while the wretched Peacekeepers threaten everythign that I have left in my life, everything that I ever will have? How exactly am I supposed to stand by and watch as they shoot the only people who have actually understood me?"

You still killed them. They had lives. Families. You know that what you did was wrong Mark, and you know that you aren't who you seem to be to everyone else.

Mark's voice drops back down to a whisper. Mist curled around his fingertips and a small, hooked sharddagger appeared in his hand.

"Get out of my head."

I am your head. I am what you are, what you deny to be. I am the Killer, the assassin who you tried to leave behind.

"I killed you."

You are still alive.

"That doesn't matter. I killed you, left you to rot in that arena."

Yet you made it out, so I did as well.

"I am not a killer."

Maybe not now, but what will happen when those Peacekeepers come for you again? 

"I won't kill them. I-" Mark turned around, ignoring Marewill beside him. "I am not a killer."

Really? I know a few people who would beg to differ. Those you killed for Adris. Quelkin. The Peacekeepers.

Sereine.

"Get her name out of your godforsaken mouth and get out of my Storming head!"

You are still what you used to be. A child, who lashes out when angered. Except this child has too much power, lashes out and kills dozens.

"I am not a killer."

So you keep saying.

"I'm... I'm not. I-" Mark paused. "I am an Edgedancer. I listen. I remember."

Did you listen to the Peacekeepers before you killed them? Did you listen to Sereine's screams as you murdered her-

"Did you not hear what I said second? I remember. Some people had to die, but I will never forget who they were. Maybe I could have spared a few, but even when I killed wrongly, there is not a single one of them who I do not remember." Mark's dagger extended into a scimitar, stamped with the symbol of brass.

"I may be a killer, but at least I don't spend my time trying to drive the person who keeps me alive insane. I may be a killer, but at least I am not heartless. At least I don't forget the name of my own girlfriend."

"I may be a killer, but at least I remember. Do you remember? Do you listen? Or do you just kill. That's all you are. Even if I am a murderer, I am something else as well." 

"I'm a storming radiant. Do you expect me to be fine? The ideals are meant to help us. If I swore one, how do you expect me to be normal? The ideals are what stop me from being... you. When you forget the ideals that I swore, you become something much worse." Mark dismissed his blade.

"When you forget the words you said, you become nothing but an automaton, made for slaughter."

 

Marewill sat there silently and let Mark argue with himself. She forged the document.

[The Stormfather He/Him]

On 1/23/2025 at 9:27 AM, Spark of Hope said:

Marewill sat there silently and let Mark argue with himself. She forged the document.

Eventually, Mark stopped his argument, trying to force his own voice out of his head.

"So what exactly is our plan here?" Mark asked Mare.

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, The Stormfather said:

Eventually, Mark stopped his argument, trying to force his own voice out of his head.

"So what exactly is our plan here?" Mark asked Mare.

“Forging this document. The gloves will let me do that without leaving fingerprints, and we anonymously turn it in to the police.”

[The Stormfather He/Him]

2 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

“Forging this document. The gloves will let me do that without leaving fingerprints, and we anonymously turn it in to the police.”

"Perfect." Mark said. "We could also try to spy on the managers of the construction company, see if they go anywhere or have any suspicious meetings."

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Can I be your shardbuddy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 27, 2025 by The Stormfather

[Through the Living Hope]

4 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

"Perfect." Mark said. "We could also try to spy on the managers of the construction company, see if they go anywhere or have any suspicious meetings."

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Can I be your shardbuddy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Yep just wait till I get home;b

 

“Your spren is probably the best way to do that.”

[The Stormfather He/Him]

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

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Yep just wait till I get home;b

 

“Your spren is probably the best way to do that.”

"True."

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Cultivationspren are invisible to others, right?

 

[Through the Living Hope]

1 minute ago, The Stormfather said:

"True."

 

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You’re asking the person who’s only read Mistborn how spren work? Lol

To my very limited knowledge I think so

 

[The Stormfather He/Him]

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

 

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Oh oops lol.

Kay.

I think that one lift scene has her use Wyndle to climb a flat wall and the others are all like 'whoa how'd she climd dat flat wall dude?' so wYnDLe would've been invyzable.

Mark turns to his Spren, who nods and slinks/walks/slides/somethings off.

[Through the Living Hope]

1 minute ago, The Stormfather said:

Mark turns to his Spren, who nods and slinks/walks/slides/somethings off.

“So that’ll work?”

[The Stormfather He/Him]

7 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

“So that’ll work?”

"It should. It might take a bit for him to get there, though. I think I'm going to go and check..." Mark paused. "I'll check how Maj is doing."

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, The Stormfather said:

"It should. It might take a bit for him to get there, though. I think I'm going to go and check..." Mark paused. "I'll check how Maj is doing."

“Yeah.” She paused. “I’m sorry he ended up in there.”

[The Stormfather He/Him]

1 minute ago, Spark of Hope said:

“Yeah.” She paused. “I’m sorry he ended up in there.”

Mark didn't say anything, and walked back over to the room with the TV.

"What's going on?"

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Who was it who was going to tell him?