Free States of the Crescent

[The Stormfather He/Him]

15 hours ago, Spark of Hope said:

Oh, she was SO tempted to walk into something. But she didn’t. 

Eventually, she was shoved foreword and heard a door close behind her. Someone grabbed the bag from her head, showing her that she was in a dimly lit building, with walls that were wooden and had little gaps in them, as if they had been slowly broken over time. A sort of cell had been built in a corner of this building, which is where she was. On the ground beside her was an unconscious Mark.

[Through the Living Hope]

1 minute ago, The Stormfather said:

Eventually, she was shoved foreword and heard a door close behind her. Someone grabbed the bag from her head, showing her that she was in a dimly lit building, with walls that were wooden and had little gaps in them, as if they had been slowly broken over time. A sort of cell had been built in a corner of this building, which is where she was. On the ground beside her was an unconscious Mark.

She caught herself on her hands and knees, seeing Mark after a couple seconds. She thought for a moment then checked him for injuries. 

[The Stormfather He/Him]

26 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

She caught herself on her hands and knees, seeing Mark after a couple seconds. She thought for a moment then checked him for injuries. 

He wasn’t injured, though his hands were encased in aluminum gloves.

[Through the Living Hope]

5 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

He wasn’t injured, though his hands were encased in aluminum gloves.

Seeing this, she moved and sat with her back to the wall. 

[The Stormfather He/Him]

4 hours ago, Spark of Hope said:

Seeing this, she moved and sat with her back to the wall. 

Eventually, Mark woke up.

”Wh- oh, rusts.” 

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, The Stormfather said:

Eventually, Mark woke up.

”Wh- oh, rusts.” 

“Hey,” she said, zoning out. 

[The Stormfather He/Him]

2 hours ago, Spark of Hope said:

“Hey,” she said, zoning out. 

"Guess I didn't get all of them." He lifted one hand. "Crap. I can't summon my Blade through the aluminum." He groaned. "Thought I'd get a break, after the rebellion. Nope. Straight into another bloody fight."

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, The Stormfather said:

"Guess I didn't get all of them." He lifted one hand. "Crap. I can't summon my Blade through the aluminum." He groaned. "Thought I'd get a break, after the rebellion. Nope. Straight into another bloody fight."

“No. We’re not going to fight to get out of here.”

[The Stormfather He/Him]

5 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

“No. We’re not going to fight to get out of here.”

"What else is there that we can do?"

Mark? Where are you?

The voice of his Spren projected into his mind.

"C- Captured. There were more of those Marksmen, or whatever they call themselves. G- Go get Adris, or something."

They can't see me.

"Damn it." He looked at Marewill. "It's my Spren. No one else is able to see, him, so he can't warn the others about these scumbags or get them to help us."

If I can find someone with Life Sense from Breath, or a Mafah'liki, maybe.

"A Ma-what?"

Those Horneaters who can see spren.

"Oh. Well, try. Maybe go to the police station. They might have someone."

I'll try.

"Is there any way we can get word out of here to get help?" He asks Marewill

[Through the Living Hope]

4 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

"What else is there that we can do?"

Mark? Where are you?

The voice of his Spren projected into his mind.

"C- Captured. There were more of those Marksmen, or whatever they call themselves. G- Go get Adris, or something."

They can't see me.

"Damn it." He looked at Marewill. "It's my Spren. No one else is able to see, him, so he can't warn the others about these scumbags or get them to help us."

If I can find someone with Life Sense from Breath, or a Mafah'liki, maybe.

"A Ma-what?"

Those Horneaters who can see spren.

"Oh. Well, try. Maybe go to the police station. They might have someone."

I'll try.

"Is there any way we can get word out of here to get help?" He asks Marewill

“I don’t think it would be a good idea. They didn’t knock me out when they brought me here, so I was able to learn why they’re not happy with us.”

[The Stormfather He/Him]

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

“I don’t think it would be a good idea. They didn’t knock me out when they brought me here, so I was able to learn why they’re not happy with us.”

"Why?"

[Through the Living Hope]

2 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

"Why?"

“When we broke out of the arena started it. At least one of them is personally angry about that because ‘it’s the tributes’ job to die”, and we didn’t do that. In addition, the taking out Peacekeepers like that resulted in more crime because law enforcement was stretched thin, even if it was controlled by the capitol. I think one of them had a family member in that fight.”

[The Stormfather He/Him]

4 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

“When we broke out of the arena started it. At least one of them is personally angry about that because ‘it’s the tributes’ job to die”, and we didn’t do that. In addition, the taking out Peacekeepers like that resulted in more crime because law enforcement was stretched thin, even if it was controlled by the capitol. I think one of them had a family member in that fight.”

"I-" Mark groaned. "So we're getting captured for fighting in self defense and acting in accordance with human nature. Great. Well, we can rule out using logic with these people."

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, The Stormfather said:

"I-" Mark groaned. "So we're getting captured for fighting in self defense and acting in accordance with human nature. Great. Well, we can rule out using logic with these people."

She fought back a smirk. “But we have to rule out violence, too.”

[The Stormfather He/Him]

9 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

She fought back a smirk. “But we have to rule out violence, too.”

"So... What's left? Scheming?"

[Through the Living Hope]

2 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

"So... What's left? Scheming?"

“I don’t know. But maybe if we talk to the right people, try not to cause problems, maybe we can come to some kind of agreement.”

[The Stormfather He/Him]

3 hours ago, Spark of Hope said:

“I don’t know. But maybe if we talk to the right people, try not to cause problems, maybe we can come to some kind of agreement.”

“Hopefully.”

Kill all of them.

Mark ignored the voice. “ It seems like the only reason they haven’t killed us already is as a way to get the rest of your family and the Steeles to suffer.”

 

[Through the Living Hope]

6 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

“Hopefully.”

Kill all of them.

Mark ignored the voice. “ It seems like the only reason they haven’t killed us already is as a way to get the rest of your family and the Steeles to suffer.”

 

She looked outside the cell. 

[The Stormfather He/Him]

On 3/5/2025 at 8:21 PM, Spark of Hope said:

She looked outside the cell. 

There were a few of the Marksmen around, two of them playing cards while the other was watching Mark and Marewill. The ground was dirt, strewn with straw, and the cell was in the corner of the building. It seemed like animals had been kept in this place, with the pens that were made along the walls.

[Through the Living Hope]

57 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

There were a few of the Marksmen around, two of them playing cards while the other was watching Mark and Marewill. The ground was dirt, strewn with straw, and the cell was in the corner of the building. It seemed like animals had been kept in this place, with the pens that were made along the walls.

She didn’t say anything else. 

[The Stormfather He/Him]

4 hours ago, Spark of Hope said:

She didn’t say anything else. 

"What do we do?" Mark murmured. "Is there anything that we can do?"

[Through the Living Hope]

37 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

"What do we do?" Mark murmured. "Is there anything that we can do?"

She looked down. “I don’t know,” she said softly. 

[The Stormfather He/Him]

23 hours ago, Spark of Hope said:

She looked down. “I don’t know,” she said softly. 

“They didn’t search me, I don’t think.” Mark fumbled with his aluminum-encased hands to dump out his pocket. “I have some brass.”

[Through the Living Hope]

5 minutes ago, The Stormfather said:

“They didn’t search me, I don’t think.” Mark fumbled with his aluminum-encased hands to dump out his pocket. “I have some brass.”

“But do you want to risk making them angry?”

[The Stormfather He/Him]

56 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

“But do you want to risk making them angry?”

“No.” Mark sighed. “The best thing to do is probably to go along with them.”

Until bullets start flying. The Killer finished, in Mark’s head.