Scadrial Thread

[overlord stick]

Vena walked in, helmet on and ready for a fight, her hands itching to summon her Shardblade. No, not yet. We're just here to deposit payment

---------------------------------------------------

Rudo leaned against the wall and yawned, bored. Just another store or inn coming to drop off money. Although this was an odd bunch, with the girl in what looked like glass armor. Glass? Who'd make armor out of that? Especially so intricately... Then there was the man with the Wolfish face. It unsettled Rudo, it was a face that said, I know more than you, I am smarter than you, I can beat you at anything you try. Something strange was afoot, and Rudo decided to pay attention to this bunch.

Edited June 12, 2019 by Emperor Stick

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Nerin stepped forward into the room. It was small, little more than a shack, really, and the whole place was constructed from the same old, rickety planking. But right in the center sat a beautiful desk, all carved mahogany polished to a gleaming shine. Two oil lamps sat on either side of the desk, covered in etched glass globes that softened the flicker into a warm glow. And most out-of-place of all was the woman behind the desk.

She was somewhere just north of thirty, a pale collection of angles and edges. Her eyes were clear, icy green and shone oddly bright in the low light of the room, sweeping over Nerin in a way that made her shiver. The woman's hair was cut short, curling just under her chin in a fashionable wave and accenting a cloche hat made from expensive-looking felt.

Aluminum-lined, almost certainly. It was to be expected from people like this, though at least that meant she wasn't a Coppercloud. Or a Mistborn.

The thought gave Nerin meager comfort as she sat down in the chair opposite the woman, heavy bag a bulky lump in her lap. She reached into the bag slowly, keeping an eye on the other man in the corner - he had the look of a Thug, though his eyes were keen and sharp. Not an idiot, then, though he wasn't wearing a hat.

Good, Nerin thought, pulling the walnut cashbox out of the bag and setting it down on the mahogany table. She slid it forward, along with the folded slip of paper that Jeb had received the previous night - the one with the tithe amount.

"It's all there," Nerin said, forcing herself to meet the woman's eyes. "This is a risk we're taking, trading allegiances. Jeb's been paying the Scarlets for years - they won't take kindly to this, um... new development."

The woman said nothing, sliding the box towards her and opening the latch. She silently, slowly, counted each boxing note, then the bag of clips, moving with an exacting focus that Nerin associated with Tin.

She probably heard everything we said from two blocks off, Nerin thought, doing her best not to fidget. She kept Soothing the group behind her, wishing she could do the same to herself. Her nerves were a fiddle that had been sawed too viciously of late, and she felt close to breaking.

"Well, you know how to count," the woman said briskly, handing the boxing notes and pouch of clips to the thug in the corner with a nod. She looked back to Nerin, pale lips curling into a tiny, cold smile. "Congratulations, you've just made a very smart decision. Our leader will reward such cleverness in kind. You can expect protection. We take care of our own."

Her eyes flicked over the assembled group behind her, then became slightly unfocused, as though she were looking elsewhere, or...listening? 

"It seems that you've already got yourself a bit of a shadow. I believe you met Mouras last night?"

Nerin frowned a bit at the thought of Lance and his graffiti, and the way he'd so casually obliterated Attayl's boss on the dancefloor. An odd cocktail of irritation and fear and fascination twirled together in her guts, and she felt a tiny flush of color creep up her neck.

The woman's smile turned knowing. "Yes, he tends to have that effect. Careful though."

The color crept further up Nerin's neck, coloring her cheeks, though she kept her face carefully blank. "Is that it, then?"

"Indeed it is," the woman answered, pushing the now-empty box back towards Nerin. "We'll be in touch." 

[+Ark1002]

Garth had withdrawn to the corner of the parlor, hand on his gun.

[John Flamesinger he/him]

John followed Nerin into the light in the center of the room, hand on hilt.

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Nerin nodded to the woman, then stood. "Forgive my rudeness, I'm--"

"Nerin Falswell," the woman said, still smiling, though the expression didn't reach her eyes. "Yes, we know. You may call me Giselle. Future payment will be collected in person, though you may send letters here should the need arise."

The look on Giselle's face made it clear that the need should not arise. Nerin nodded again, reading the dismissal, then turned on her heel.

Let's go, she mouthed to the group behind her, then walked out the door with as much confidence as she could fake. Once out on the street again, she looked at them, put a finger to her lips, and motioned for them to follow her down an alley. After a few minutes of walking, she stopped behind an old cobbler's shop and nodded.

"I'd bet my own boots that woman was a Tineye," she said, checking the strap on her pack. "I doubt she can hear us from this distance though. Rusts, I could do with a drink. Anything odd on the street outside? Did you smell that... blood smell again?"

Nerin directed this last question to Aben.

@Dr. Dapper @everyone 

[John Flamesinger he/him]

"The third person in there looked," John hesitated for a moment. "Weird. Like a ghost or something." He looked uneasy. "Like they were there, but not there." He turned to the others. "Did any of you see him?"

Edited June 12, 2019 by John Flamesinger
You should play Halo.

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Nerin blinked, then turned to look at John.

"The third person in there? What are you talking about?"

[overlord stick]

Vena looked at him strangely.

"There was no third person... Are you okay?"

[John Flamesinger he/him]

John shivered. "I know what I saw."

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

21 minutes ago, John Flamesinger said:

John shivered. "I know what I saw."

"Alright," Nerin said, feeling her temper rise. She rounded on John, putting a heavy Soothing on him, stomping down all the way on his inhibition, his desire to lie, and any impulse to argue. "I've had it with all these rusting cryptic devices and words and invisible swords and whatever else. What in Harmony's name are you talking about? Spit it out boy, now."

[John Flamesinger he/him]

John froze. "I am a person from a place called Silverlight," He said as if to a child. "I have a device that can contact other people with a device. And I saw a 3rd person in that room.

[+Ark1002]

Garth began pacing around the room, nervous.

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Nerin was just about to tell John where he could put his device when she heard something - a slight scuffling at the other end of the alley. She turned to see several men, all wearing the deep red vests of the Scarlets, gather at the mouth of the alley. A quick turn of the head confirmed the worst - three more had filled the other end, trapping them in the narrow corridor between buildings.

"Oh rust," she whispered. 

"Good mornin' lovely," one of the men called to her. She actually recognized him, one of Willet's best Copperclouds who came round to collect dues sometimes. He grinned nastily, fingering the hilt of a long knife at his belt. "Now what's a girl like you doin' in a place like this? All manner of unsavory folk out and about these days. Wouldn't want you getting hurt, now would we?"

Some of the other thugs laughed, and a few stepped just a bit closer towards their group.

"Bad business, m'dear," the Coppercloud continued, frowning in mock-sorrow. "Really it's a shame ol' Jeb had to involve you in all this." He drew his knife, inspecting the edge. "Still," he said, face sliding back into its cruel grin, "I think you and I will have some fun."

@Emperor Stick @Invocation @John Flamesinger @everyone else

Quote

It's fighting time! Feel free to write some of your own scenes here, kill, fight, whatever you like. Any questions just ping me! Don't kill the mean Coppercloud yet, he's for last.

 

[overlord stick]

Vena stepped forward menacingly.

"I'm giving you one chance to turn back and run."

She summoned her Shardblade.

"Or else."

[old man moomba he/him]

Aben smoothly drew his blade and fell into fighting stance. "Care to dance?" he asked, smiling wolfishly. 

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

7 minutes ago, Emperor Stick said:

Vena stepped forward menacingly.

"I'm giving you one chance to turn back and run."

She summoned her Shardblade.

"Or else."

One of the men seemed to hesitate, then stepped forward. "Hey," he said, peering towards Vena. "I think this one's a girl." He grinned, then stepped forward, swinging a cudgel towards Vena.

3 minutes ago, Dr. Dapper said:

Aben smoothly drew his blade and fell into fighting stance. "Care to dance?" he asked, smiling wolfishly. 

Two of the thugs rushed Aben, both had a long dagger and a dueling cane each. 

Quote

Both of you, I know nothing about sword forms or anything like that, so go ahead and godmod these poor rustheads as you see fit  Make them as skilled or unskilled as you want.

 

[overlord stick]

As the man swung at her, the weapon bounced harmlessly off her Shardplate.

Vena sighed. "I warned you." 

Vena stepped forward then stabbed him through the chest and pulled it out, and the man fell to the ground, his eyes burned out.

"You messed with the wrong lady." She said, walking forward confidently.

Edited June 13, 2019 by Emperor Stick

[John Flamesinger he/him]

John pulled out his sword, and easily killed the man who was aiming a pistol at his head, finishing him off with a quick rotation of his wrist that cut off his opponents head.

[old man moomba he/him]

Quote

Time for sword forms!

Aben thrust forward in Blacklance's Last Strike, spearing the first man through the chest before he could react. The sword shone brightly as Aben yanked it out of the man's chest and rounded on his companion. "Shall we waltz?" The thug continued to stand there, stunned, before charging at Aben, swinging his dueling cane wildly. The blademaster stepped smoothly out of the way, preforming The Tower Crumbles as he did. The move left the thug kneeling, hands splayed out in front of him. 

Aben stepped behind the man and snapped his sword across his neck in The Charioteer Cracks His Whip. He finished by wiping his blade on the corpse's coat and rammig his sword back into its sheath with Folding the Fan.

[John Flamesinger he/him]

John's mouth fell open as he watched Aben. This hesitation almost killed him, with a thug running up to him and trapping him in a speed bubble. Automatically everything outside sped up. Cadium. This isn't good. John stabbed his attacker through the heart, and the bubble collapsed.

[overlord stick]

Vena had charged at a few thugs, stabbing multiple in the chest, when she noticed Aben, cutting down thug after thug, in a magnificent dance of death.

Holy- how is he doing that? Incredible...

 

Edited June 13, 2019 by Emperor Stick

[+Sorana she/her]

The chalklings moved towards the man, and he pushed her away. Attayl stumbled over some chairs and a table, before she caught her balance again. The decive was still making strange noises and her attacker turned towards Garth and Atmose. He looked at them for a moment, then he hefted his gun, aimed and fired at Atmose. The other three spread out, one coming for her and she quickly readied her knife again, distributed her weight equally between her feet. The remaining two focused on Atmose and Garth.

@Emperor Stick

@I think I am here.

@Ax's Boyfriend

The entered the house through the back door. A gun was fired, but the taller one, lifted a hand. The kitchen. There were sounds coming out of the kitchen. A cruel smile spread on his face and opened the door. His smile widened when he saw, that they had found their target. Stepping inside he hefted his gun, heard his friend lock the door behind him.

“The traitor.”

He announced and smiled again. Jeb was staring at them with wide eyes, his face pale. He wanted to scream, but no sound left his throat.

“Don’t try to soothe us.”

 The man told him.

“We came prepared.”

Edited June 13, 2019 by Sorana

[I think I am here. he/him]

Brillin heard the commotion in silence right under the floor boards. The men, their conversation with Attayl, som kind of scuffle. Brillin prepared himself to jump out and help but he paused. Help how? He would just get them killed, be a  it would be better if he stayed out of it.

But, it was Attayl against what seemed like more than one man. And Attayl still stood up to them, she didn’t hide, or run away, and Brillin had. He closed his eyes and grit his teeth when he heard the scuffle above. He felt like a coward, a traitor to the people who’d offered him a place to stay, but every time he thought of jumping up, he realised just how dangerous it was, just how likely it was to get stabbed or shot or worse.

He clenched his fists and tried to ignore what he heard above. Some people were just not cut out for fighting.

[John Flamesinger he/him]

The mobile stopped ringing. The screen lit up unreadable symbols.

 

[overlord stick]

 

 

 

2

6 hours ago, Sorana said:

The chalklings moved towards the man, and he pushed her away. Attayl stumbled over some chairs and a table, before she caught her balance again. The decive was still making strange noises and her attacker turned towards Garth and Atmose. He looked at them for a moment, then he hefted his gun, aimed and fired at Atmose. The other three spread out, one coming for her and she quickly readied her knife again, distributed her weight equally between her feet. The remaining two focused on Atmose and Garth.

Atmose drew a quick, flimsy line of forbiddance that barely blocked the bullet, he stepped out of the way of the line, no time to dismiss it, and whispered to the chalklings, telling them to attack. They surged toward the two attacking thugs, while Atmose fired off lines of Revocation, knocking them down, and the Chalklings surrounded the Thugs. 

"Those chalklings will eat and gnaw at you. It will be slow, and agonizing. You can either die, or you can tell me why you are here."