Take A Deep Breath

[+Sorana she/her]

4 hours ago, Ookla the Maybe-Existent said:

“Nay, lass. I’m stayin’ here forever, on this land. At least, ‘til I find the one that robbed me of my Breath.” He took out his cutlass again, let the blood drip on the cobble. “Then my business here will be done. Until then... no ship for me.”

Uneasily she looked at the cutlass, averted her eyes from the blood dripping down. "Someone stole my breath, too." She admitted quietly, look up into the sky, mostly to look somewhere else. "My master died and the new one wasn't willing to pay for all of us, brought his own servants with him. My parents still work there, but he wanted one of his own to shave him - " her voice trailed off. "It doesn't matter."

She sat down on the gorund next to Ana, pulled her knees up to her chest. "I never thought that it would be that difficult to find work, but I am young, I lack experience and of course the children of the servants already working at a place always come first."

Finally she looked at him again, at this cutlass. "I wanted to open up a little shop. Have people come by, I do their hairstyle, or cut their hair, or take a look at their beard, and they pay me a little money and are off again. That's why I wanted to sell my breath. So that I can start and try to build something for me." She shrugged, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Obviously I have no idea of life outside of a household. It was blind to assume I could do it."

Edited December 18, 2019 by Ookla the Dreamer

[+Invocation]

21 hours ago, Ookla the Roleplayer said:

Well, no need to think about her mom now. "Kazilsomeonemustbehurtlet'sgohelpthem," she gasped out.

Kazil nodded. "Yeah. We can try. Know what direction it came from?"

[AonEne he/him]

3 hours ago, Ookla the Quill said:

Kazil nodded. "Yeah. We can try. Know what direction it came from?"

“Hmm. That way?” She pointed hopefully. 

[I think I am here. he/him]

19 hours ago, Sorana said:

Finally she looked at him again, at this cutlass. "I wanted to open up a little shop. Have people come by, I do their hairstyle, or cut their hair, or take a look at their beard, and they pay me a little money and are off again. That's why I wanted to sell my breath. So that I can start and try to build something for me." She shrugged, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Obviously I have no idea of life outside of a household. It was blind to assume I could do it."

“Young people are bold,” Aoryen said and shrugged, slipped his cutlass back in its sheath. “If you never tried, you would have never had the chance to be a success. Much better than the others, who grow up never tryin’ a risk. Me? That’s why I’d be gamblin’. What better risk?”

He sighed and looked down. “And what better prize than a Breath?”

Quickly he looked up to her.

“Mind you, I’d be happy, happy to give my Breath if it hadn’t been won in an honest gamble. But the man cheated, he cheated and it was too late. He violated the Code. It’s my sailor’s duty to take him down. And my personal duty to get back what’s mine.”

[+Sorana she/her]

1 hour ago, Ookla the Maybe-Existent said:

“Mind you, I’d be happy, happy to give my Breath if it hadn’t been won in an honest gamble. But the man cheated, he cheated and it was too late. He violated the Code. It’s my sailor’s duty to take him down. And my personal duty to get back what’s mine.”

"We all have our stories." She sighed and looked at Ana again, wondered when she might wake up."It's strange isn't it? That we met? Like the boy earlier, who screamed that someone stole his breath. We all have a story, but somehow we ended up in the same place. And most of us with the same problems."

She looked around, at the stalls selling food and considered to walk over again to offer her services. "But right now, maybe figuring out what I'll have for dinner is a good start. Apart from the food Ana gave me, I ate nothing today."

[+Invocation]

14 hours ago, Ookla the Roleplayer said:

“Hmm. That way?” She pointed hopefully. 

"Makes sense to me." Kazil set off toward the area the shouts may have come from, Clare in tow, heading into the nearby residential areas. "Should be around here somewhere, yeah? Tell me if you see something."

[I think I am here. he/him]

21 hours ago, Sorana said:

She looked around, at the stalls selling food and considered to walk over again to offer her services. "But right now, maybe figuring out what I'll have for dinner is a good start. Apart from the food Ana gave me, I ate nothing today."

“A right coincidence indeed,” Aoryen agreed. “The will of the Sea is a strong one.”

At her dinner comment Aoryen waved a dismissive hand.

“Don’t ye’ be worryin’, girl. If people are anything like they are at sea, there’s at least one vendor willing to bet for food. And I never lose a gamble, lass.” Not if no one cheated.

[+Sorana she/her]

34 minutes ago, Ookla the Maybe-Existent said:

“Don’t ye’ be worryin’, girl. If people are anything like they are at sea, there’s at least one vendor willing to bet for food. And I never lose a gamble, lass.” Not if no one cheated.

There is at least one vendor willing to bet for food. And he never lost. Ophelia turned his words around in her head, sitting up straight when an idea crossed her mind. She doubted that he never lost, but if he only rarely lost, it would be enough. She didn't need to win always. She only needed to win once.

"Teach me." Ophelia looked at him, a smile crossed her face. "And tell me, how easy is it, to convince someone to bet their shop?"

[I think I am here. he/him]

“Teach ye’?” Aoryen said, paced around. Teach her what? Cards? He supposed she meant cards. The gambler’s weapon of choice. But, a double-bladed sword of you didn’t know how to use it well. Aoryen nodded. Teaching cards wouldn’t be too hard, with not much to do. “I’ll teach ye’ in due time, lass,” he said.

“And it’s right-easy to convince someone, girl. Ye’ just gotta find the right man. Someone who knows how to gamble, willing to go for a challenge. Someone who ain’t in any financial troubles, they’re more willing to bet. Younger folks are always ready for a bet. Ye’ gotta find the right character ‘fore you can enact the play, lass. From there’s only a couple of words.”

[+Sorana she/her]

2 hours ago, Ookla the Maybe-Existent said:

“And it’s right-easy to convince someone, girl. Ye’ just gotta find the right man. Someone who knows how to gamble, willing to go for a challenge. Someone who ain’t in any financial troubles, they’re more willing to bet. Younger folks are always ready for a bet. Ye’ gotta find the right character ‘fore you can enact the play, lass. From there’s only a couple of words.”

Ophelia started to grin. This sounded like a plan. A crazy, hillarious plan, but it was crazy enough, that it might even word. Gamble for a shop. But why not? There was no reason, why she shouldn't do it. There had to be a deeper meaning behind them meeting here, in the street without anything else.

"Yes, cards. Whatever you use. I need to win, if I want to open my shop without anything to pay for it. So I need to know everything. Every rule, every strategy, I have to understand it. I have to know when to use which oil to make hair soft, which substances clean with scalp gentle and effective." She crossed her legs and looked up at him expectantly. "Everything."

@The Awakened Salad

Quote

Do you want a small timeskip to the evening, so that Ana can wake up again?

 

[The Awakened Salad they/them]

Quote

I’d like to have a timeskip, if that’s okay. I’m going to assume we’re in the same location, but I can change it if necessary. 

The world came back slowly. First, it was in sounds. A low chatter, footsteps on the cobblestones. Somewhere, someone was singing and playing a harp. It was a calming tune. And then it was in feel. She was sitting up, something hard against her back. Her hands rested on the ground, and it was cold. Then it was through movement. Her fingers curled, and she shifted her weight. The final thing would be sight, to open her eyes. But that meant leaving... whatever this place was. This nice in-between where dark thoughts were kept at bay. 

She wondered where she was. It seemed and a bit colder than usual. Was she outside? Had her companions left her? She thought she could hear two voices, a girl’s and a man’s with a heavy accent, but she couldn’t be sure. 

She shifted again, and her body protested. Her legs and back were stiff from being in the same position for too long. That song, with its gentle melody and soft harmony, called to her. It’s time to wake up, it seemed to say. 

Ana opened her eyes with a start, falling back into the real world. It was night now, the moon casting silvery light onto the square. There was blood on her hands —  no. Think about that later.

Suddenly, her stomach rumbled loudly, and out of all the things she wanted to say, the only word that came out was “Food.” 

[I think I am here. he/him]

9 hours ago, The Awakened Salad said:

“Food.” 

“Ah,” Aoryen said. He was leaning over her. “Yer’ up. About colours-cursed time. Though, I can’t say I didn’t feel the same when I killed a man.”

Stepping back he tilted his head at Ana.

“Don’t ye’ have a house? Won’t you find food there?”

He looked to Ophelia and raised a hand. “I’ll teach y’later, lass.”

[+Sorana she/her]

2 hours ago, Ookla the Maybe-Existent said:

He looked to Ophelia and raised a hand. “I’ll teach y’later, lass.”

Ophelia nodded and shifted back on her feet and got up. "I'm hungry as well." She said quietly. Several hours had passed and as the evening was nearing with huge steps, the food she had eaten earlier was long gone.

She kept silent otherwise, waited for Ana to say something. Maybe she could find a place to sleep somewhere along the way as well.

[The Awakened Salad they/them]

4 hours ago, Ookla the Maybe-Existent said:

“Don’t ye’ have a house? Won’t you find food there?”

1 hour ago, Sorana said:

Ophelia nodded and shifted back on her feet and got up. "I'm hungry as well.”

Ana blinked, then let out a bitter laugh. “Well, we have a stale loaf of bread, but I ration that out, so we’ll each have this much,” she held up her hand and put her thumb and finger a hair length apart. “There’s some old cheese, but the same rules apply. If you’re lucky I might be able to find an overripe banana somewhere.” 

She sighed. As always, the truth had come out. “Sorry, that was rude.” She knotted her fingers and continued. “I’ve been leading you on, I suppose. I don’t have money, and I barely have enough food to last the week. My house is tiny. It’s only two rooms and I sleep in an old cupboard with the shelves taken out.” Her face grew hot as she admitted this, but instead of the usual sadness, she felt rage. 

”I can take you there, but I don’t have much. My father is probably worried, too.” 

Edited December 21, 2019 by The Awakened Salad

[I think I am here. he/him]

“Don’t you be worryin’, girl,” Aoryen said to Ana, gestured to himself. She was poor, and yet she’d given food to Ophelia and him? That was something he could respect.

“Follow me. You too, Ophelia lass. We’re eatin’ tonight a proper meal — and so is your father. Just don’t tell him we gambled for it.”

[+Sorana she/her]

19 hours ago, Ookla the Maybe-Existent said:

“Follow me. You too, Ophelia lass. We’re eatin’ tonight a proper meal — and so is your father. Just don’t tell him we gambled for it.”

"I can find somewhere else to sleep." Ophelia clutched her hands together, held on to them. "If you don't have the space, that's fine, I am sure I can find another place." Her voice trailed off, when she tried to come up with something, anything that would work for her, but - nothing. She had no idea where to sleep and the thought made her anxious, had her clutch her hands together and wish for some little piece of security. Only a little bit would be better than this.

She nodded at Aoryen's words and slung her bag over her shoulder, ready to follow to whereever he wanted to go.

[The Awakened Salad they/them]

2 hours ago, Sorana said:

"I can find somewhere else to sleep." Ophelia clutched her hands together, held on to them. "If you don't have the space, that's fine, I am sure I can find another place."

"Do you really have nowhere to go?" Ana asked as she stood up -- wobbled, then righted herself -- and started to follow Aoryen too.

[I think I am here. he/him]

The two were ready to fight follow and Aoryen marched onwards, until they were in the centre of a food-court type area of the marketplace, selling all types of food and drink, foreign and domestic. All for a price, of course, but Aoryen was sure that was one rule they’d be able to circumvent.

“Alright, remember what I said about pickin’ a target,” Aoryen told the girls, gestured to all of the vendors. He wanted to see what they’d learnt. “Which do you think would be the best one to challenge to a bet for food?”

The vendors were an old man selling fish, a couple selling skewered food on a cheap wooden rack, and a young man making a lot of money with some sort of bread he was selling.

[+Sorana she/her]

On 22.12.2019 at 1:30 PM, The Awakened Salad said:

"Do you really have nowhere to go?" Ana asked as she stood up -- wobbled, then righted herself -- and started to follow Aoryen too.

No, I don't. Such an easy reply. And it would basically force Ana to take her in. Ophelia swallowed, listened to Aoryen talk about those selling food while she tried to come with something to say. She had no place, not without money. Her parents lived several days worth of journey away and she knew nobody with a place to stay except Ana.

"I can find something, don't worry." She finally replied, the words tasting like ash in her mouth. A lie and true at the same time. She could always sleep in the streets somewhere.

"I would take the rich one seeling bread." She told Aoryen. She would feel sorry for the old man, and the couple obviously didn't have much. But the rich one. If he lost a couple of breads it wouldn't hurt him at all.

[I think I am here. he/him]

“Good good. Yes, he was the right choice. Now, we’ve picked our target, now all we gotta do is get him to bet. Which means: we need to have somethin’ he wants. It can’t be money, seems he has enough of that already. Hm...” Aoryen scratched his head and looked to the girls.

“What could it be? Perhaps it could be something we don’t even have. We aren’t goin’ to lose anyway.”

[+Sorana she/her]

1 hour ago, Ookla the Maybe-Existent said:

“What could it be? Perhaps it could be something we don’t even have. We aren’t goin’ to lose anyway.”

"I could cut his hair?" Ophelia offered. "I am good, I even have some treatments that make your hair shine in the sunlight."

She looked at the young man. "His hair is good, strong and do you see these little curls? But he doesn't take of it enough, it's not as shiny as it should be. With a little oil and a good cut, it would look a look better." She searched through her bag. "Raw eggs are great for longer hair, with his short length some high quality oil is enough it keep it strong and healthy."

[I think I am here. he/him]

“Cuttin’ his hair sounds like a fair bet,” Aoryen said cheerily. He gestured to follow him and walked up to the vendor.

“Now watch what I say,” he said quietly to the girls before approaching the man when there was no one he was selling to.

“You look like a right young lad makin’ a killin’ off of that bread. Surely you wouldn’t spare a loaf or two for me and my companions?” He gestured to Ophelia and Ana.

Quote

Anyone can RP the vendor as an NPC if they want to. 

 

[The Awakened Salad they/them]

As soon as they entered the square, all thoughts left Ana’s mind but one. The food. All the sounds and scents assailed her senses. Crackling and sizzling meats, grilled flatbreads, and glazed sweetcakes topped with fresh berries. She inhaled it all, trying to capture the flavours, and wondered what Aoryen was going to buy. She hoped it was fish. She hadn’t had some in ages.

Her stomach grumbled again, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She looked to the side, ready to ask Aoryen if they could get fish, but he was gone. Ophelia was missing too. She searched the crowd, frantic, until she spotted them standing in front of a bread stand. Oh well, food was food. And bread would last longer, too.

As she hurried to join them, she remembered she hadn’t heard Ophelia’s answer to her question. She ran up to the hairdresser and tugged her sleeve.

”Sorry, I was daydreaming before. I didn’t hear your reply.” 

 

[+Sorana she/her]

8 hours ago, The Awakened Salad said:

”Sorry, I was daydreaming before. I didn’t hear your reply.” 

Ophelia, only shook her head. "I said, I will find something." her voice was a little grudgingly, while she waited for Aoryen to do his magic. Daydreaming. There she was, lying to stop the girl from feeling she needed to take her home and she didn't even listen. Served her well. Ophelia didn't earn to be listened to. She was nothing but a small flame, about to be extinguished.

"Can you pay?" The young man replied in a bored-way, looked the three of them over and then crossed his arms in front of his chest, his body indicating a clear no.

[The Awakened Salad they/them]

On 12/27/2019 at 6:13 PM, Sorana said:

Ophelia, only shook her head. "I said, I will find something." her voice was a little grudgingly, while she waited for Aoryen to do his magic.

“Okay then,” Ana said, taken aback by the sharp tone. Of course she doesn’t want to stay with me. After what she saw me do... 

She shuddered and looked at her feet, picking the blood out of her nails. It was brown and crusty, and it fell to the ground in clumps, like snow. She was still lightheaded, and gagged a little. Good thing there was nothing in her stomach. The wind picked up, and blew the flecks away, somewhere far. Somewhere...

She was loosing focus again. She snapped her head back up, and the vendor had his arms crossed, looking at the trio with a sneer. 

Edited December 30, 2019 by The Awakened Salad