Forged Iron

[Kings_way he/they]

"That doesn't matter." Ermin said bluntly. "The point is, Harmony is more than just Preservation and Ruin."

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Do we actually have some sort of plot, or are we just waiting for something to emerge?

 

[Kingsdaughter613 she/her]

1 minute ago, Kings_way said:

"That doesn't matter." Ermin said bluntly. "The point is, Harmony is more than just Preservation and Ruin."

 

“True,” Kelsier agreed. “He’s also the mind directing that power - poorly, I might add. But then Saze was never especially fond of being in charge. Makes him a fair bit better than some other gods out there, but it has its downsides.”

He pulled out a roll of aluminum foil and began wrapping the spikes Eryn had laid out.

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Yes. Sort of. That’s why Kelsier gave Eryn the Coppermind from Meens. It’s why she came to meet him. I do need Drae to answer Kelsier though.

 

[Condensation she/her]

21 hours ago, Kingsdaughter613 said:

Eryn chuckled, gently patting the girl’s cheek. “Sovereign will wear for you. He is king, ja?”

"Okay." Zola smiled. "Hey, how long is this gonna take?"

[Kingsdaughter613 she/her]

42 minutes ago, Condensation said:

"Okay." Zola smiled. "Hey, how long is this gonna take?"

“A few more minutes,” Kelsier told her. “I don’t want anyone walking in until I’ve taken care of these.”

”Then we go shopping,” Eryn agreed.

[Condensation she/her]

5 minutes ago, Kingsdaughter613 said:

“A few more minutes,” Kelsier told her. “I don’t want anyone walking in until I’ve taken care of these.”

”Then we go shopping,” Eryn agreed.

"The detective, you mean?"

[Kingsdaughter613 she/her]

1 minute ago, Condensation said:

"The detective, you mean?"

“He isn’t too bad,” Kelsier said cheerfully. “I like him. He’s welcome to watch.”

[Condensation she/her]

3 minutes ago, Kingsdaughter613 said:

“He isn’t too bad,” Kelsier said cheerfully. “I like him. He’s welcome to watch.”

"Who are you 'taking care of', then?"

[Kingsdaughter613 she/her]

1 minute ago, Condensation said:

"Who are you 'taking care of', then?"

“What, not who,” Eryn explained. “Taking care of spikes.”

[Condensation she/her]

1 minute ago, Kingsdaughter613 said:

“What, not who,” Eryn explained. “Taking care of spikes.”

"Oooooh. Right."

[Random Bystander she/her]

14 minutes ago, Condensation said:

"Who are you 'taking care of', then?"

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That sounded so wrong.

 

[Condensation she/her]

14 minutes ago, Random Bystander said:

 

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 Did it?

 

[AonEne he/him]

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I'm intentionally writing her to be irrational in this scene - apologies if it got confusing, Mat.

I also totally forgot to put her F-bendalloy in her character sheet, which I'm very sorry for and have fixed.

Words as weapons - did he think she wasn't trying? Marie had been doing that, but the last few times it just, it just hadn't... Maybe because you're just throwing whatever rust you can think of out there and hoping it will work, her thoughts whispered, instead of going for the chinks in the armor. You're scared, Marie.

Scared of what? She was an Inquisitor. (with more deaths to her name than most mass murderers)

She had Allomancy (which let her fly; which she'd stolen from a screaming woman) and Feruchemy (which made her touch fire and her mind sharp; which secreted away things too dangerous to think about); she'd lived hundreds of years. (so many years, so many years in her own head)

She'd watched the Catacendre itself happen! (watched the ground crack from within a cave, come up to the surface and seen plants burning, singed leaves and smoking trees and normal, pretty brown bushes and crops withering away into fire fire fire and she didn't know if she thought they were pretty because of her or Him and she wanted to think the burning was pretty too but PLANTS WERE DYING and she didn't know whether He was thinking her thoughts or she was and the world was falling and shifting and)

Marie Lekal had NOTHING to be afraid of! (except a dead God or someone taking her mind or the Survivor himself trying to befriend her or Harmony being right or -)

SHE WAS NOT SCARED.

And ANY thoughts (she was terrified) of weakness could go in a coppermind or behind a mental wall and stay there.

She avoided the gazes of the Survivor and his idiot revolutionary Terrisman; she knew they were probably both listening but Harmony usually, surprisingly, had enough grace not to bother her when she was like this and if Kelsier tried she would put a bullet through his brain, Steelrunning and healing and "Master of Metals" be damned.

She'd been staring at Adilie for a few seconds, face locked into a still mask of vague annoyance. Had her breathing been normal? She thought so. "If you have power, you use it," she said finally. "That's that."

She cocked her head and smiled faintly at the detective. "There's no limit to how much lethality a girl should have, lawman." Her voice dropped lower. "There's always room for more."

@Kingsdaughter613 @mathiau @Kings_way

[Kingsdaughter613 she/her]

28 minutes ago, AonEne said:

Words as weapons - did he think she wasn't trying? Marie had been doing that, but the last few times it had just, it just hadn't... Maybe because you're just throwing whatever rust you can think of out there and hoping it will work, her thoughts whispered, instead of going for the chinks in the armor. You're scared, Marie.

Scared of what? She was an Inquisitor. (with more deaths to her name than most mass murderers)

She had Allomancy (which let her fly; which she'd stolen from a screaming woman) and Feruchemy (which made her touch fire and her mind sharp; which secreted away things too dangerous to think about); she'd lived hundreds of years. (so many years, so many years in her own head)

She'd watched the Catacendre itself happen! (watched the ground crack from within a cave, come up to the surface and seen plants burning, singed leaves and smoking trees and normal, pretty brown bushes and crops withering away into fire fire fire and she didn't know if she thought they were pretty because of her or Him and she wanted to think the burning was pretty too but PLANTS WERE DYING and she didn't know whether He was thinking her thoughts or she was and the world was falling and shifting and)

Marie Lekal had NOTHING to be afraid of! (except a dead God or someone taking her mind or the Survivor himself trying to befriend her or Harmony being right or -)

SHE WAS NOT SCARED.

And ANY thoughts (she was terrified) of weakness could go in a coppermind or behind a mental wall and stay there.

She avoided the gazes of the Survivor and his idiot revolutionary Terrisman; she knew they were probably both listening but Harmony usually, surprisingly, had enough grace not to bother her when she was like this and if Kelsier tried she would put a bullet through his brain, Steelrunning and healing and "Master of Metals" be damned.

She'd been staring at Adilie for a few seconds, face locked into a still mask of vague annoyance. Had her breathing been normal? She thought so. "If you have power, you use it," she said finally. "That's that."

She cocked her head and smiled faintly at the detective. "There's no limit to how much lethality a girl should have, human." Her voice dropped lower. "There's always room for more."

@Kingsdaughter613 @mathiau @Kings_way

Kelsier frowned, disappointed and intrigued. So the Inquisitor didn’t much like remembering the lady. He’d have to work on that; her old skills were as useful as her new ones. More, in some ways. Kelsier may have been Fullborn for centuries now, but his greatest skills were the ones he’d honed as an ordinary thief. Deception, manipulation, guile. All the power in the Cosmere couldn’t save you from being outwitted and outplayed.

He watched Marie thoughtfully, idly pushing and pulling on Ermyn’s pen as it spun in mid-air. What was she like back then? He sent to Saze. I danced with her a few times, I think, before the Pits. During that heist we pulled on the Lekals. Well, he had. Saze hadn’t been involved, except to offer some historical background. 

You were trying to convert me to the... Telesin faith, I think. The ones who worshipped the spirits of roads and who considered journeying their sacred duty. You said it was a good faith for someone who always wanted to see beyond the next hill.

Edited March 5, 2021 by Kingsdaughter613

[AonEne he/him]

9 minutes ago, Kingsdaughter613 said:

He watched Marie thoughtfully, idly pushing and pulling on Ermyn’s pen as it spun in mid-air. What was she like back then? He sent to Saze. I danced with her a few times, I think, before the Pits. During that heist we pulled on the Lekals. Well, he had. Saze hadn’t been involved, except to offer some historical background. 

You were trying to convert me to the... Telesin faith, I think. The ones who worshipped the spirits of roads and who considered journeying their sacred duty. You said it was a good faith for someone who always wanted to see beyond the next hill.

And it would have been, perhaps. Though the next hill would not have been enough for you, I now see. Sazed was quiet for a moment. You did dance with her, though I don't think she ever made that connection. She liked the balls, but didn't often go to them. She had a greenhouse, I think. You and I had a picture of a picture and worn-thin memories to tell us what to strive for, but for some of those who lived in comfort and knew only the plants of the empire, they weren't so ugly...she cared for them, I believe, and was often able to get away without criticism, not being the heir.

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I've tried to subtly foreshadow Marie's interest in plants throughout the RP, but there's not a lot of that because she mostly tries not to think about it.

 

[mathiau he/him]

1 hour ago, AonEne said:

She'd been staring at Adilie for a few seconds, face locked into a still mask of vague annoyance. Had her breathing been normal? She thought so. "If you have power, you use it," she said finally. "That's that."

Adilie frowned and tilted her head "Are you trying to convince me to kill you or am I missing something?" Maybe she just didn't understand the full extant of what she was saying. If having power was reason enough to use it everyone would kill each other because they had the power of doing so.

But then again she was a follower of Ruin

43 minutes ago, AonEne said:

She cocked her head and smiled faintly at the detective. "There's no limit to how much lethality a girl should have, human." Her voice dropped lower. "There's always room for more."

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I'm a bit sad Adilie doesn't know how Linchpins work and I can't have her say something about the fact that Marie's added lethality is trying the kill her.

Also, am I the only one who think Adilie is the opposite of what Marie need for her character arc?

[Kingsdaughter613 she/her]

30 minutes ago, AonEne said:

And it would have been, perhaps. Though the next hill would not have been enough for you, I now see. Sazed was quiet for a moment. You did dance with her, though I don't think she ever made that connection. She liked the balls, but didn't often go to them. She had a greenhouse, I think. You and I had a picture of a picture and worn-thin memories to tell us what to strive for, but for some of those who lived in comfort and knew only the plants of the empire, they weren't so ugly...she cared for them, I believe, and was often able to get away without criticism, not being the heir.

 

It’s funny, Kelsier sent thoughtfully, I hated those plants when the ash fell because I knew they were wrong. But now that they’re gone, I can look back and see the beauty. Mostly gone. Saze, being Saze, had Preserved some samples on volcanic islands. Kelsier had cultivated a few of those. 

If we’d known her then, do you think you could have converted her to the Larsta? Mare’s faith, where her flower had come from. It had become a symbol for his crew and their dreams. The symbol Kelsier still worked under, the dream he fought to Preserve.

He scowled as Adillie spoke, pulling him from his reminiscing. “Do you want her to kill you?” He asked dryly. “Because you’re all but asking her to do so.”

He finished wrapping the last spike, then stowed it away. “Aspen, I’m going to be dropping the bubble, so you should cover your eye-spikes.”

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Marie has a crew-name now. Question: is Marie Jastes sister? The one who was believed murdered in WoA?

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by Kingsdaughter613

[mathiau he/him]

3 minutes ago, Kingsdaughter613 said:

He scowled as Adillie spoke, pulling him from his reminiscing. “Do you want her to kill you?” He asked dryly. “Because you’re all but asking her to do so.”

"I don't. I'm trying -and lamentably failing- to understand her" Of course the fact she was fully storing her Connection with her didn't help. And was also preventing her from seeing Marie as a serious threat and to act in consequences. GOD BEYOND SHE WAS DUMB.

Adilie stopped storing her Connection with Marie, she expected to be overcome by terror but while she was indeed afraid again she was actually mostly feeling stupid

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Everything we do with Connection is highly hypothetical so I'll explain how I'm having it works for Adilie. While storing Connection with someone that someone becomes like a stranger to Adilie and she cannot makes them less of a stranger, her brain know about the person she doesn't know the person, kind of like Shaizan know she's not Shaizan but never act like Shai

[Kingsdaughter613 she/her]

16 minutes ago, mathiau said:

"I don't. I'm trying -and lamentably failing- to understand her" Of course the fact she was fully storing her Connection with her didn't help. And was also preventing her from seeing Marie as a serious threat and to act in consequences. GOD BEYOND SHE WAS DUMB.

Adilie stopped storing her Connection with Marie, she expected to be overcome by terror but while she was indeed afraid again she was actually mostly feeling stupid

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From what little we know, that does seem to be how it works.

Kelsier rolled his eye behind his glasses. “Word of advice: never store the entirety of your Connection It may make you less afraid, but it also diminishes your ability to read a situation.

”Now, I suggest you apologize to Aspen. It might help with convincing her not to kill you.”

[mathiau he/him]

18 hours ago, Kingsdaughter613 said:

Kelsier rolled his eye behind his glasses. “Word of advice: never store the entirety of your Connection It may make you less afraid, but it also diminishes your ability to read a situation.

”Now, I suggest you apologize to Aspen. It might help with convincing her not to kill you.”

Adilie tried -and failed- to meet Marie's steel gaze "I'm sorry, I'm... I'm stupid."

@AonEne

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What was I thinking when I had her store fully? She's supposed to know it's stupid to do that :facepalm:

Edited March 5, 2021 by mathiau

[AonEne he/him]

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On 3/4/2021 at 8:22 PM, mathiau said:

Also, am I the only one who think Adilie is the opposite of what Marie need for her character arc?

What was I thinking when I had her store fully? She's supposed to know it's stupid to do that :facepalm:

In some ways she's helpful, in others she's not but that goes for just about everyone here. Marie getting exactly what she needs for the best chances of recovery is probably not ever going to happen. Character arcs can have road bumps, though...

Lol don't worry about it, I have Marie do stupid stuff all the time, and only most of it is intentional

On 3/4/2021 at 8:27 PM, Kingsdaughter613 said:

If we’d known her then, do you think you could have converted her to the Larsta? Mare’s faith, where her flower had come from. It had become a symbol for his crew and their dreams. The symbol Kelsier still worked under, the dream he fought to Preserve.

I may have tried, Sazed said thoughtfully. I can't say whether or not it would have succeeded, but I'd like to think it would, with the woman she used to be.

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I know Kell meant well, but his view on those nicknames is definitely not hers. I find the psychology of losing your free will/sense of self very interesting, and tend to think myself into weird corners about what the mental consequences would be, so this is a reaction from that.

Aspen. She didn't even realize he was referring to her at first; he'd given no warning that it meant her, but she was the only one with eyespikes and so it had to mean her. Aspen. He'd given her a nickname. A name of his, to tag her as belonging to him, one of his people, under his rusting protection. A name that said "I don't care about who you are: I care about who I want you to be, who I think you are." Aspen wasn't Marie. Aspen was an Inquisitor working under the Survivor, who followed his rules and was part of his bunch of lovey friends. He hadn't asked to call her that. Lord Ruler, he hadn't even waited to see if she'd go with him! He'd just decided on his own that he had the right to label her with a word, to say that was her new identity.

And that was that, really, when she thought about it later. That moment summed it up. Everything the Survivor did was like that - he just assumed he had permission because he was the bloody Survivor and controlled the world. He walked into a room and the room was his, instantly, and Marie was not interested in his grand plans for the universe.

Her feelings resolved into a crystal-clear path, a coin shooting through the mists, undeniable. She wasn't going to go with him. As much as she hated Harmony, she wasn't going to follow this man. Not in this and not ever.

"I don't know who Aspen is," she said coolly. "And I don't care if someone sees my spikes." Though Harmony likely would, and she...had just decided to stay with him. Well. She'd think about that later.

She pinned her gaze on Adilie and raised a delicate eyebrow. "I am aware. I don't know why you thought that bore repeating." Her tone wasn't dark, quite, it didn't hint at murder, but it wasn't friendly either.

[Kingsdaughter613 she/her]

19 hours ago, AonEne said:

I may have tried, Sazed said thoughtfully. I can't say whether or not it would have succeeded, but I'd like to think it would, with the woman she used to be.

Aspen. She didn't even realize he was referring to her at first; he'd given no warning that it meant her, but she was the only one with eyespikes and so it had to mean her. Aspen. He'd given her a nickname. A name of his, to tag her as belonging to him, one of his people, under his rusting protection. A name that said "I don't care about who you are: I care about who I want you to be, who I think you are." Aspen wasn't Marie. Aspen was an Inquisitor working under the Survivor, who followed his rules and was part of his bunch of lovey friends. He hadn't asked to call her that. Lord Ruler, he hadn't even waited to see if she'd go with him! He'd just decided on his own that he had the right to label her with a word, to say that was her new identity.

And that was that, really, when she thought about it later. That moment summed it up. Everything the Survivor did was like that - he just assumed he had permission because he was the bloody Survivor and controlled the world. He walked into a room and the room was his, instantly, and Marie was not interested in his grand plans for the universe.

Her feelings resolved into a crystal-clear path, a coin shooting through the mists, undeniable. She wasn't going to go with him. As much as she hated Harmony, she wasn't going to follow this man. Not in this and not ever.

"I don't know who Aspen is," she said coolly. "And I don't care if someone sees my spikes." Though Harmony likely would, and she...had just decided to stay with him. Well. She'd think about that later.

She pinned her gaze on Adilie and raised a delicate eyebrow. "I am aware. I don't know why you thought that bore repeating." Her tone wasn't dark, quite, it didn't hint at murder, but it wasn't friendly either.

Kelsier raised a brow. “Would you prefer something else, Marie? If it doesn’t suit you...”

Sometimes it took a few tries to find the right name. He was going to find her one though, or have her choose one of her own. She wasn’t her spikes, but she wasn’t Marie either. She was more and less than both of them.

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Is she Jastes sister?

 

[Lunar Blessing she/her]

Val watches the exchange, still sitting on the ground. Her rifle, back together by now, on the floor next to her. “Quick question Marie, do you like being called Inquisitor or is that also something you’d not like to be called? I, personally, think it sounds really cool, but obviously it’s your decision.”

@AonEne

[AonEne he/him]

2 hours ago, Kingsdaughter613 said:

Kelsier raised a brow. “Would you prefer something else, Marie? If it doesn’t suit you...”

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Ah, I forgot to answer that. No, I don't like messing with canon when I don't absolutely have to, so I've headcanoned her as a distant relative, one of the minor branches.

"I prefer my name, thanks," she said coolly. "Though Inquisitor works too - I am one." Her tone implied that meant she wasn't an Aspen. Belatedly, she realized he might have named her that because he'd figured out that she liked - hmm. Was this a barb, then? A threat? I know what you hold dear. The Survivor was the type to use the information he had, or to let others use it. Direct mind control might not be his style, but obviously he had no issue poking around in her head. No better than Harmony.

She shouldn't have relaxed her guard around him. Knives out and bronze burning, idiot. Ready with your zinc stores. Right, and tin, now. Her metals lit up inside, though she made no outward movement.

[Kingsdaughter613 she/her]

Just now, AonEne said:

"I prefer my name, thanks," she said coolly. "Though Inquisitor works too - I am one." Her tone implied that meant she wasn't an Aspen. Belatedly, she realized he might have named her that because he'd figured out that she liked - hmm. Was this a barb, then? A threat? I know what you hold dear. The Survivor was the type to use the information he had, or to let others use it. Direct mind control might not be his style, but obviously he had no issue poking around in her head. No better than Harmony.

She shouldn't have relaxed her guard around him. Knives out and bronze burning, idiot. Ready with your zinc stores. Right, and tin, now. Her metals lit up inside, though she made no outward movement.

“You are more than an Inquisitor,” Kelsier said firmly. “Just as my brother is more than Death and I’m more than the Survivor. What we are and who we are are two very different things. We are more than our roles and titles.

“And you are more than that little slip of a girl I danced with in the Final Empire. Marie isn’t who you are anymore, no more than being an Inquisitor is.

”That’s why I like nicknames. It’s not who we are, but it holds a piece of it. And that piece can be more true than the name it masks.”

Of course, Marsh actually used his nickname now and most would think it referred to his spikes. Most would be wrong. Kelsier had named his brother for Marsh’s iron will and a gaze that could always make him feel ashamed.

His own name, Kelsier, had always been a noble’s name. It had fit him better than he’d liked to admit. But Kell... Kell was the charming conman, the cheerful thief, the man who ran scams with Dox. Dox had been the one to name him, in the early days of their partnership.  “You really think you can get away with that noble’s name in the underground, Kell?” The man had said.

It had been a long time since anyone but Marsh had used his nickname.

 

[AonEne he/him]

15 hours ago, Kingsdaughter613 said:

“You are more than an Inquisitor,” Kelsier said firmly. “Just as my brother is more than Death and I’m more than the Survivor. What we are and who we are are two very different things. We are more than our roles and titles. And you are more than that little slip of a girl I danced with in the Final Empire. Marie isn’t who you are anymore, no more than being an Inquisitor is. That’s why I like nicknames. It’s not who we are, but it holds a piece of it. And that piece can be more true than the name it masks.”

He danced with me? It was entirely possible that he had and she didn't remember it, or hadn't realized it was him. "You're wrong," she said with certainty. "I am myself, regardless of whatever you try to call me. I have been since -" Since Ruin died? But Ruin was when - when she'd most been herself. He was her Savior. Marie narrowed her eyes inwardly and insisted, "Pieces don't matter. It's the whole that they make up that does, and you can't change that by looking at it a certain way." You can't change me.