Oakenwey: Thorns & Arrows

[Lecky Twig she/her]

Jahora stopped flapping his notebook around and stammered "B....but it was lying in the middle of the floor, kinda hard to miss. Not to mention the fact that it had moved from its rightful position on the desk. Whether or not you pottered around, you would have seen this notebook." He looked at her and mirrored her skeptical expression. He rubbed his tired eyes, not believing Rose, not wanting to believe Rose. If she hadn't fiddled with his book, then it must have been someone else. Had Rose genuinely not seen the notebook on the floor, or had snuck in after Rose fell asleep, but before he had come in; Maybe Keiran or Kess. Could that person still be in the room Gosh, I'm jumping at shadows, I must of slept worse than I thought.

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

"Well, maybe it blew off the desk." Rose decided to bluff: "After all, the window was open all night." 

In her mind, she pictured the latch on the window opening up. When she looked over, she saw the window open and she couldn't resist a smirk. How does it feel, Jahora? To not be sure of your own reality?

[Fallapede]

1 hour ago, Shard of Thought said:

"Well, maybe it blew off the desk." Rose decided to bluff: "After all, the window was open all night." 

In her mind, she pictured the latch on the window opening up. When she looked over, she saw the window open and she couldn't resist a smirk. How does it feel, Jahora? To not be sure of your own reality?

Quote

I'd like to imagine that the window actually was open all night and she's just psyching herself out.

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Quote

 Oh my Shards, that is totally plausible. But we may never knOooOOwW... 

 

[Lecky Twig she/her]

8 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:

"Well, maybe it blew off the desk." Rose decided to bluff: "After all, the window was open all night." 

In her mind, she pictured the latch on the window opening up. When she looked over, she saw the window open and she couldn't resist a smirk. How does it feel, Jahora? To not be sure of your own reality?

"It's too heavy to be blown off like that, the window and the desk don't sit at the right angle for that explanation to be plausible. It's unlikely that a gust could have been strong enough to move a leather notebook halfway across the room; not to mention that the book's trajectory is off as well." He started pacing, he still didn't believe Rose but he couldn't ignore her arguments either. A security breach was a big problem, he was liked by most of his neighbours, they had never failed in keeping burglars out of his shop. What had changed? Had he unwittingly upset one of the locals? 

He started pacing a little "I keep that window shut, so if you didn't open it and I didn't open it, that means that someone else opened it. And while I have good reason to be worried about someone pottering around my room last night looking through my notebook, what I really want to know is why they left it lying in the middle of the floor." He locked eyes with Rose and displayed is skepticism broadly, then meaningfully attracted the metal latch to it's anchor on the windowsill and made minor adjustments to the centre of attraction until he heard the satisfying click of the latch shutting. "I really hope your not playing folly with me Rose."

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Rose couldn't keep herself from smiling. This was absolutely ridiculous. "I can promise you I didn't look in your notebook, but right now you are most certainly not discouraging me from wanting to know what's in there. You are far more nervous than you have any right to be, Jahora." She almost chuckled, until he moved the latch without touching it. I didn't do that, she thought, freezing. Her mouth fell open, her eyes widening with shock. No, not shock. More fear than surprise. "H-How did you do that?" she asked, trembling slightly. Is he... like me? “You did something similar in the tavern, maybe I wasn’t just... seeing... things.” She looked at him intensely. 

Edited January 27, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[Lecky Twig she/her]

"How did I do what? It was the wind." He raised an eyebrow at Rose and smirked slightly. He walked back to the desk and plunked to notebook back into its rightful spot. "The notebook is just full of work stuff, but there are certain people whom I don't want ruffling through my stuff. My job is a lot easier when certain intels remain confidential to the rest of the world, that's all."

[I think I am here. he/him]

22 hours ago, xinoehp512 said:

Jared looked at the image, intently, lost in thought. He shook his head, snapping himself out of it.

"We should check, then." he replied. "She'll be moving on soon... if she hasn't already."

“Not so quick,” Nekri said, leaning against a wall and making the illusion of her face disappear with a snap of his fingers.

“Who’s the ‘we’ in this?” he asked, grinning. “I’d suggest you check Dox-Marina yourself, but... oh that’s right, you don’t know where that is.”

Nekri shrugged, feigning helplessness. “And it seems like your magic is dwindling, too. Whatever will you do?”

The grin vanished.

“If I’m helping you, I want something in return.”

[xinoehp512 he/him]

22 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“Not so quick,” Nekri said, leaning against a wall and making the illusion of her face disappear with a snap of his fingers.

“Who’s the ‘we’ in this?” he asked, grinning. “I’d suggest you check Dox-Marina yourself, but... oh that’s right, you don’t know where that is.”

Nekri shrugged, feigning helplessness. “And it seems like your magic is dwindling, too. Whatever will you do?”

The grin vanished.

“If I’m helping you, I want something in return.”

"I told you," replied Jared, "I don't have money on me. I can pay you later, once we get back to my... place of residence."

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

1 hour ago, Lecky Twig said:

"How did I do what? It was the wind." He raised an eyebrow at Rose and smirked slightly. He walked back to the desk and plunked to notebook back into its rightful spot. "The notebook is just full of work stuff, but there are certain people whom I don't want ruffling through my stuff. My job is a lot easier when certain intels remain confidential to the rest of the world, that's all."

Quote

Oh, that is mean, Jahora.

Rose narrowed her eyes at him. "It was not the wind," she growled, ignoring the rest of what he'd said.

[Lecky Twig she/her]

Quote

Just now, Shard of Thought said:

Oh, that is mean, Jahora.

mwahahahaha

 

2 minutes ago, Shard of Thought said:

Rose narrowed her eyes at him. "It was not the wind," she growled, ignoring the rest of what he'd said.

 "No, it wasn't." Jahora said, pointedly tapping the notebook in front of him. "I'm going to go freshen up a little because I'm still a little groggy from sleeping in that chair. I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes. I hope the other's are awake, we've got a lot to do today." With that, he turned towards the door and walked out of the room.

[Fallapede]

5 minutes ago, Lecky Twig said:

 

 "No, it wasn't." Jahora said, pointedly tapping the notebook in front of him. "I'm going to go freshen up a little because I'm still a little groggy from sleeping in that chair. I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes. I hope the other's are awake, we've got a lot to do today." With that, he turned towards the door and walked out of the room.

Kieran bumped into Jahora in the hall, and quickly looked away. Jahora probably wouldn't appreciate him knowing any of that. "Why do the two of you insist on antagonizing each other? Wasn't the two of you working together on this excursion rather the point? And you wouldn't happen to have any charcoal lying around, would you?"

Quote

I'm assuming Jahora is on some level thinking about what's in the notebook, I'll edit it if he isn't.

 

"

[Lecky Twig she/her]

Why did Kieran look away so suddenly? Could he be feeling guilty about poking through my notebook? "Yeah, you're right. I'll apologize to her later, I didn't mean to get so wound up in there. I'm just going to the washroom to freshen up a little, we're all going to meet downstairs in a few minutes; tell Kess if you see her. You could try looking around the shop, we sometimes put a little bit of charcoal in the black dye. I don't know exactly where the workers keep it, but if you ask around downstairs someone in the shop will tell you where it is."

Quote

21 minutes ago, Fallapede said:

I'm assuming Jahora is on some level thinking about what's in the notebook, I'll edit it if he isn't

He'd have a few thoughts on the notebooks contents, but he's mostly worrying about how it got from his desk to the middle of the floor. 

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Rose glared at Jahora as he walked out the room, mouth open. The nerve of that man! She nearly threw off her covers to run after him, but refrained, remembering that she was in her underwear. 

After she'd heard him patter down the stairs she got out of bed and locked the door, putting her clothes back on and running her fingers through her long hair for lack of a brush. As she continued to ready herself for the morning, she resolved that she would not be leaving this shop until she knew exactly what had made that latch move. If he was like her... Maybe he could teach her something. Bring a little more sense to her messy little world. She would not accept that she really had been seeing things. To do so would be to destroy any faith in what reality was. She'd only barely gotten that back, she wasn't about to give it up. But that smirk he'd made as he left the room... he knew something, something she didn't. And she knew she hadn't just made up that expression he'd given her.

She braided her hair aggressively, a scowl on her face. If I have to beat the truth out of that man, I will do so. Part of her was deeply concerned that he knew far more than he should. That he knew of her powers and that he was purposefully making her doubt herself. If that was the case... Her expression darkened. He'd get far more than a beating for that. 

Quote

Hey, Fall, would Kieran be able to hear Rose's thoughts here?

@Fallapede

Edited January 29, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[I think I am here. he/him]

2 hours ago, xinoehp512 said:

"I told you," replied Jared, "I don't have money on me. I can pay you later, once we get back to my... place of residence."

“I’ll need more than the word of a desperate man,” Nekri said, then paused in thought.

“How about this?” he proposed, moving from the wall and walking towards the door, an illusion of a hat forming above his head.

“We’ll do an exchange. I help you, and along the way you tell me everything there is to know about that funny voice of yours — and what I can do with it. Deal?”

Edited January 28, 2021 by I think I am here.

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Jared hesitated. Teach Nekri Silence? He'd never taught someone before... even if, in theory, he knew how to do it. But he did need Nekri's help...

"Fine," he replied. "I will teach you. Now, can we go?"

@I think I am here.

Edited January 29, 2021 by xinoehp512

[Goob he/him]

Meanwhile, Kess is snoring in the other room- she's never been a morning person and certainly not one to wake up to up on her own. Despite of this, however, she jerks awake and looks around the room before remembering the previous day. She sits up, gets out the bed, and puts her clothes from yesterday- she would prefer clean clothes but they were all at her room at the inn- she'd have to take a trip over there later today.
She then leaves the room and heads downstairs.

[Fallapede]

20 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:

Rose glared at Jahora as he walked out the room, mouth open. The nerve of that man! She nearly threw off her covers to run after him, but refrained, remembering that she was in her underwear. 

After she'd heard him patter down the stairs she got out of bed and locked the door, putting her clothes back on and running her fingers through her long hair for lack of a brush. As she continued to ready herself for the morning, she resolved that she would not be leaving this shop until she knew exactly what had made that latch move. If he was like her... Maybe he could teach her something. Bring a little more sense to her messy little world. She would not accept that she really had been seeing things. To do so would be to destroy any faith in what reality was. She'd only barely gotten that back, she wasn't about to give it up. But that smirk he'd made as he left the room... he knew something, something she didn't. And she knew she hadn't just made up that expression he'd given her.

She braided her hair aggressively, a scowl on her face. If I have to beat the truth out of that man, I will do so. Part of her was deeply concerned that he knew far more than he should. That he knew of her powers and that he was purposefully making her doubt herself. If that was the case... Her expression darkened. He'd get far more than a beating for that. 

@Fallapede

Quote

She's far enough away and through enough barriers that he's probably not picking up on everything, but he got the gist of it.

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Rose stepped out of the room, hair braided, dressed in the same clothes she'd worn the day before. She'd had some spare clothes in her pack, but, of course, that had been left back at the tavern. That didn't matter to her; she could get clothes whenever. In addition to her clothes, she also wore her customary scowl, a look of angry determination on her face. She needed to get Jahora alone: the information that he had was far too important to let it slip through her fingers and though she was willing to threaten him for it, she didn't want to do so with the others around. Especially the child. That one unnerved her.

[Lecky Twig she/her]

Jahora took a quick trip to the washroom to splash some water on his face and fully wake up. If the window had been open all night, than it was plausible for someone to have snuck in during the night. But there was blaring holes in Rose’ story, it was highly unlikely that she didn’t see the notebook when it was sitting in the middle of the floor. He could of believed the the culprit had snuck in after Rose fell asleep yet before he had entered the room until Rose came up with that nonsense about ‘the wind’. Physics made it totally implausible for that story to be anything other than suspicious.

He headed down the stairs to meet the others feeling more suspicious of Rose than was healthy for co-workers. But if she didn’t spew out the truth soon, then the rift in trust could lead them to failing the bounty. I sure hope Kieran can moderate our relationship, otherwise this bounty could potentially get real messy.

[I think I am here. he/him]

16 hours ago, xinoehp512 said:

Jared hesitated. Teach Nekri Silence? He'd never taught someone before... even if, in theory, he knew how to do it. But he did need Nekri's help...

"Fine," he replied. "I will teach you. Now, can we go?"

@I think I am here.

“Sure!” Nekri said with sudden cheerfulness, happy the deal had gone well. He walked out of the tavern and gestured Jared follow him to the stables.

“We’ll need to be quick,” he said, bringing out two horses and hopping onto one. It didn’t look too happy, but when he changed to look like the stablehand it calmed right down. Nekri looked to Jared. “There’s two roads to Dox-Marina, a commercial one and one that’s... a little rough, but it’ll get us there faster. I suggest the second one.”

Nekri smiled. He might have gotten something out of this town after all.

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Rose marched down the steps to the main floor, searching out Jahora. Part of her... part of her wanted him to resist her. Wanted the walls of this building to fall down to reveal that it was all just a mad experiment. Then she would know that none of this was her fault. Then she would have someone to blame. If he was like her, then that would release a great burden from her shoulders, but such a possibility was simply unimaginable for her. And because she wouldn't imagine the relief of knowing that someone shared her powers, she instead imagined the (surely more likely) release that would come if she got to dump her anger onto one person. But even if she didn't get to attack Jahora, she'd get her chance at Selene later. 

[xinoehp512 he/him]

17 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

“Sure!” Nekri said with sudden cheerfulness, happy the deal had gone well. He walked out of the tavern and gestured Jared follow him to the stables.

“We’ll need to be quick,” he said, bringing out two horses and hopping onto one. It didn’t look too happy, but when he changed to look like the stablehand it calmed right down. Nekri looked to Jared. “There’s two roads to Dox-Marina, a commercial one and one that’s... a little rough, but it’ll get us there faster. I suggest the second one.”

Nekri smiled. He might have gotten something out of this town after all.

Jared nodded impatiently and followed.

[Lecky Twig she/her]

Jahora walked out of the kitchen after a nice conversation with his chef carrying a tray filled with an assortment of breakfast foods. On his way to the sitting room, he saw Rose storming down the stairs looking ready to rain lightning from the skies. "You alright?" He asked "I didn't mean to make you so mad up there, it was an accident. I'll guard my tongue in the future ay."

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Rose regarded him darkly. "You know something," she hissed. "But whether that something is about me or about the way this world works, I haven't decided. For your sake, it'd better be the right one." She walked in close, wishing that she was taller than him. Her intense gaze just about made up for the height difference though. "How did you make that window latch move?"