Oakenwey: Thorns & Arrows

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Quote

I think that not following might be better. The secondary plot will like have a lot more action/be more exciting than the one with Rose and Jahora and Kess and Kieran. For me, the character growth that Rose will go through is a lot more exiting, but you may enjoy the action more. Really up to you.

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[Bearer of all agonies]

Quote

Ok.

Topien took the card, and scrammed. He walked away, looking down at the card. He glanced at Nekri. 
“You coming? Or are you staying with them?”

@I think I am here.

[Condensation]

11 hours ago, Lecky Twig said:

Jahora looked around the stable where had all these people come from "I think Rose needs less of a crowd, so you and you" he said pointing to Kess and Kieran "can come along with us to my place. You can come too if you think you can actually help her" he continued, pointing to Euphony. "I think it would be best for Rose if the rest of you just buggered off and got on with your lives."

Quote

She goes by Katie when she's around, but she thinks of herself as Euphony. And then there's the fact that she hasn't told you her name.

Thanks for the clarification, though.

"You're sure I can't help her or you? All right, then." Euphony turned and walked back into the street.

[Lecky Twig]

Quote

5 hours ago, Condensation said:

She goes by Katie when she's around, but she thinks of herself as Euphony. And then there's the fact that she hasn't told you her name.

Thanks for the clarification, though.

eek, sorry. I sort of just skimmed through the thread to catch up on everything I missed while offline. I'll edit it. 

 

[Condensation]

1 minute ago, Lecky Twig said:

eek, sorry. I sort of just skimmed through the thread to catch up on everything I missed while offline. I'll edit it. 

Quote

No, you're all right! Just wanted to make sure you knew.

 

[Goob]

6 hours ago, Condensation said:

"You're sure I can't help her or you? All right, then." Euphony turned and walked back into the street.

"Uh, goodbye! Thanks for trying to help, I guess." says Kess, who had sat down next to Rosa.

[Condensation]

1 minute ago, AmazingGoob said:

"Uh, goodbye! Thanks for trying to help, I guess." says Kess, who had sat down next to Rosa.

Euphony poked her head back in. "It's just what I do. I'm Katie, by the way."

[I think I am here.]

13 hours ago, Bearer of all agonies said:

Topien took the card, and scrammed. He walked away, looking down at the card. He glanced at Nekri. 
“You coming? Or are you staying with them?”

Nekri rested his eyes on the top hat man, on the carriage, who’d just dashed anyone coming for the bounty. He didn’t want them all to put Rose out of business by hunting her bounty? That wasn’t how bounties worked. It was survival of the fittest, it was whoever could get to the bounty first who got the money. Bounty hunters didn’t line in queues, waiting for each other to politely kill a target and move on. At least, Nekri didn’t. It was a competition.

Well, it was supposed to be. Nekri looked back at Topien, who held a business card. Sighing, he shrugged.

“There’s nothing to stay for. No bounty, no fun, nothing. Guess I’ll go with you, if you got something to do.”

He looked up at Jared, watching from a window.

“And whoever that is, they seemed interested enough in me. Their voice was... weird somehow. It felt weird to mimic.” Realising he hadn’t mimicked Topien yet, he changed his appearance to match him.

[Lecky Twig]

On 9 January 2021 at 6:10 PM, I think I am here. said:

Nekri rested his eyes on the top hat man, on the carriage, who’d just dashed anyone coming for the bounty. He didn’t want them all to put Rose out of business by hunting her bounty? That wasn’t how bounties worked. It was survival of the fittest, it was whoever could get to the bounty first who got the money. Bounty hunters didn’t line in queues, waiting for each other to politely kill a target and move on. At least, Nekri didn’t. It was a competition.

Jahora raised his eyebrows at the stareing man he had just rejected, then grinned as his gaze shifted to a overlooking window. 

On 9 January 2021 at 11:39 AM, AmazingGoob said:

"Uh, goodbye! Thanks for trying to help, I guess." says Kess, who had sat down next to Rosa.

"Let's get going then. I live in the slums just outside the nearby city, it should only be a twenty or thirty minute ride." He tapped is finger impatiently against his horse as Kess settled down, then he set of at a slow trot without waiting to see whether Kieran was ready to leave. He should be right behind me, I gave the lad plenty of time to ready a horse.

@Fallapede

 

Quote

Are we all on horseback, or do we have a carriage or something?

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Quote

I would assume everyone would be on horseback.

 

[Goob]

19 hours ago, Lecky Twig said:

Jahora raised his eyebrows at the stareing man he had just rejected, then grinned as his gaze shifted to a overlooking window. 

"Let's get going then. I live in the slums just outside the nearby city, it should only be a twenty or thirty minute ride." He tapped is finger impatiently against his horse as Kess settled down, then he set of at a slow trot without waiting to see whether Kieran was ready to leave. He should be right behind me, I gave the lad plenty of time to ready a horse.

@Fallapede

 

"Wait, where are we going?"

[Lecky Twig]

2 hours ago, AmazingGoob said:

"Wait, where are we going?"

"To my place in the slums. We'll try to wake up Rose; Kieran seems to think he can help us, but if not, I have a few ideas I want to try. Then we'll talk through the logistics of the bounty. Sound good?" 

[Condensation]

Quote

So what's the second story?

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Quote

Really up to those of you involved. I would use the PM to brainstorm, but I would assume that it will surround Jared removing Nekri’s powers.

 

[Condensation]

Quote

All right... I'll just stay where I am until we've decided.

 

[Lecky Twig]

Jahora rode into the slums in a an easy silence. He had to dismount to pick and guide his way through the crowded alleyways that led to his shop. "Here we are" He said to Kess as they pulled up in front of the familiar building. He tied his horse up and collected Rose's limp body then strolled easily towards the door. "I run a textiles business alongside the informant one. I used it as a front when I was just starting out, but it brang in a handy amount of revenue so I kept around even though it's not really necessary; at this point most people round here know who I am, what I do, everything like that."

His nose  filled with the nasal scent of undiluted dye when he opened the door and entered the shop. "Sup Jay" he said, using his free hand to high-five man working the machine that stopped the fabric from fraying. He turned around to face Kess and said "There's a deliberation room out back where we'll try to sort out Rose's issue; it's quite cozy in there, if you were wondering. There's also some accommodation upstairs, should be a spare room for you  if you decide to stick around here while we hunt this bounty." He weaved his way through the maze of workers and benches in the shop and opened the side door that lead to his deliberation room. He looked around the shop to trying to spot an idle worker, "Yo Henry, you lazy bugger, can we get some food in here?" He called out, nodding the big man in the direction of the room ahead. 

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

@Fallapede @AmazingGoob

Rose began to stir. She was not awake yet - her disturbed mind needed this moment of peace desperately - but she was... aware. She could feel warmth, a presence close to her. And in that warmth was... safety. Her body relaxed slightly. Whatever trouble there had been before, it was over for now. She could rest, in whatever arms were holding her. A soft sigh escaped her lips, her mind shuddering and then - for once - falling still. 

The faint tune from a half-forgotten memory brushed against her consciousness. A lullaby, one she hadn't heard since she was very young. Had she been awake, the tune might have disturbed her, but at rest as she was, it brought a nostalgic feeling of serenity. Her mother had sang it to her when she was a child, when her life had been quiet, her heart innocent. Moments of such serenity had been scarce since then and the lack of rest left her soul feeling weary. She needed this rest and she needed it now. Even if that meant calling upon buried memories of happier times to calm her. 

Quote

This is the lullaby I had in mind. We sang it in choir last year. 

 

 

[Lecky Twig]

5 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:

Rose began to stir. She was not awake yet - her disturbed mind needed this moment of peace desperately - but she was... aware. She could feel warmth, a presence close to her. And in that warmth was... safety. Her body relaxed slightly. Whatever trouble there had been before, it was over for now. She could rest, in whatever arms were holding her. A soft sigh escaped her lips, her mind shuddering and then - for once - falling still. 

Jahora's drifting thoughts were brought back to the present as Rose stirred in his arms, reminding him of the present task. Henry returned and placed a steaming tray of pies on the coffee table near the centre of the room, He then repelled the steel door handle from his ring to shut the door when Henry padded out the room. 

He lay Rose down on his long, plush red couch then grabbed a pie and crouched down beside her. He took a bite out his pie and moaned involuntarily "Mmm, these are good. You know, you can have one if you wake up. Hope the smell isn't nostalgic; I don't know about you, but I tend to avoid nostalgia. Makes me feel woozy inside." He twisted his lips and spun Tydel's top hat casually around his index finger as memories of home swept through his mind.

He sighed deeply and lay down on the floor next to Rose's couch. He lay there for a few moments, enjoying the relaxing feeling of fatigue washing over his muscles and enjoying the silence. He whispered into the still air "What are you so afraid of?" 

[Fallapede]

4 hours ago, Lecky Twig said:

Jahora's drifting thoughts were brought back to the present as Rose stirred in his arms, reminding him of the present task. Henry returned and placed a steaming tray of pies on the coffee table near the centre of the room, He then repelled the steel door handle from his ring to shut the door when Henry padded out the room. 

He lay Rose down on his long, plush red couch then grabbed a pie and crouched down beside her. He took a bite out his pie and moaned involuntarily "Mmm, these are good. You know, you can have one if you wake up. Hope the smell isn't nostalgic; I don't know about you, but I tend to avoid nostalgia. Makes me feel woozy inside." He twisted his lips and spun Tydel's top hat casually around his index finger as memories of home swept through his mind.

He sighed deeply and lay down on the floor next to Rose's couch. He lay there for a few moments, enjoying the relaxing feeling of fatigue washing over his muscles and enjoying the silence. He whispered into the still air "What are you so afraid of?" 

Without thinking, Kieran responds, "She's afraid of herself, and of what she is. She thinks there's something-"

He pauses and shakes his head, letting go of Rose's hand. "I forget myself. Ignore me."

Quote

I sincerely apologize if I'm godmodding. I'm doing my best to go off what Shard of Thought's already said.

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Quote

No, I don't think that's godmodding. Besides, I think that describes Rose's fear quite well. And please, call me Star; "Shard of Thought" is a bit of a mouthful. Or... fingerful?  

 

[Lecky Twig]

7 hours ago, Fallapede said:

He pauses and shakes his head, letting go of Rose's hand. "I forget myself. Ignore me."

"No, it's okay, I think your right. There's definitely uh, something-." He turned his head to look at Kieran, maybe this boy wasnt as dangerous as he thought. He felt his tense heart loosen a little as a small hope kindled inside of him. Maybe this boy could help Rose. 

Feeling more at peace he sat up, making his head level with Rose's. "Hey, your safe here." he said "I'm.." he paused, looked at Kieran and Kess and nodded "no, We're going to help you. We're all friends here." 

[Fallapede]

11 minutes ago, Lecky Twig said:

"No, it's okay, I think your right. There's definitely uh, something-." He turned his head to look at Kieran, maybe this boy wasnt as dangerous as he thought. He felt his tense heart loosen a little as a small hope kindled inside of him. Maybe this boy could help Rose. 

Feeling more at peace he sat up, making his head level with Rose's. "Hey, your safe here." he said "I'm.." he paused, looked at Kieran and Kess and nodded "no, We're going to help you. We're all friends here." 

"I assure you, I'm not dangerous. I do my best to be the opposite, though I fear I've hurt her through carelessness. She is free of any physical malady, but I admit to a relative ignorance of the illnesses of the mind. Ironic, I suppose. I can only hope that she awakens soon."

 

[Lecky Twig]

Jahora blinked. "How did you know what I was thinking. I hope you speak truth about your nature, because that is a dangerous trick." He sighed and looked back at Rose "I hope she wakes up soon too."

[Goob]

23 minutes ago, Fallapede said:

"I assure you, I'm not dangerous. I do my best to be the opposite, though I fear I've hurt her through carelessness. She is free of any physical malady, but I admit to a relative ignorance of the illnesses of the mind. Ironic, I suppose. I can only hope that she awakens soon."

 

"Does anyone know much about those? Bah. I feel useless- I am useless. Years of training and this is what I get, my first client just passes out and I just have to sit here?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Rose's mind finally felt it was safe enough for her to awaken. This was a decision she would soon come to regret. 

Slowly, she regained awareness of the world around her. New smells filled her nostrils, the muffled sounds of people shuffling around her evoking memories from years ago. She was home, in bed. By Jezrien, she'd had another episode, hadn't she? Uncle Darrin was sitting on her bed and when she opened her eyes, he'd give her that look. You shouldn't be here. You're not my child and your parents did something very unfair by forcing you and your brother into our home. And now we have to deal with you and your problems, your strangeness. He'd never say the words aloud, of course. But he thought them. Every action and every look told her as much. 

But she couldn't keep her eyes closed forever. 

When she did open them, she did so to find scenery drastically different from what she had expected. She paled, the three faces bringing to the forefront of her mind what had happened in the tavern. That boy, the man Jahora, and the strange woman who she'd hallucinated creating glass out of thin air. Rose sat up in fear, panicked. She was in a strange place, with strange people who made her feel strange things. She could do nothing but sit in shock.