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I think I am here.

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  1. I think I am here.
    When his tone gets serious, things get interesting. Lantern light casts a glow on him, highlights his features and those piercing green eyes. Somehow without his flourishes he seems like more of person. When he’s serious I almost feel close to figuring him out. Close, but no cigar. Reminded I take out a cigarette and begin to light it. “To be stabbed in the back requires you to have trust in someone in the first place, no?” I ask. “Or do you mean in the literal sense? Either way, I can respect that Raphael.” My first time saying his name and I can’t help but admit it rolls off the tongue. A nice name. But I’m not going to say it. I’m not a compliment machine-gun, here. One is enough.
  2. I think I am here.
    Wes fell down with her, continued the choke even though his arms were hurting. Hopefully maybe once she was unconscious she didn’t stop cutting.
  3. I think I am here.
    “Hey, Wita,” a woman said, smiled at her from within the van. Her long hair had colourful beads in which matched her clothing, and she wore simple sandals within the van. The interior sported purple and yellow couches, blinking lights and a small haze that drifted through the air. “Welcome aboard. I’m Faith, practitioner of peace and queen of this van.” She grinned lazily and gestured to a man with a large beard, wearing a rainbow singlet. He was laying down on one of the couches and was holding a guitar adorned with stickers. “That’s groovy-Gabe. He’s always thinking of some song. And that’s Mick,” she said, pointing to a man smoking something. He was swaying, and he had the biggest smile on his face. “Make love, not war, the holy words have been spoken.” Faith clapped and Mick bowed, looked to Wita and offered his pipe to her. “Ever seen all of the stars, at once?” Marcel had been standing by, waiting for others when Wita had jumped into the van, and almost immediately he stepped in too, just in case, cautiously remained next to her. When ‘Mick’ offered her his pipe Marcel stepped in front. “She’s too young,” he said sternly. As if Wita hanging around a bunch of strangers in a van wasn’t enough. “She looks like a full young-lady to me,” Faith said. No one seemed offended or even frowned at Marcel’s words. They all continued smiling just the same. “You must be Marcel. You look a bit like Mr. Corporate to me.” She grinned and laid back on the floor and Marcel sighed, stepped back, but still close to Wita.
  4. I think I am here.
    “Ta’e’ilo, Ta’e’ilo,” the old man repeated, voice like silk. He coughed a little more to the side and raised a finger. “I thought I could recognise some Ta’e’iloan features on you. I remember visiting the country, all the way back in...” he tapped on his desk with his pen, continued for a moment as he thought. “A long while ago. Is Vvica still in a financial crisis? Bah, doesn’t matter. Got a chance to meet the Heavy Infantry there, don’t think I ever had the pleasure of meeting the Bears Regiment, however. Though, I doubt you’d even be born then. That was long, long ago, back when I was Pryclin’s rank. You know, our current long swords are modelled off my research back then? Quite a weight-efficient design...” Price saw the opportunity and seized it. “Actually, we were thinking of planning a research mission ourself actually. To the nomad lands.” “Hum?” The old man said, looked to Price. “Oh. You’ll have to get approval from General Kair. The nomad lands, oh, been a while since we looked into those —” before he could ramble on Price brought the conversation back to the topic. “That’s why we wanted to visit you, sir. You can organise something with the general? For science?” “For science, hum, I will see.” Taking a note of paper he began writing something, tilted his head to Sagitta. He coughed again. “Tell me more about Ta’e’ilo, young lady. How is it, now? I long to travel again, but — my health would not fare kindly. I’m afraid for now my only company lies within my books.”
  5. I think I am here.
    “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.”
  6. I think I am here.
    “It... certainly makes me seem unprofessional,” Price admitted, kept his words about the subject brief as he walked, moved through halls he knew by heart. They were in a different city, a different base from the one he had spent his days in but each catacomb of halls was built the same. “But it is fine, words are just words. We’re here.” He stood in front of a large wood door, which stood out among the stone walls. He informed a guard posted at the door about what they were here about and the guard nodded, entered inside and there was a moment of stillness, before the door opened wider and the guard gestured for them to enter. “He is my direct superior,” he whispered to Sagitta as he entered. “We won’t be here long — but it will be much easier to make a pitch to the general with his support. Otherwise the general might just be too busy to speak to us.” Which was the worst-case scenario. The room insider was smaller than it seemed from the outside, but that was because the walls were dominated by bookshelves. There was a desk, and there was a old, thin man sitting in a chair, writing something. There were five ledgers hung on the wall behind him, and one he was writing in now. He coughed, nodded to Price and immediately looked to Sagitta through spectacled eyes. “Who are you?” He asked. Price opened his mouth to answer but knew better and looked down.
  7. I think I am here.
    “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.
  8. I think I am here.
    “Oh, peace, girl,” the man said, a clear accent slipping over his lips, relaxedly looking over Marcel, Lewis and Kira. He kept his smile, slipped on some circular sunglasses with rainbow colouring and tilted his head a little to the back. “Faith,” he called out. “Would you, like, mind to open up our door? These kind strangers want to get to Ben himself.” A muffled response came from the back and the man’s smile widened and he looked back to Wita, hung an arm outside of the window. “We’d be, like, honoured to take you. We’re passing Ben on our little tour, aren’t we Faith?” Another muffled response from the back. “I’m Willow. This is the Rainbow Ribbon,” he slapped the door of the van. “Groovy to, like, make you’re acquaintance, dudes and dudettes.” The large back door of the van slid open and to the side, exposing the colourful interior, a few other people inside, and a woman gesturing them in. Marcel was frowning hard throughout all of this. Hippies. But, they needed a ride. Stepping closer to Wita he looked at Lewis and Kira, wanted to see what they all thought, if they were ready to get on.
  9. I think I am here.
    “That’s alright,” Alask said, looked to the group to see if there was anything else they wanted to say.
  10. I think I am here.
    “No,” Brillin agreed. There was no other way. “I know you don’t like it. The world is one messed up place,” he stopped. “That’s why I always try to escape me it by running. Run from one town to the other, outrun the problems. Move to a different town, new identity, new life. Or, become an explorer. Never visit the same place twice.” Meeting her eyes he walked forward, prepared to move down the ladder after her. “You can escape this city, you know. I’ll help you.”
  11. I think I am here.
    “Sure. Please, come from the report,” Price said, began walking to an office of a superior he knew in the city they were in. “It will help our case. It will reduce the risk, in their eyes, to have a Ta’e’iloan here, it will seem like we have an expert, which will make them readier to say ‘yes’.” He smiled awkwardly at her. “And for once, someone in this base will assume you as more than a slave. How does that sound?”
  12. I think I am here.
    “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.”
  13. I think I am here.
    “Yes. Follow me,” Marcel said and led the way. It was pretty simple, just a few small turns, but Marcel didn’t question why Wita didn’t know. As they approached the street Marcel could hear the occasional car passing by. That was good, it meant there was a still a chance to be hitchhiked. Standing to the side of the road Marcel paused, then shrugged. “Does anybody here actually know how to hitchhike? I haven’t really done it much...” he said. Was he supposed to make some sort of hand signal or sound?
  14. I think I am here.
    “Yes. Brillin,” Brillin said and stepped into the alley after her. Cautiously he looked around. “I wanted to help you. Because it’s a dangerous gang, even if it’s injured. And I don’t want you to die. I think that’s a good reason, right?”
  15. I think I am here.
    That’s certainly one way to deal with the issue, Max said, continued making his way past crystals and glowing moss in this cave-forest. Though, it certainly is one of the ones which have no discernible good impact. Sure, it has no negative impact, but it also doesn’t benefit anyone other than the DA. Approaching the end of the cave he walked forward, made his way around some corners and slowed down when he heard the fading, distant sounds of people speaking. A grin crept up his face when he walked further ahead, further towards the current light in front of him. I think I’ve got a better idea. Look behind you. From the entrance of the cavern Max appeared, flashed a smile to Althea. He tried not to make a big scene when appearing, though notably he was one of the few not wearing one of those uniforms. But still, he walked up to Althea, examined the people in the room.
  16. I think I am here.
    I let a frown over my features when he answers my question the wrong way, almost definitely deliberately, judging by his smirk. But maybe he ignores it because it doesn’t apply. He’s already told me why he’s walking at his pace. He doesn’t like the rain. Who doesn’t like the rain? It’s the air I breathe, the reminder of nature’s presence even in the thickest of urban jungles. The great purifier, what cause the television to get all muddled and what washes away the blood of the streets into gutters. The rain. “I’d respond, but ‘good’ is subjective,” I say. At least, it is where I come from. Who knows, maybe here has absolute morals. Judging by Raphael, it doesn’t. “So is ‘bad’. Just lines drawn in mud, waiting to be washed away by the next rain.”
  17. I think I am here.
    Wes moved his knee, planted his leg firmly in the ground away from her kick. “Ha!” He said but was caught completely off-guard by the deflect, sending his knife spinning away out of his hand and landing in the dirt a little away from where he was. “Aahhhhh!” He screamed loudly and pointed in the direction of the knife, tried to use the distraction to try and lunge and choke Deteca.
  18. I think I am here.
    “The physical,” Alask said, responding to her question. Looking to the woman he tried out his acting skills. Hadn’t had practise conning people in a while, but it was always fun when he got the chance. He had given up thieving for the most part when he’d joined the Forge... but everyone had their guilty pleasures. “You see, when we joined this guild we wanted to do something right, for this city. For our beautiful city.” He made his eyes wide like a kitten and formed a sorrowful posture. “But, nobody has any actual things to help us. Only, books, when most homeless can’t even read. Only books, theories, research,” carefully he repeated her words back to her. “But, if only we could have detail on the physical, the actual applications and implications, maybe we could do something right for once.”
  19. I think I am here.
    Brillin stumbled with words, raised a hand. “Attayl,” he said, but trailed off. She was already walking towards the warehouse. He must have done something wrong. Perhaps it was too judgmental of him. No matter the path, the destination was the same: onto the next town. He couldn’t be making connections, now. That would compel him to stay, and he couldn’t stay. Friends, real friends, not passing-by-friends, made moving to the next town hard. That was why Brillin tried his best not to have them, kept a little at a distance from the people. But, ever since being forced to stay in Elendel... Brillin was finding it harder. Especially after everything the group had gone through together. But one thing was for sure. Attayl, by herself in the warehouse? No matter how sneaky she was, this was a dangerous gang. Turning Brillin rushed after her.
  20. I think I am here.
    Brillin sighed, stepped aside and looked towards the door. Life was hard here. Life, hard in a place where a woman had to fight to survive, had to resolve issues with a knife. Brillin could never solve any problem with a knife. It was barbaric, and one incident would make his whole life seem barbaric too. Just because he was Koloss-blooded. Violence wasn’t how he did things. He liked to tell himself it was because he was civilised, but that wasn’t it. Cowardice, then? Privilege? Brillin found it hard to believe he was privileged. He was blue, he couldn’t walk down a street without someone staring at him, couldn’t read a single broadsheet without some crime being committed framing his whole people as savages. And yet... he had the luxury of travelling the world. Had the luxury of literary ability, train rides, could afford to leave a town when things got tough. Had the luxury of freedom, freedom some people didn’t have. If only the world was neat, he thought. Neat enough I could put it in a book without oversimplifying. “Then, I won’t stop you,” he said quietly, left it at that.
  21. I think I am here.
    Aoryen nodded, put Ana down and leaned her against the wall of some diner before jolting up and turning to Ophelia. He raised an eyebrow. “Ship? Leave?” Realising what she meant he laughed, shook his head. “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.”
  22. I think I am here.
    Price paused, listened to her talk and quickly wrote it down in his ledger along with her tips. “Yes,” he said. “I will tell him that. I’ll take a short moment, but yes, hopefully it will be enough. You have no ideas the amount of funding they give research and development, almost as much as the actual soldiers themselves. Tühinine is desperate to win this war, but then again, they’ve been ‘desperate’ for a good 60 years now.” He stopped, looked to Sagitta. Her quietness at talking about the nomad strategies. “And no doubt you’d be a good teacher,” he said. “I’ve seen you fight. Even with an injured leg and makeshift weapons, you’re magical with combat. Maybe Tühinine should adopt some training regimes from Ta’e’ilo.” He tried to cheer her up, but they were true facts.
  23. I think I am here.
    “Yes. The rabbit hole is only getting deeper from here,” Marcel said and opened the door carefully, was happy to see no police cars in sight. It looked like he hadn’t needed that stamp anyway. It remained there still, and would continue to do so until someone broke it or in 24 hours, when the blood went stale. And if anyone was investigating, it would be a sign that a bloodsealer had been here. “We should walk to the main road,” he said, stepped out into the cool outside air. He crossed his arms in an effort to keep himself warm at this time of the night. “It’s a short walk, will out some distance from this house, and we have a better chance of catching a ride.”
  24. I think I am here.
    Wes jumped back, rolled in the dirt and felt the knife hit the empty spot where he was. Bringing his hand up he tried to stop the bleeding, grabbed a handful of dust in one hand and threw it at Deteca before lunging forward with his knife.
  25. I think I am here.
    It’s takes a moment to get used to his pace, but soon I’ve got the hang of it and following Raphael down the narrow street, to where he stays. Usually, I take my time when I walk, make sure I have adequate time to ponder, look at the dreary sights and think about my plans. But now, it seems all business. And yet, with someone with me, it seems more enticing. And to think they’re making a city here. In this town. I don’t bring it up again, though. “Don’t like the rain?” I note at his quick pace. I can keep up with him, and in this moment I just want to get to where he stays, but still, it’s closest I’ve got to the amused or teasing tone I sometimes see from Raphael. Usually it’s accompanied by a little grin, but not when I’m saying it. Where I come from, smiles are reserved for the rich, the dames and the crazy. And while I may be a little loopy at times, I’m far from either of the three. “Or, perhaps afraid of bad company on a night like this?” It’s a valid point. This time of night, the lowlife is paramount.
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