I think I am here.
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Posts posted by I think I am here.
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16 hours ago, Silva said:
She ducks under her table, wincing as her dress brushes against the sticky floor, and places herself out of the way and out of sight, content to let the others stampede. There, she takes a few moments to let herself process what in Ruin’s name just happened.
From outside the table, various sounds can be heard. The most obvious of these are the heavy footfalls of escaping guests, but when they bottleneck and crowd up against the small entry door, the scuffles of yelling and patron-elbowing-patron sound their way across the bar. There’s a commotion and another scream when a new set of steps clap against the timber floor, crossing the bar in seemingly seconds, the crash of glass and bottles trailing them. The footsteps grow louder as they near the table Aderet hides under before a figure suddenly slips beneath the tablecloth, panting.
From outside, voices begun to be heard.
“Gone!”
“Where’d he go?”
The figure - dressed in a dark hood and coat - continues catching their breath. When they’re done, they look around and suddenly jump when they see Aderet hiding next to them, as if just noticing her. Fumbling in their pockets, they take out a ten-boxing coin and hesitantly offer it to her.
“I was never here?” A male voice asks, muffled under the mask. In their other hand, they hold a strange metal tool. Outside, the yells of bouncers looking for the assassin grow louder.
QuoteI appreciate it
A bit rusty myself.
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Quote
Loved that post, Wyn!
It was hard to keep it all down. Hard to push his feelings back where they came. Rob felt even more of his emotions seep into the dark sphere, feeding whatever was inside. It could take his anger. Take his sadness. Take his pain. Again, he felt the cool sensation of numbness creeping over his body. Not calmness; calmness itself was an emotion. It was a void of feeling, one that hadn't consumed Rob yet, but one he welcomed all the same.
"Aren't you tired of 'talking', Cassie?" He suddenly snapped at her, the mask slipping for just a second, before he stood up straight and let his anger flow back into the sphere. His next words were cool as ice. "All we do is talk. Talk to Doc, talk to each other, talk to the Voidbringers. We discuss plans and strategies and half-hearted promises to be better, but what's the use? When has diplomacy ever worked for us anyway? Does anyone ever try to talk to us?"
He tried to continue but James started talking and Rob turned to him, took in the words. James, of all people, was standing against him. Rob watched him glow with stormlight, listened as his words seemed to echo through the room. An Ideal. And it was sworn in opposition to Rob.
"Don't you dare use my ideals against me," he said, stepping back, another flame of feeling bursting through his words, then shut down again. He was slipping. The mask was crumbling. "I am loyal. I am dependable. I stand where others fall. Even if it means I do the things everyone else can't. Take the burden so none of you have to."
He looked desperately back to Cassie.
"You agree, right?" he asked. "You don't think I'm wrong, do you?"
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It's a quiet night in Alleycity.
For the last few months, all it's been are quiet nights. The days of heroes fighting spiked demons and ancient abominations are over, and the heroes won. New guilds have sprung up where the old ones fell, and the Big 3: the Ghostbloods, DA, and TUBA, remain ever-present in the public consciousness, working in the background, never drawing too much attention to themselves. And why should they? Times are good. The economy is booming. And for once in its tumultuous history, Alleycity seems to be at peace.
Good for you.
You were always someone who stood out from the rest, either through your Investiture, your tools or your personality. In a world of NPCs (
), you itch for adventure, wish that you hadn't been born too early to fight evil.
Maybe it was the drinks that attracted you. Maybe it was the thought that you'd meet a special someone. Or maybe you just had nothing else to do on this quiet night. No matter the reason, come midnight and you find yourself in one of Alleycity's many entertainment venues, surrounded by bustling nightlife chatter, the clinking of bottles and the deep bass rumblings of the jukebox in the corner. Maybe you're seated at the bar trying to con a mark, or perhaps you're watching the live-entertainment from an out-of-the-way table. That's when it happens.
"Oh - hey!"
"What's he doing?"
"Get off the stage!"
A thin man with wide eyes clambers onto the stage and lurches for the head musician's microphone. There's a high-pitched squeal from the speakers as he snatches it from the singer and tweaks the setting. The music abruptly stops. People start yelling at them. The man ignores them and grasps the microphone with trembling hands.
"I - I need to warn you," he says, his voice amplified by the mic. "You have no idea what's coming. Please! I need to say this before they -"
The bouncers begin climbing onto the stage, but their work is cut out for them when something small flies out of the shadows and into the man's neck, dropping him. A figure clad in black can be seen in the corner, holding some sort of ranged weapon, and they run to try and escape the building. Screams begin to erupt, and some people begin to rush out of the building. To them, their bubble of safety is popping.
For you, however... maybe this a chance to be like the heroes you once heard about. To utilize your skills, to have an adventure, and - if you fancy yourself good enough - to solve this midnight mystery. Once and for all.
Now... what do you do next?
QuoteHello!
If you didn't read the top or if you want more information, this is basically a side-plot set in the Alleyverse, where a mysterious someone has just been assassinated and you have to deduce/fight/strategize your way to those responsible before [REDACTED] occurs. You can bring any character you'd like into this plot, there's room for fighters, scholars, and any other type of character you have.
In effect I'll be the "GM"(ish) of this plot, not having a character but controlling the bad guy/s and environment to react to whatever your characters do. I'll 'guide the plot' in the sense that I'll reveal information depending on what happens to help you solve the mystery, but whatever you do/wherever you want to go with that info is up to you. This plot is open and adapts to whatever strategy or method you choose, whether it's (for example) giving chase to the assassin, interviewing the guests, examining the body etc. And who knows, maybe along the journey your character might even have one of those pesky "character arcs" everyone seems to have these days
The Alleyverse doesn't seem as active as it was, so this is basically an attempt at bringing some more activity in a (hopefully) fun way. To be honest, even if this doesn't take off I wouldn't mind. I just figured I'd give it a go.
Onwards!
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6 hours ago, AonEne said:
“Change the board," she echoed warily. "What do you mean Doc lied to you? I don't want kids to keep dying either, I don't want this war, but what would we even do that we haven't been already?"
“Find the Voidbringers who keep ordering attacks against us and kill them,” said Rob without a second’s pause. “Stop waiting for them to attack us, and take the first step.”
He stopped, hesitating for a moment.
“There’s another Radiant group,” he said, looking to Cassie. “In Seattle. They were in communication with Doc, asking if he had any Radiants he could send over. A whole other group. And they’re going out of their way to hunt down Voidbringers. Not just hostile Voidbringers, but ordinary ones too. Going about their lives, just like we do.”
He paused to let the words sink in, then continued.
“There are Voidbringers who want to continue the war, and then there’s this second group of Radiants. If we want peace, we have to eliminate both groups. No discrimination.”
QuoteNot sure how canon the ‘second Radiant group’ thing is now, me and Sorana made it so that Doc would have a secret and we could have a reason to make Rob and Shana do something drastic
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On 24/06/2021 at 11:25 PM, Wyndlerunner said:
James nodded in response to Cassie's remarks. "She's right, we're not gone yet. I can't help but feel that if this division among us continues to spread, it will only lead us into darker places." He turned and looked at Rob, trying to keep his expression that perfect mixture of empathetic and stern, "Let go of the Stormlight, Rob, nobody here is trying to hurt you."
Rob watched the two of them in silence. Division. Darker places. At James' words, he silently let go of the Stormlight, letting it seep from him in thin, wispy lines. Something had been different about all of them these past few days. The air was tense and silent, as if preparing for a storm.
He turned to Cassie and spoke coldly to her. She didn't deserve that, but for some reason Rob couldn't feel anything else. "Doc lied to us. Shana and I wanted to know the truth. Why this war hadn't ended yet. The only way to get answers was to enter his room."
He glanced back at James. Ever the diplomat. Framed with the window behind him, it almost looked to Rob as if he had a halo of light around him. The Bondsmith. The one who was supposed to unite them all, when more and more things felt like they were coming apart.
"This... it's all going to end," he said to Cassie and James. "I will not stand back and let new Radiants come as old Radiants die. I will not let the cycle replay itself while no ground is gained, remaining static until we either die or delay the issue for the next generation."
He paused. "There's no need for division or dark times. We're still a family, and I know that you can't be blamed for what's been happening. But now that you know, you have to see the truth. We have to..."
He faltered, unsure of how to explain himself, but Shana's words echoed in his head and for a moment that was all he could see. Shana in front of him, eyes burning bright with drive and ambition, their minds linked a joined cause only they could understand and no one else. True warriors. True Radiants.
"We have to change the board. End it for good."
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Quote
Just a
slightly delayedresponse from me in case anybody wants to continue
And if only like one or two of us want to continue we could easily just timeskip 20 years in the future and say everybody else’s characters have died by then, turn it into a Logan-esque sort of deal y’know?
Something alive in the sphere. Meaningless lies, thrown out with the same ease Doc had lied to them all. With the same ease everybody lied to each other, patting themselves on the back for doing nothing but going to school and killing just enough Voidbringers to never make a difference. He felt a knock on the door behind him and suddenly had the urge to punch straight through it, to channel what he felt into some sort of tangible effect. But he pushed the feelings into the sphere, and watched another crack creep down its surface.
Cassie. James let her in the room. Rob stood still, not bothering to hide the Voidbringer’s sphere he still clutched in his hands.
“Hi, Cassie,” he said tersely, inhaling a sphere of stormlight almost instinctively. Defensively.
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2 hours ago, jamesbondsmith said:
Can someone please explain why Silverlight is in Perth? I don't know how to search a single thread, and 274 pages is a bit much.
QuoteBecause Perth was collectively decided to be the best city in the world
and not just because I live there.
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On 08/02/2021 at 10:51 PM, AonEne said:
Tell me that's not some kid's phone background
On 09/02/2021 at 7:02 AM, Voidus said:Ooh, may I steal for a D&D game?
Sure
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9 hours ago, Wyndlerunner said:
James' heart sank, as he heard Rob repeat his plea, and then twisted up into a knot of guilt and shame. I should be able to do something for him! You're pathetic, James. He thought to himself. As he slowly sank to his knees, those long held back tears began to slowly run down his face and he found himself whispering, repeating the same phrase over and over again, "I'm sorry, but I can't"
James sank to the ground and Rob remained standing only through sheer force of will. He’d be weak if he collapsed, weak if he gave in. He’d risked that, looking weak, here, with James. He’d - barely - been able to open up to someone who was supposed to help him. Who was supposed to be able to help him grow, by removing his issues.
But James was on the floor and Rob felt a burst of emotions hitting him all at once. Desperation. Sadness. Anger. He’d helped out so many times, he’d helped fight Voidbringers, had even opened up and James couldn’t even do the one thing Rob asked of him? The thoughts swirled and boiled in his mind until —
“James,” he spat out resentfully, preparing a yell.
“YOU —”
And then it was gone, the anger ripped from him
Rob shot his eyes towards the dark sphere in his hand, which now was ice cold, painfully so. He raised it up and and saw a long crack running down its surface. His thoughts were in a mess, and his emotions still ran rampant... but something had happened. He still felt like a bucket full of emotions he didn’t want, but he didn’t feel like he was overflowing anymore. At least, not yet.
You’re welcome.
He regained his composure quickly, the hate he’d felt at James gone, the emotions no longer clouding his actions. He stared at James, the Bondsmith who’d warned him about his sphere. But it had helped him.
“I... am sorry,” he said, for once perfectly monotone. Now it was him who rested a hand on James’ shoulder. “I should not have disturbed you.”
QuoteThese posts always accidentally end up so long...
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15 hours ago, Wyndlerunner said:
James strode forward towards the young man once more, again placing his hand on Rob's shoulder, locking eyes with him. "Rob, you don't have to bear your burden alone. I'm here, Shana is here, Cassie is here, Ben is here. We all support each other, it's what friends and family do."
He couldn’t help him. James was his only hope and he couldn’t help him.
The the rest of the words blurred together and Rob only caught a few of them, the world seeming to spin. Journey, destination, support, friends. He felt like a knife had been rammed into his throat as James walked forward, placed a hand on his shoulder again. He saw the mouth move but all he could hear was a distinct buzzing in his ears. He felt weak, weaker than he’d ever felt before.
“James,” he whispered, trying so hard to remove the tremor in his voice but failing. He stared intensely at the Bondsmith, screams and cries all at once wanting to escape but being held back, visible only through a slight misting of the yes. He gestured to himself.
“James, look at me. Look at me.” He bowed his head, staring at the floor, wanting to ask again although he already knew what the answer was going to be. James would deny... but Rob had to ask again. Once more, for final. He was shaking ever so slightly.
“Please... please. I’ll do anything.”
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On 07/02/2021 at 2:32 PM, Wyndlerunner said:
James spun his desk chair around, and sat in it, allowing a more playful smile to replace his earlier contemplative one, "as for Ashlyn", he noted, "It would seem you have a bit of a crush."
“A crush,” Rob repeated, then heard a sneeze from downstairs. Was Ashlyn here? Now?
He watched James sit back in his chair, the gentle smile, the hand that and been in his shoulder, the hug. It all seemed — for a moment — that he truly understood Rob, with the soft words about change, about how it could be good. Could it?
Maybe for others, but not for YOU, came the response, from somewhere within him. You’re a Stoneward. Shana fights for us because she is a Dustbringer. It is her role. And YOUR role is stability. If a STONEWARD cannot be trusted to be stable, what can? An eroded rock is a weak rock.
“An eroded rock is a weak rock,” he whispered to himself and shook his head, glancing back at James. “You care for me. And I appreciate your words.” He paused, and only now could his feelings, like a boiling ocean, be slightly visible underneath the surface. A slight shake in the voice. A light tremor in the hand.
“But, respectfully, James... I didn’t come here for words.”
If he’d wanted encouragement and support, he’d have gone to Shana. Instead, he was here because James was a Bondsmith, nothing more and nothing less. He stepped forward, tried desperately to hide the feelings despite how they seeped out of his every action.
“I came here for you to fix me. To... take it all away. You can do that, can’t you?”
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15 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:
Alrighty, it's done you guys!!!
I am so proud of this.
QuoteIt’s a shame I can’t give multiple upvotes for this, it’s great!
Jassir stood on the spot in front of the King, and his costume shifted to match the drawing, making the design canon instantly, because it was that good.
Ah, he thought. That’s better.
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23 hours ago, Channelknight Fadran said:
The king sat down, then looked up and sighed. It was probably too much to ask that the Raveness not imprison anybody at a public event like this, but couldn't she go one night without finding a new victim to murder?
Quote@Butt Ad Venture It was a... happy coincidence
Jassir watched the commotion with wide eyes, seeing Lady Hvenkar being escorted away after yelling at the Raveness. She really had nothing to lose, did she?
Nothing to lose, but all to gain.
Spotting the King in his throne, Jassir jumped and cartwheeled over to him, landing in front of his Majesty with a flourish.
“Your Majesty, not keen for a dance?” He glanced towards the King’s betrothed, being offered a dance by another noble. “Not even with your bride-to-be, at your own ball?”
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Triple Phoenix!
Spoiler.
Triple Phoenix Tessellation!
Spoiler.
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6 hours ago, Wyndlerunner said:
Rob's second question had an almost tangible weight to it- like a weighted blanket falling onto a person from above. James opened his mouth to try and respond, but all that came out was a half voiced croak. James stood up, and strode confidently over to Rob, hoping desperately that in some way, this would help. He hugged Rob, and whispered "I don't know if that's something magic can fix, but I can't fix anything if you won't tell me what's wrong."
Rob couldn’t stop himself from tensing slightly when James hugged him. He stared blankly at the wall in front of him, unsure what to say or how to react. The experience was so... foreign. More so than even fighting Voidbringers. He had to admit it. He had to tell James what was bothering him.
“I’m slipping, James,” he said quickly and bluntly to get it over with. He continued staring at the blank drywall of James’ room, somehow finding it easier to talk that way than when facing someone.
“It was easier in the beginning. When I could feel whatever I wanted but keep a blank face. Be sad and not cry. Be angry but not yell. Be happy but not smile. That’s who I was when Doc let me in here, and that’s who I am now, and for most of my life it’s worked perfectly. Without fault.”
He paused to collect his thoughts.
“But these days... I don’t know what’s happening. I get... tired of school, and almost frown. I get happy at winning a battle and almost smile. I get angry and feel like a pressure cooker about to explode, barely under the surface. With Ashlyn... I feel happy, but it becomes so much harder to hide it when she’s around. Why can’t I hide it?”
His voice was still monotone. “I know to you, it probably doesn’t seem like much. And I want you know I never judged you, or Ben, or any of the other guys for expressing their feelings. This is just who I am, who I was raised to be. So why does it feel like it’s collapsing over me? The more time I’ve been here, the friends I’ve made, the battles I’ve fought... it’s all make it harder for me to keep it all in? Even now, speaking to you. It’s harder to stay impassive then it ever used to be. One of these days I’m... I’m...”
He forced himself to spit the word out. He’d already said to much to James.
“One of these days I’m scared I’m going to smile, or laugh or show something. And then everything’s going to flood out.”
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11 hours ago, Wyndlerunner said:
The question threw James for a loop. All logic led him to the conclusion that something had definitely happened. Don't blow this, James he thought, he's come to confide in you, don't prod. "Well," he replied, contemplatively, "When it comes to war, I think that it's hard to declare one side heroes, and another side villains. More often than not, there are wrongs on both sides. Both sides have their reasons to fight, and while I personally don't find war to be tasteful in the slightest, the facts of our own situation are that our group acts basically entirely in self defense."
“That’s true,” Rob said, and fell silent.
You’re skirting around the main point, he told himself. You didn’t come here and disturb his research to ask him about wars and the Voidbringers, admit it. You didn’t even come here to ask about the sphere, did you? No. There’s something else. Tell him.
“James...” he began.
But Rob didn’t want to. He clutched the sphere in his palm, ready to leave, hovering by the doorframe... but he couldn’t get himself to depart without addressing the real issue. He hated having to open up in this way to James, but James was a Bondsmith. That’s why Rob had come. Because Bondsmiths were wise, and they always knew what to do when you didn’t. Like Doc.
Doc was a LIAR and you KNOW IT!
Yes, Doc was a liar. That’s why James was his only Bondsmith option left. Whether he liked it or not. And so far, James had a breadth of understanding far beyond what Rob had expected. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as Rob worried. He looked back up at James and continued.
“I... saw what you did with that door. That’s probably what you’re researching now, I’m guessing. Or, were researching before I came in. I noticed you didn’t replace the door, or make a new one. You fixed it, but without any lasting marks. Like it had never been broken in the first place. Do you...”
He looked down. “Do you think you could do the same for a person what you did to the door? Maybe not physically, but... cognitively?” It was healing in a way Regrowth could never touch, and if anyone had it, it was the Bondsmith.
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On 03/02/2021 at 0:39 AM, xinoehp512 said:
"Better safe than sorry," replied Jared grimly.
Nekri sighed, but didn’t make any more objections.
“Fine. You sound like one of those paranoid old men, sitting on a bench by the street.”
A side effect of his frustration, his illusion wavered, until he replaced it with one that looked less suspicious. He kept the knife, though. He liked the way it made Jared look uncomfortable.
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Quote
Behold: the Mendahar Court! (Sorry for not getting everyone
)
Spoiler.
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18 minutes ago, Random Bystander said:
Seraphina's jaw dropped. "Well. That wasn't what I expected." She muttered. She started reading even more intently, eyes wide. She started eating more of her snacks.
Jassir watched her read and got up.
“Well, I won’t be disturbing you any longer. Say, I might have to check out that book after your done. No spoilers!”
And with that he was off, tactically cartwheeling away to find another target to make fun of.
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3 hours ago, Random Bystander said:
His lines are marvelous! And he just so happens to be in this book for about 5 seconds! He doesn't say anything, however."
Jassir listened. Those lines were good. He mentally stored them away for later use, standing up.
“Maybe I should call myself the King’s Wit,” he considered. He smiled at the King’s Lady. “I don’t think the King would like that very much, though, as it would imply he has none of his own. So, it’ll just have to stay as ‘Jester’ for me.”
Besides, he didn’t want anyone confusing him for the actual Wit if they stumbled upon the thread. His character was already so similar, making the name the same would just be asking for confusion
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26 minutes ago, Random Bystander said:
Oh, and the prince is trying to reclaim the city's fallen magic."
Jassir listened intently, and tried to catch a glimpse of the author’s name, so he could see more books like it.
Sandon Branderson.
“Tell me,” he asked the King’s Lady. “Is there a Jester in this story?”
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8 minutes ago, Random Bystander said:
"A Tale of Silver and Gold. It's pretty good. At least, so far."
“They all start out pretty good,” Jassir said, gesturing to the book. “Then, the main character dies and you question why you even bought it in the first place.” He’d read a lot of books as a kid, and had his heart broken by many of them.
He smiled at the King’s Lady. “What’s it about? Hopefully not something as dreadfully boring as a Royal ball, I hope.”
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11 minutes ago, Shard of Thought said:
“I don't know, Jassir," said Riva. "But I'll call upon you when I need you." She winked and walked away, hips swaying back and forth fluidly as she did so.
“You’re keeping me, the Jester, in suspense?” Jassir leaned back and smiled, watching the Raveness leave just elegantly as she’d entered. “My, my, you are an evil woman.”
7 minutes ago, Random Bystander said:Seraphina choked, and started coughing. Once she stopped choking, she started laughing. "You're good!" She grinned.
Jassir turned back to the King’s Lady and grinned.
“Thank you. If I wasn’t, I’d probably be hung, drawn and quartered by the king. You could say my life depends on you laughing.” A lie, but a fun one. He tilted his head.
“Say, what book is that?”
QuoteYou’ve intrigued me, Thought. I’d be very interested in that PM about Riva
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1 minute ago, Shard of Thought said:
Riva smirked as she watched Cadan leave, then bowed dramatically to Jassir. "You have been saved, my good jester," she said flatly. She turned to walk away, then peered over her bare shoulder. "You know, I'd take a favor as payment."
Jassir watched in wonder as the Raveness intimidated the general himself. Of course, he knew her power in the court, but it was rare to see it exercised so publicly like this.
He grinned. “Not muscly, but a saviour all the same. I’ll take it. A favour? Now, what would that be?”
Now, that was interesting. What could the head torturess of the King need from someone like him? The thought was enticing.
He watched the King’s Lady who’d been laughing seem down after Caden left, so he leaned in for a moment for one final quip.
“Hey,” he whispered. “Looks like his bark was worse than his bite, after all.”
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A Midnight Mystery
in The Alleyverse
Posted
The assassin meets Aderet’s eyes with brown ones of his own, quietly taking in her words. Chaos still sounds off outside, but beneath the table it feels strangely silent. Again and again, the assassin’s gaze keeps switching from Aderet to the vial of cadmium in her hand, his posture tense. To his side, the metallic tool he holds begins to vibrate, Aons inscribed in its surface glowing. For a moment, the space beneath the table in bathed in subtle golden light.
Then, his gaze flicks to the cadmium vial and then back to her. He curses, the golden glow fading.
“Allomancers,” he spits. In his other hand, he clenches the ten-boxing coin in a fist and stuffs it back into his pocket. He tilts his his head as he hears the booming steps of bouncers nearby, and regards Aderet again with a cold stare.
“What do you want, woman?” he asks. “Quickly.”
There are many items the patrons leave behind in a rush; wallets, watches, or wads of cash left in abandoned coats. There’s even a red leather purse overturned on the floor. Nothing’s too fancy — this place is good, but it sure isn’t the type of high-establishment you’d find further down the city. A bouncer patrols the discarded tables, grabbing fallen chairs and righting them.
“You!” he says to Cole, pointing with his index finger. The gesture morphs as the bouncer thumbs over his shoulder at the exit, where a crowd of people still try to shuffle frantically outside.
“Bar closed, pickpocket. No stealin’ drinks you didn’t pay for.”
Behind the bouncer, the body of the dead man still lies on the stage, blood pooling from beneath him. No one — not even the bouncers — seem to pay much attention to the corpse. Anyone who isn’t trying to leave is looking for the one responsible.