ZincAboutIt
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"Hmm, shame," Corette said, not bothering to hide her smirk, but did as he said. She burned Bronze, sweeping her Seeker's senses out before them, holding an errant hand out to her side to halt Rig's stride. Her palm barely reached just past his navel, and she frowned a little, looking up at him. "Void on earth, what do they feed you on Scadrial these days?" She muttered, torn between being impressed and being envious. Corette took some comfort imagining him smacking his head on a stalactite, or perhaps the ceiling of the tunnel. Failing that, well, she could always smack him. If I can reach him. "Nothing I can sense up ahead," Corette said, feeling excitement prickle along her skin. She grinned up at Rig, then looked backwards at the rest of the scouting party, which was catching up. "Cavern up ahead!" She called down the cave tunnel. "We're calling a halt!" The purple light up ahead beckoned her, and Corette felt her eagerness burn inside her like hunger. She looked back to Rig, then slipped her long, slender blade out of its sheath and into her hand. "C'mon, then," she said, eyes glinting in the violet glow. "Let's go put more color on that coat." She stepped around the corner, trusting everyone to keep up. Or fall behind.
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Corette allowed herself to be drawn in as Rig told his story, careful to gasp and 'oooh' and exclaim at all the right places. She had asked for a tall tale, and that is definitely what Rig provided; Corette lost count of all the minor embellishments and inconsistencies. But, it didn't really matter. She had a feeling that the meat of it was true, and even if he'd taken some liberties, he was clearly very skilled. At the end, Corette laughed in genuine delight and clapped her hands. "Well ruin me, but you do have a zinc tongue, don't you? A few more like that, and I might even start to believe that you're more interesting than everyone else." Corette tucked a lock of hair back behind her ear and met his eyes. She could feel the full weight of his attention on her; even his fingers had stilled their toying with his coin. Corette returned his stare with one of her own. He couldn't know how unusual it was for someone to capture the entirety of her interest, and that alone made him rare as summer snowfall. I do believe I'll keep you around, Mister Lekal. "My turn then? Well, I did propose a trade, didn't I, and we can't go breaking our deals." She dropped her voice to barely above a whisper. "Someone might think I'm dishonorable." Corette winked, then giggled. She had plenty of stories, though she wasn't entirely sure that he'd enjoy most of them. Still thinking, Corette swept her hair to one side and rolled her neck. The glow at the end of the tunnel had grown - a softly purple light this time. Every time Corette was sure she'd find out what it was, they'd come to another sharp turn. Maybe this time, they'd finally catch a glimpse of it. "You wouldn't believe how loud your own breathing really is," Corette began, slipping closer to Rig as she avoided a large stalactite, "until you stop. You don't think you hear it, but a room with one person is so much more silent than a room with two people, breathing together. Learning the art of true silence - moving with the air in the room, placing your feet just so, none of it matters if your mark can still hear you breathe." "As you might imagine, that kind of silence lends itself to a certain kind of work. I cut purses on the streets as a girl, ran with a few gangs. We had a good thing going - till I tried robbing a Tin Ferring. I was sixteen. He had me up against the wall of an alley before I could blink. Big fellow - about your height, and twice as wide. He could palm my whole neck in one hand; I know, because he started choking me. Well, how was he to know I could store my breath?" Her voice got softer now, though it still echoed in the cool, damp air around them. "People say some truly nasty things when they think their audience is about to die," she said, tone still light - conversational. "If I recall, he had some rather unorthodox plans for my corpse. He seemed so eager, so who was I to deny him? He wanted me to stop breathing - so I did." Corette could tell that her smile had gone sharp and cold. "People let their guard down around the dead. It was almost too easy, really. I had his boot knife in my hand before he could undo his belt. I had it in his neck a moment later. So much easier to rob the dead, turns out." She looked up at Rig again, then shrugged once. "I do a... different kind of work these days. As you can see, the company is clearly better." @TrailRunnin
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Intrigued, but treading carefully. Good, he was clever enough to try for subtlety, though Corette could hear the eagerness in his voice. He hadn't shied away from her hints and mentions on what could be found down the right Alley, to her delight - though she kept a tight reign on her grin. She met his eyes - blue, like her own, and bright with hunger. The ambition in his gaze was a welcome sight. He aimed high, he adapted, and - she suspected - he wasn't afraid to shed a little blood. "You flatter me," Corette said, slipping around a stalagmite. They were getting more and more numerous, almost like a forest of waist-high melted candles. Rig navigated the tunnel with a surprisingly light step; despite his height, there was no gangly awkwardness to his stride. He moved with purpose, intention, his body like one long blade of a knife. "But I'm far from fearless," she said, watching the light from her headlamp catch the glittering facet of some hidden crystal. "The trick isn't conquering your fear, so much as embracing it. Reveling in it. Wrapping it around yourself like the finest cloak." Corette stepped up onto a smaller stalagmite, balancing there on one foot for a moment before pirouetting off its tip with an easy laugh. "There is so much in this world to fear, Rigex Lekal," she said. "You could spend a lifetime fighting that fear. Or," Corette held up her hands, as though she were weighing two options, "you can learn to love it. Crave it. Drink it in till you're drunk on fear. Till fear is your food, your air; till you lust for it with every piece of your heart. Until you wake each morning and you run towards fear with open arms. If you can do that, then this world will open up for you as easy as that-" She snapped her fingers. "And then, you can take your pick of whatever you want." Corette gave Rig a smile, and it flowed swift and smooth and dark as the swinging curtain of her hair. "As for my story, well," she shrugged. "I'm more than willing to trade. You've surely got a few tall tales of your own, and I'd bet my metal that you don't much mind talking about yourself. We've a long walk ahead - regale me."
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"A bit presumptive, assuming you know how strange I am," Corette answered, raising a brow at him. Some of the group had begun to filter into the tunnel, so she pushed off the wall and began walking. She motioned to Rig, trusting him to keep up. His long legs would likely eat up the distance twice as fast as her own - the man was at least a foot taller than she was. Maybe even more. She was silent for a moment, thinking, brushing her fingers along the cool, slightly-damp stone to her left. The tunnel was wide enough for two or three to stand next to one another, but not much more than that. She had been wise to segment the group into smaller pairs or threesomes. Here in the dark, Rig was a steady drum beat of Steel beside her, and he radiated a slight heat. Surely that would be his brassminds. She envied him a bit - it was rather chilly down here. "As for the city," she continued, unsure how quite to describe the twisting, blended snarl of people and cultures and magic, "it's... complex. Dangerous... and glorious." Corette turned, looking up at Rig's eager, slightly-hungry smile; she gave him one of her own. "There's more out there than I could ever see in a lifetime, in ten lifetimes. It's like the crossroads of everything, every universe - there's always a path here. Right here, to this city. It draws people, pulls them like coins to a Lurcher. Anything you could ever want, you can find here - for a price, of course. Things you never dreamed possible. Riches, reputation, power. With the right connections, a man could walk in a misting," she waved one hand, "and walk out a Mistborn. Or more." Out of the corner of her eye, Corette watched the man, her heart picking up a little as she spoke. It beat in a kind of counterpoint to Rig's Steel pulses, filling her ears as they walked, as she waited for his reaction. @TrailRunnin
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Corette rolled her eyes as Rig shot off down the tunnel, then disappeared out of sight. What did I just say about no one scouting alone? Still, she smiled as she picked up the coin from off the cavern floor, turned on her headlamp, and headed after him. Corette downed a vial of Bronze flakes and turned on a light burn. She was quickly rewarded with the lively thrum of Steel off to her right, a sign that Rig hadn't gone too far, then. As she rounded the corner, she flicked the coin over her shoulder without looking at him, trusting the man to catch it. "Impressive," she said, leaning on the opposite wall of the tunnel, the dark rock cool on her back. "Blushing and running away - a true skillset. And here I thought detecting Investiture signatures at a distance and not needing to breathe was something to be proud of. How wrong I was." From her vantage point, Corette could see both back into the cavern and further down the tunnel. Far down the twisting hallway, she thought she could detect a dim glow. A thrill ran through her, and she rolled her shoulders, enjoying the prickling across her skin. She looked back at Rig, who had managed to smear a glowing streak through his dark hair. Corette would never actually tell him, but it looked rather good. "Enjoying the Alleyverse so far, then? Lucky for you that you ended up down here, instead of in an Alley somewhere. Giant glowing worms are far less worrisome." @TrailRunnin
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Corette cast one more critical eye over the assembled group, then over at Rig. He was visibly resisting rushing off around that first hairpin bend, eyes sharp and glittering in the low cavern light. She could understand that well enough - it was taking the better portion of her own self control to stay here and chaperone everyone. You are quite the find, Rig Lekal. If Corette's initial impressions of the man held fast, well, he might be quite the asset. Quite the asset indeed. A smirk flirted at the edges of his mouth as he looked down into the tunnel, mind clearly elsewhere. Corette repressed a laugh when she realized he still had some glowing specks on his chin and cheeks - surely from the glowing fish. "I wouldn't want to keep you here much longer," Corette said, reaching into her pack and pulling out a small compact mirror. "Why, you're practically glowing with excitement. Or, well," she put the little mirror into one of his hands, "you're glowing with something, at least. You may want to, ah," she touched a finger to the corner of her own mouth, winked and then climbed up onto a nearby boulder without looking back at him. The little group was spread out before her, talking, chatting, speculating. There would be plenty of time for that on the way - they had already lingered too long for Corette's taste. She was here to explore, after all. "Right, everyone!" She called, waiting for everyone to look her way. "Group up - two to three in a group. You'll be with this person until we make camp - no exceptions. You will not be scouting alone, I don't care if you're the rusting God Beyond. No one scouts alone. Get your headlamps on, and make sure you know how to turn on your tablet. If you fall behind, you hold all of us up. So don't fall behind. Make sure you have someone else in your line of sight at all times. If we call a halt, you halt. If someone is injured, make sure we know it. Get your metals, spheres, whatever you need. Whoever enters last, you make sure you're always last, unless you want to switch places. That way, we know we haven't lost someone. Good? Good." Corette gave a nod to the group, tightened the straps on her pack, and jumped back down onto the sandy floor with a grin. She turned back to Rig, grin turning into a little laugh. "You ready, Scout Leader? I do hope you can keep up. Let's see how many diamonds this expedition turns out." @I Rashek @AonEne @Rushu42 @I think I am here. @Voidus @anyone else who wants to scout - my tagging is no longer working
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Corette raised a finger to her lips and tapped them, thinking. She'd been musing along the same lines as Rig, judging by his comments. Plenty of these people had valuable skills, but only a few had the disposition truly suited to this type of work. Still, there were uses for the strays. She gave him a sidelong glance, eyes flicking over his face, trying to read his expression. "The Slider, for certain, and Allri of course. She might be fresh as new snow but she'll still be useful." Corette pointed at Karin. "That one is worth at least five people on her own - at least five. The Dark Alley wouldn't send someone who couldn't keep up. And I'd almost be willing to take that new fellow, the one who healed me, for practicality alone. The white-haired Elsecaller is worth her weight too, despite her little freeze-up back there. As for the rest..." Corette trailed off, then turned to face Rig head-on. She had to tip her head back a bit to look him in the eye - that was a bit irritating, but couldn't be helped. He had a keen, clever look to him, confident - almost arrogant. The Coinshot didn't seem the type for sentiment, at least not when it didn't suit him. Still, she chose her next words carefully. "Well, there's always a place for the durable, yet inexperienced. You seem like the practical type, Mister Lekal. Realistic. I have a feeling we both know how the world works - any world. Every world. How better to learn than to be put in the line of fire, yes? If they can keep up, they'll soon match our pace. If not..." She shrugged, her small smile not quite reaching her eyes. She stepped even closer, voice low. "Well, sometimes people die taking the hit for their fellows. Collateral damage and all that. Tragic, but... well. Everyone has their place." @TrailRunnin
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Corette cocked her head at Myriad, listening, again, to that strange echoing pulsing that came from her direction. Not dying when she should... Well, that was hardly specific. It sounded almost like her Investiture weren't quite attached to her body, or was attached poorly. She'd have to dig a little deeper on Myriad's exact powerset; for now, she gave the girl a small smile. "Soothing you, you mean?" The woman didn't seem to want to admit that she didn't understand the worm's powers. Foolish pride, Corette thought. Or anxiety about her standing? A good thing to know, in either case. "Rust me if I know how, though you may want to ask those two about it." She pointed towards Karin and Althea, who had remained speaking about the creature long after the Radiant had Soulcast it into water. Corette was rather delighted to see that her long, slender blade had managed to escape the transformation, and now lay glinting on the floor. Corette crossed the narrow distance and snatched it up, lifting up the leg of her coveralls and sliding the blade back into its sheath. She turned her attention towards the Bendalloy misting now, and pulled out the tracking tablet. "Right, texting," she said, wrinkling her nose in irritation about playing teacher. Still, they would need to know how to use these things if they wanted to avoid getting hopelessly lost. Corette raised her voice a bit, hoping her voice would carry. "Anyone else who doesn't know how to use this thing -" she raised the tablet in one hand, "-come over here please. You too, extraoridnaire." Corette pointed at Rig, then crooked that same finger back towards herself. "Can't have my fellow Scout Leader wandering around like an idiot." She launched into a basic explanation of the device: how to turn it on, what the tracking dots meant, and how to send a text message. Corette was sure someone was bound to still be lost, but she'd done what she could. Karin's arrival and subsequent demonstration of her abilities would probably take center stage for the next little bit anyway - no point in talking about 'pressing send' when a woman was turning her hand into a knife. Corette folded her arms, eager to see the group's reactions. This was likely the closest most had ever gotten to a member of the Dark Alley - at least, someone with this level and type of skill. @AonEne @TrailRunnin @Rushu42
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Deb looked up from her clipboard, which was covered in her own cramped handwriting, and restrained her desire to snap at the young volunteer. Keep it together, Deb. She gave a tiny sigh, then relaxed her face into what she hoped was a calm expression. This wasn't the Wings - these people weren't used to extended campaigns, and they needed direction. She looked over the camp; most of the wounded had been healed, and the employees had gathered the majority of their equipment for travel. Althea had already turned the corpse of the worm into water. It was past time to leave this place. "We are preparing to leave," she said to the young woman - Sarah, she thought her name was. "Gather your belongings, and spread the word. We will be assembling at the far end of the cavern, and heading into the Promenade. A brief scouting of -- aha." As she spoke, she noticed Rig and a few others approaching. She'd already hoped to assign the Coinshot to the scouting team along with the Seeker Twinborn. Deb would need to pad the scouting troup with new faces; she'd lost several of their best scouts to that damnation worm. Deb raised her voice so that the others could hear her. "We will be leaving shortly, and should send a party ahead to check the safety of the new tunnel, called the Promenade. Rig, Corette, you're now Scout Leaders. Choose your team, and head off. Your tracking tablet should function to report the all-clear; Corette, I trust you understand the concept of texting. Explain as needed. I will lead the rest of the team after you." -- Corette listened with half an ear to the Director's orders, already considering her scouting choices. She glanced over at Rig, eager to see him attempt to use the tracking tablet, then took one final swig of whiskey before slipping the flask back into her pack. He'd certainly drunk quite a bit of it, she noticed with minor irritation. Well, she'd just have to find a way to get something from him in return. Once Stancel had said her piece, Corette nodded to the woman, then motioned to Rig and the others assembled near the Director. She lead them towards the entrance to the tunnel Stancel had mentioned, sending out a flare of Bronze to check for any immediate Investiture signature. She sensed nothing in the vicinity, but that didn't mean it was safe down there. Corette felt herself smile, then turned back to the group. "Right," she said, blue eyes travelling over the faces before her. "Any of you who don't want to join the scouting team, say so now. The rest of you, tell us your skills. Oh, and someone fetch the mistborn - we can always use a Tineye." @TrailRunnin @AonEne @Rushu42 @Voidus @I Rashek
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Corette glanced briefly to the side, raising one brow. "Single-handedly? I'm sure I saw you using two hands on that last Steelpush. And speaking of hands," she stuck out her hand, palm up, expectantly, "I do believe it's time for you to hand over my whiskey. Won't do to have you get drunk on the job. We'd have to get Lady Mistborn over there to Pewter-carry you into the next cavern. Could you ever recover from that?" Though she spoke to Rig, she kept the majority of her attention focused on Wes. That last portion of her answer, the part about her curiosity - Corette had a feeling that was far closer to the truth. That was something Corette could understand; curiosity drove her onward like a whip, pushing her through life, into and out of danger as it willed. She had more doubt about Wes's desire to "help," especially if her suspicions about the girl's guild were correct. Another grin tugged at her lips. Rusts, but this was fun. Between Wes, the Mistborn girl, and Rig, this expedition was already proving to be more than worth her time. And this was only the first cavern.
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Corette looked down at the cup of water and took one careful sip, still looking at the girl, Wes. What she really wanted was her whiskey, but she'd already given Rig the flask and he hadn't moved to return it. She hoped she hadn't offended the man with her joke; he seemed like the type to give as good as he got, but nobility could be odd about some things. He was one of the more interesting people in the expedition, and she'd hate to lose out on his company due to something so silly. She turned back to Wes, smiling again - a smaller smile this time. "Well met, Wes," she said. "And I'm fine. Nothing like a little Progression to loosen the muscles and clear the head." Corette waved a hand to her right, not wishing to be rude. "This is Rigex Lekal, Coinshot extraordinaire and soon-to-be tutor of the next Ascendant Warrior, if all goes to plan. It's thanks to him we're not all dead, I suppose." Corette focused her Bronze on Wes directly now, listening to the strange, varied beat of her Lightweaving. The barest stutter echoed after each pulse, and Corette was careful to let none of her realizations show in her expression. This girl had at least one spike, she'd bet her own metalminds on it - possibly more. Though that was harder to tell. She was increasingly convinced that she'd seen the girl somewhere before; she had a hunch, but nothing concrete. "Lucky that Karin managed to stay alive inside that thing, hmm?" Corette went on. "Though I shouldn't be surprised, the Alleys do keep all manner of tricks up their sleeves. One has to wonder how many other DA members are here, incognito. I suppose we'll see, yes?" She winked, then took another sip of water.
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Corette watched Allri blush and slip away, and she repressed the urge to laugh. If the girl couldn't handle a little harmless, mindless quipping between adults, Corette wondered how she'd fare on the rest of this expedition. Wearing one's true emotions on the surface was a one-way ticket to an early grave around here. Being a Mistborn could only take a person so far in life - even immense power could be toppled with some skill. Still, if the girl wanted to alert everyone to her inner feelings, well, Corette wouldn't stop her. All the easier to keep an eye on her. Someone else had approached, the girl who carried the unique Investiture signature. If Allri was fresh-faced and enthusiastic, this girl was her foil. Her face was a careful arrangement of calm, calculated politeness, but her eyes were far too clever for simple charity. This girl knew how to watch, how to see, just as Corette knew. She might not be a Seeker, but she carried that same gaze. The girl held out a cup of water to Corette, and Corette took it in her left hand. "Thank you," she said to the girl, holding the cup but not taking a drink. It seemed harmless - poisoning Corette in a room full of Radiants was hardly logical - but a lifetime on the street had burned all the trust from her heart. Still, the girl was fascinating, and Corette let herself smile. In her experience, hiding one's enthusiasm made life boring; it was one of the few truly honest emotions she allowed herself to show. If she wasn't having any fun, what was even the point? "I don't believe we've met, officially," Corette said. "Though if you're half as clever as you look, you already know my name. So, what do I call you?" @Voidus
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Corette looked back at the young mistborn girl, still frozen in her own bubble, then shrugged. If she were being honest, Corette wasn't even interested in teaching the girl how to tie her own shoes, let alone Allomancy. Still, it could prove useful - instructive, even. And if one more person owed her a favor, well, that couldn't hurt either. Especially a Mistborn. This girl wouldn't stay ignorant forever, and depending on her guild, that favor could even come with more benefits. Corette looked back at Rig, who had been looking her up and down with an appraising eye. Was he impressed with her skill, or remembering her dashing through the cavern in little more than her skin? She didn't much care either way; modesty was for priests and innocents. Corette was far from either. "Sure, why not? Most people discount Bronze as useful - I'd bet my own eye teeth she hardly remembers she can burn it at all. But Bronze can be as useful as Atium in a fight - and infinitely easier to find. Plus," Corette turned back towards Rig, "now I can watch you show off for her. That should be amusing, if nothing else." Corette grinned at him, then dug around in her pack. "Aha!" She said, then pulled a silver flask out of the depths, holding it triumphantly. A quick flick of her fingers and the cap was off; she took a swig, hissing in a satisfied manner at the burn of the whiskey within. She held it out to Rig. "You'll recognize that, I think. Nothing better after almost dying than some Roughs whiskey. Well," she raised one finger, her grin turning a bit wicked, "there's almost nothing better."
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Deb stopped next to a box of equipment and resisted the urge to sit down. Instead, she took a deep breath and climbed onto the box, surveying the remaining members. The majority had survived, and while a few of the others had distracted the worm, Deb had managed to shove their equipment into a far corner, herding most of the employees into a safe area. Her attention had picked up when the Seeker woman, Corette, had re-emerged from a Cadmium bubble and mentioned a "new Radiant." She eyed the man's form; he appeared to stand still in the slow-motion speed bubble, and Deb actually recognized him. It was the fellow covered in shadow - the one she had expressly denied admittance onto the expedition team. Her mouth flattened into an even thinner line, but she decided to tackle that problem later. "If anyone needs healing, please come forward!" She called. "We have fabrials and one Radiant with Progression." Her eyes strayed back towards the new Coinshot and Corette. From what she'd managed to catch of the fight, those two had been instrumental in bringing the worm down. Rig, in particular, had behaved with speed, courage, and accuracy. Thank Harmony. His appearance had, so far, proven most fortuitous. Deb hopped down from the box and walked towards Althea and Karin, who had somehow survived being totally consumed by the creature. Deb wasn't sure if she wanted to know, or not. Probably not. "Ms. Tenira is right," Deb said, catching the last piece of their conversation. She looked at the Ghostblood leader, recalling her momentary fit during the conflict. "Do you think you can Soulcast it..." Deb cut off when Karin mentioned eating some of it. She blinked, then smoothed her hair reflexively. Rusting Dark Alley and their machinations. Deb cleared her throat. "Glad you survived," she said to Karin. The woman looked wet, but normal. Whole. Certainly not like she'd been digested. "When you're, um, finished with it, do let us know. We should dispose of the corpse to avoid any additional predatory attention. We will need to get moving soon, anyway." @kenod @Sorana
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Corette opened her eyes as a wave of cool, gentle power rushed through her body. The throbbing in her shoulder lessened as the flesh re-knit, and she felt the ache in her spine smooth out as well. She sat up quickly, turning at the sound of a new voice. The Mistborn girl crouched next to her, answer for the second time today Corette found herself in a speed bubble. Judging by the too-quick motion of those outside the bubble, this was Cadmium. She turned her attention to the newcomer, and for one moment Corette found herself genuinely shocked. It was the man from before, the one who had dropped out of a ceiling grate back at the initial meeting. He was absolutely covered in thick, dark blood, and the acidic smell rolling off him was enough to curl her lip in revulsion. He survived inside that thing? Corette made a careful note of that. He could certainly be interesting to the right people. “Thanks,” she said simply. “That thing attacked us, lulled us with a powerful Soothing - or something similar. Managed to drill a blade through its skull. I see you have some...insider knowledge on it. See anyone else in there? You’re the second person to rip out of that thing.” Without waiting for his reply, Corette stepped backwards out of the bubble, steeling herself for the disorientation. She stumbled only once, then quickly put some distance between herself and the new man. Never wise to be too trusting with someone you don’t need know yet, especially if they had strange powers. A few people had approached the bubble, and Corette raised a hand. ”New Radiant back in the bubble,” she called out. “He ripped out of the worm and healed me. No clue how he managed to survive in there, or how he got there in the first place.” With that, she walked back towards the glowing pool. Part of the worm still lay within, but there was plenty of room. Corette hopped over the rim and sank into the water, feeling the cool shock of it on her skin. She scrubbed at her shoulder and arm, dried blood sloughing off, and she smiled. “If anyone else needs a bath, the water is just fine!” She called, then pushed herself back up onto the rocks. The air felt even colder now, but it was a good sort of sting. Careful not to let herself think too deeply about her near-death, Corette walled back across the cavern, grabbed a spare bit of cloth - possibly a cloak or blanket of one of the victims - and toweled off. She found her clothes and her pack where she had left them, and once she had zipped back into her coveralls, she finally let herself relax. Corette slung her pack over her shoulder and meandered back towards Rig. Around her, the camp was in total disarray; people groaned or wept or assembled their belongings. She moved through them, unconcerned, attention still on the stranger in the bubble. Corette spared one glance for the young girl who had noticed her Bronze, and grinned. ”Nice job with your Steel,” Corette said to Rig. “I knew you could do it. Or, well, I was about eighty percent sure. Close enough, right?” @Invocation @I Rashek @TrailRunnin
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Corette stood up from behind the rock formation and winced as her shoulder throbbed and her back twinged. Blood continued to trickle down her left arm, and it had soaked a large portion of her undershirt too. It cooled into an uncomfortable, sticky mess in the chill cavern air, and without a steady stream of adrenaline Corette became rather acutely aware of how little clothing she had on. She leaned against the rock and tapped Cadmium again when Althea started slicing into the worm's corpse. Gore had never much bothered Corette, but why smell viscera if she didn't have to? Rig's mention of her name caught her attention, and she looked at him, then the mistborn girl. What was her name? Alli? Allri? She seemed a bit shaken, but nothing too severe. For his part, Rig seemed winded but largely good as new. He took another swig of steel flakes and looked around the cavern with confidence. Corette waved her right hand dismissively. "Bog standard around here," she said, voice dry. "It's hardly a proper week without at least one attempt on my life. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to get patched up, and put my clothes back on." She began walking slowly towards the worm's corpse, noting with some interest that one of the DA scientists had survived being swallowed whole. Corette was hardly surprised, the DA being the DA, but it was fascinating. Perhaps she'd ask her about it, if she found the time. For now, Corette had to get her shoulder patched up. Her left shoulder felt unnaturally hot, throbbing deeper and deeper into the core of her body. She changed directions, moving instead towards the remainder of the main camp, where at least one Progression Radiant stood tending other wounded. Corette gritted her teeth, fighting against the blur that had already begun to fuzz the edges of her vision. She could feel herself swaying slightly, the heat in her shoulder contrasting sharply with the cold she felt in her left arm. Blood dripped from the tip of her middle finger, and Corette thought she could hear it drop onto the soft sandy floor. The window of her vision had gotten smaller, narrowing into a small point. She clenched her fist - her right one. Her left fingers weren't responding to her brain. Bad sign, she thought, maintaining her dogged trek towards the main camp. Just a bit further. Her head felt as though it would float off her body, and her arms and legs prickled with gooseflesh. Corette released her Cadmium, thinking that the act of breathing might help her regain a sense of grounding. But her breath came ragged, and the world started to tip as she staggered to one side, then sank onto one knee. "Rusting hell," she managed, before the floor rushed up to meet her, and her vision went dark. @TrailRunnin @anyone else
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Today’s prompt is: 12. Gold I’m out of the house for most of the day so I’m going to post the pencil version (gasp!) of this til I can ink it and swap out later
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@Ark1002 I really enjoy the casual acceptance of the dead person lying next to the Bleeding Spike tavern in your GB drawing. He's like "Welp, I'm dead. Whatcha gonna do."
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Corette did a double-take at the girl, the one who mentioned nicrosil. She narrowed her eyes, the puzzle a welcome distraction from the throbbing wound in her shoulder. A light burn of Bronze told her this girl was the source of the Rioting, though that was plain enough. Her alertness had ticked up the moment she'd slid back here, and the effects of the worm's Soothing had faded. Now that she was listening, she heard a quick beat of Steel pulsing out from the girl as well, though that faded. She raised an eyebrow. Three separate Allomantic powers? Hemalurgy, possibly, though with that much metal in her, the girl should have been well under the control of the worm's emotional Allomancy, toddling up and obediently climbing into its mouth. Not to mention the absence of the whispering stutter of hemalurgically-granted Investiture. It was hard to detect, but Corette had spent her entire life in this city. She knew what a spiked power sounded like. And this girl had none of the signatures. So that meant... "A Mistborn," Corette whispered, smiling a little. "You're a Mistborn, aren't you?" She'd only met a handful in her whole life - natural Mistborn, at least. They were rare, even here. A Mistborn could certainly be useful. So many powers... Corette shook herself a bit, then looked to Rig, eager to watch his reaction. If Corette had been surprised, she could only imagine the look on the Twinborn's face when he encountered a living legend. "If you're half as good as you act with that Steel of yours, with a nicroburst you'll be able to drill that blade through its skull, nice and neat. But you've got one shot here. There's no rusting way I'm fetching it and putting it back in." @I Rashek @TrailRunnin
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Lita would have noticed the white-haired woman the moment she'd walked into the tavern, even if she hadn't been waiting for a mysterious informant. As it was, the newcomer practically screamed "mysterious informant," from her bright purple eyes to the circle of fire dancing over her hair. Kind of you to make it easy for me. She took a small sip of wine and pursed her lips at the too-sweet burn of it on her tongue. Rosharans had no subtlety when it came to drinking; she'd learned the hard way that violet "wine" was nothing more than colored, sweetened grain alcohol. And she'd seen people drink flagons of this stuff. Lita sat quietly as B pulled up a chair, her face placid and attentive, neither challenging nor bored. B's manner indicated she was used to getting her way, though Lita nearly raised a brow when the woman implied a threat had Lita ignored her meeting request. What, exactly, did she have in mind for tracking Lita down? Wandering into an Alley? Lita sized B up, reading her grace, her obvious power. She'd probably last longer than most who ventured through the Alleys unchaperoned - maybe even a whole day. It was hardly a shock when the woman declined to reveal her name. Lita wasn't worried. If she wanted to find out, she doubted she'd have much trouble. How many white-haired fire Epics could there be in the city? Lita already had an inkling, though she hoped she was wrong. She could possibly be the last missing Bureau member, one of the top brass that a few of her interrogations had mentioned. If that were the case, she might actually have something to worry about. But, then again, if B had wanted to kill her, she likely would have already tried by now. Lita ignored her mention of Laurelai - she had arranged to meet with Lita, after all. If Laurelai wanted to speak it was her business, but Lita wasn't about to ruin anything the blonde had planned on her own. Once B had said her piece, Lita set down her cup of wine and gave her a small smile. "Any excuse to get some fresh air is a welcome one," Lita said smoothly. "Not many people know how to reach me, even indirectly. You've done your homework, which is to be commended." She inclined her head slightly, never letter her eyes leave B's face. Lita was careful to keep any kind of a challenge from her expression, though she did let a little more steel creep into her voice. "You mentioned that you have some information my organization might find valuable. I'm eager to learn whether or not you're right." @Ark1002 @Voidus
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No problem, feel free!
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Hello! Today's prompt is: 11. Ghostbloods I chose the formidable Triarchy as my subject today. No clue whatsoever on what Ark actually looks like, I just went full headcanon on that one. Realized a bit too late that I drew him as Thranduil. Oops!
