ZincAboutIt

So nervous, Nerin thought, looking at Attayl. She gave the girl - and she was a girl, Nerin could see it now that she'd removed her eye makeup - a calming smile. "I'll never turn down someone else doing the work around here," she said jokingly. "Stall's outside, there's a water pump and a bucket and soap. I think we might have another towel upstairs. Otherwise, you could use mine I suppose. It's a bit damp but it is mostly clean."

Nerin looked up from the small kitchen table in surprise. "You're up early," she said. "Want a bath? There's a stall outside. Water's colder than the grave, but it's something." She spotted the rag in Attayl's hand. "Were you cleaning?" Just then, one of the men from last night walked in - what was his name? Ryder? Rian? Rilen. "Morning," Nerin said to him, nodding her head towards the bread and butter. "Could you take that back out in the main room?" She gave him a little Soothing to make him more amenable to her request. "We went out dancing last night, ran into some trouble. Farriers made their first move against the Scarlets. Bad business, but we got out fine." @Sorana @Turtle373

Nerin woke suddenly, a watery blur of pre-dawn light pushing its way through the curtains over her window. She reached a panicked hand to her bedside table, scrabbling until - there! Nerin clutched the vial of brass flakes and worked the cork off with her nail, drinking it quickly. Power flared to life inside her, a warm, comforting fire. Control. She was in control. She leaned against the wooden slats of the headboard, waiting for her heart to stop racing. Attayl lay curled at the foot of the bed in a nest of blankets, the soft rise and fall of her chest barely visible in the dim room. Nerin ran her fingers through her hair, catching several nasty snarls, and grimaced. There would be no more sleep for her after a night of those dreams, though it could hardly be past six in the morning. Suppressing a groan so as not to wake Attayl, Nerin slid out of bed and pulled on her rather threadbare dressing gown. What she needed right now was a bath. Once out in the hall, Nerin stepped quietly towards Jeb's door, pleased to hear his grumbling snores. Good, we didn't wake him last night. Jeb was always easier to reason with after a good night's sleep, and she'd need to be quite convincing today. Nerin slipped down the upper hall and opened the small linen closet, lifting out a clean, if rough, towel and a bar of good strong soap. She descended the stairs with a practiced step, careful to avoid the creakiest ones, and slipped past the main parlor room with its broken window. The window was spared an exasperated, withering look as she passed, then she was out in the tiny back "yard." Really, it was more of a closed-off alley, though Jeb had installed a water pump and a small bath stall - something Nerin was very grateful for this morning. A large wooden bucket sat overturned just outside the door, and Nerin picked it up and began pumping icy water into it. Once she had enough, she heaved the bucket into the little stall and hung her robe and towel over the open top. It was a little risky having an open bathing stall, but Coinshots rarely came past this way. Nerin peered at the slightly-misty sky cautiously, then shrugged and shucked off her nightdress. The water was icy cold and shocked her fully awake, but it was a good kind of shock: clean and bright, and made even better by a good lather of soap. She worked it into her hair, ladling cold water over her head and scrubbing out the grime and blood and Harmony-knew-what else until she felt much more like her usual self. The water in the bucket was soapy and grey by the time she felt clean enough to dry off with the towel, and she emerged from the stall slightly pink and smiling. She wrung out her long, dark hair on the cobblestones and quietly re-entered the parlor. This time, she stopped by the ruined window, placing her feet carefully to avoid any missed glass shards, and looked out to the alley wall. Lance's vivid red "calling card" still peeked out through the morning mist, looking, if anything, more red than the night before. "Well rust me," Neirn whispered incredulously, leaning out through the open frame. "He re-painted it." She was caught firmly between outrage and amusement, and decided to distract herself by combing her hair. Water dripped onto her feet with a quiet "tat, tat-tat" as it wicked off the comb, and she wandered softly into the main parlor to check on the others. Quiet as she could, she went into the back kitchen and put on a kettle for tea, then pulled out a loaf of brown bread, some butter, and jam. She continued combing her hair, waiting for the others to wake up and trying to form a plan for the day ahead. @Sorana @Invocation @Dr. Dapper @Emperor Stick @I think I am here. @John Flamesinger @Ark1002 @Turtle373

Lita peered at KanMien's phone, then choked on her latest sip of port. "Is that --" More coughing. She tried again. "Is that a frying pan?" She sat back and cleared her throat. "I haven't heard anything over the Alleycant channels," she continued. "We should definitely let someone know." Idly, she tapped her finger on her knee, then took out the Coin and began flipping it. Likely not important enough to contact the Stranger through the Coin, she thought, catching the Coin and uncovering the image of the spiked skull. She turned it over, and the scales shone up at her. Yes, yes, things are out of balance, she pursed her lips at the Coin, as though it were being ornery. That much is very obvious. Should she be the one to deliver the message? It might be safer to let Laurelai do it, she was, after all, far her senior. But KanMien was likely even further above her - maybe they should do it? Contacting any of the department heads made Lita more than a little uneasy. Even Mac, who seemed far and away the most human of the bunch, was frightening. So much fear, so much uncertainty. The last few days had felt like weeks, like a lifetime. 'The Dark Alley can build on weakness, but it will devour the weak...' Lita shut her eyes, and behind her eyelids it seemed as though she were back in Alley 0, staring down the well of the Stranger's black pitiless gaze. The spike, and the void. For certain, there was no tenderness there. But there was power. Lita opened her eyes and looked back at the Coin in her hand. The spiked skull remained, but the other face now showed the world. She had made her choice joining these people, and there was no leaving. They would find a place for her here - the only question was whether she wanted to be the one strapped to the table, or the one holding the spike. Gritting her teeth, Lita slid her pen out from behind her ear, took a sip of wine, and sent the message.

I hope so, ugh I must look like a huge doofus. 4 blank image uploads?! *the shame* Edit: I now also can't report my own images, even though I have given myself access to my own album.

Hello, somehow I managed to submit an image 4 times, and it's also not showing up. Honestly I just want to delete them, but I can't. I feel like I should be able to delete my own images, but I'm not finding anywhere to do so, I can only replace one image with another. How do I just make them go away? Thank you!

@Voidus @Fatebreaker

Nerin was about to bolt the door again when she saw a lonely, bedraggled figure standing outside the parlor. Back again, then? She pulled the door open and waved him inside. "You're lucky I caught you out there," she said, ushering John within the parlor. "You can sleep where you like, just don't come up the stairs. I'll keep the oil lamp on." With that, she slide the deadbolt home and nodded to Attayl to follow her up the stairs. It had been a long night, and tomorrow would be a long day. But for now, sleep.

I posted it on the AV PM like 3 months ago

Coffee shop at the symphony serving up that Radiant blend

Nerin waved a hand at her. "Of course," she said, yawning. "Unless, of course, you're planning to try something untoward." Nerin managed a saucy wink at Attayl, who looked remarkably surprised at such a simple invitation. You're missing something, Nerin, she thought. Yes, she was definitely too tired for wit.

"You," Nerin pointed at John, eyeing the hand on his sword, "are in no place to make threats. I said sit down, all of you. I've gotten enough rusting blood on my shoes for one night. If you want to kill each other you can go outside." So many swords - it made no sense. All these people carrying swords like this was the World of Ash? Where was anyone's pistol? Dueling cane? "It's two in the morning," she said, Soothing the tension out of the room. "I don't know about you all, but I need some sleep, then a good, hot bath. Jeb's going to have kittens once he realizes you all spent the night here..." Nerin sighed again, flopping into an armchair. "Attayl, you can kip in my room with me. The rest of you will have to settle for an armchair or a cot down here - this isn't that kind of Soothing parlor." The ghost of a smirk flitted across Nerin's mouth, but she was too tired for wit.

Renata nodded to Lizanne, pulling unconsciously on the ends of her short hair. It made sense - she’d been a scout for a bit back in Jah Keved. Still, it was potentially dangerous and the last thing she wished was to get trapped in another home. I’d die first, she thought fiercely. Or kill first. I’ve done it before... She shook her head a bit, trying to smile reassuringly at the group. “Should be an easy enough place to scout, at least this place isn’t in the middle of a civil war.” @Sorana @kenod @Silva @I think I am here.

Renata nodded, pointing an encouraging finger in the direction Lizanne had begun walking. "It's this way through the trees a little bit, then over a low wall. We'll end up in a field, and from there we can find the house. There's smoke."

Nerin sighed. Yes, definitely getting a headache. She extended the Soothing to the entire room, feeling her patience beginning to wear thin. "Alright, everyone just sit down," she said, pointing at the men standing. She took a last drag of her cigarette, then dropped it into a forgotten glass of beer left on the bartop from earlier in the night. It gave a pleasing hiss as the embers fizzled and died. Nerin blew out the stream of smoke in one short, fierce gust. She pointed at Rilen and Aben, each with one hand. "You're brothers? Who can both...er... smell emotions? And you had some sort of 'vision'?" It was ludicrous. Brillin looked as though he agreed with her; his eyebrows had traveled quite far up his forehead, and were beginning to become acquainted with his hairline.

"We could get near enough and scout out the place," Renata suggested. "See who might be coming and going. Maybe there's a grain store somewhere on the property, or a well. We might not even need to talk to anyone there. Maybe it's an old lady living alone." Not exactly harmless, Renata thought darkly, feeling the echo of a comb through her hair. She breathed deeply, pushing the memories away. That place was behind her. She had a whole new horror unfolding before her now. "It's too good of an opportunity to pass up. We need water - real water, and food. Clean bandages. That place is the only sign of life for miles. It's either that, or stay here, or wander through untold acres of forest. We know what is waiting for us here. Do you really want to stay?"

I haven't actually read the book this is from but this reminds me somewhat of a character in "American Gods" who is forgotten immediately when someone looks away from them/finishes speaking to them. I really don't know how this would be useful but it's really creepy and cool. Unless you could use it to like Inception a person, giving them a suggestion that they think is their own once they finish speaking to you.

That's a good rusting question. Nerin took in Rilen's flushed cheeks and windswept hair, the way he was breathing. "We could ask the same of you - it looks like to tore across half the city to get here."

Nerin chewed on the inside of her cheek briefly, then nodded and turned back to the door. "I'm unlocking the bolt," she called. "Don't do anything stupid." She slowly slid the deadbolt out of its groove, already beginning her Soothing before she even fully opened the door. Fear, panic, aggression, the desire to fight, rage - let's put those away for now. Nerin peeked through the narrow slit in the door, then realized she, too, recognized the man. Sighing, she pulled it open further. "Well come on in, then," she said, shooing the young man inside. "It's a rusting party in here tonight." @Turtle373

Nerin shot a look at Aben, who had drawn his sword on the second person - Garth. "Is he telling me tales, or do you really know a Rilen Caranda?" @Dr. Dapper

Nerin froze at the thundering knock on the door. At this hour? No one with good news or good intentions knocked on a door this late and this loudly. She took out her other hairpin dagger and got ready to hit whoever was outside with a powerful Soothing. Before she could change her mind, she crossed to the door, careful to keep out of sight from the windows. "Who is it?" she called through the wood, praying that they didn't have a rifle. "What do you want?" @Turtle373