..E m p i r e * o f * O s a n e n.. [O/A]{Ignore Page Count}

[.:Xhang Sen:.]

ɨf you play with fire...

λou're liable to get burned...

•·.·´¯`·.·•✿•·.·´¯`·.·•

Ember continued to glare at the stranger until he had left the room completely. “It's Ember, jerk…” her voice was barely audible, but she didn’t feel like raising it at that moment. Regardless, she smirked at her single victory for the entire day, which was admittedly a terrible day. She really needed the boost in confidence since she had been failing so much recently. First with her weapon, then with her sister…

After a while of thought, she threw her arms into the air and lay back on her bed. At that moment she heard the little pitter-patter of water against her roof tiles. She crinkled her nose. This is exactly what she needed. She really hated this kind of weather, mostly because of what it did to her. She would be expecting a more than miserable morning. At the very least, the creeper in the next room better be damn grateful that she was so generous to let him stay here when he could be sleeping in the rain. She hugged herself and rolled over on her side waiting to fall into a deep slumber, only to be disappointed.

~*~

The red head had been waking up periodically throughout the night. In fact, she hadn’t been able to fall back asleep since the last time she woke up in the dark of the morning. She knew why. This kind of weather always made her feel like crap on a stick. Ever since she was a child, the only time she would ever get sick was because of the weather. It was consistent enough to be sure that this was the cause of her misery. She felt a sensation in her throat and brought her hand to her mouth coughing furiously into it.

She would have been able to smell the breakfast that was being made, but her nose was completely stuffed and she couldn’t smell anything, let alone food.

She pulled her blanket around herself and sat up in her bed. She wondered if that guy had left yet… she did hear the door open and close, so maybe he did her the kind favor of leaving her alone. She got out of bed and made her way to the sitting room where he slept.

No… he hadn’t left…

It seemed he only opened the door to save his stuff from the rain. She was too grungy feeling to be frustrated at the moment, but she was thankful that the fire was already going and she didn’t have to worry about starting it herself. She sat down in front of it and held her hands out to extract the warmth that was emanating from the flames. But it wasn’t enough… So she put her hands in the fire and cupped a flame as though it were water in her hand. She never knew why, but fire never harmed her. Ever since she was a child, she would play with fire and scare the ever living crap out of her mom. A smile crept on her face at the thought of her mom freaking out, but it only seemed to make her feel worse about leaving in the manner that she did. She held the small flame that was cupped in her hand under her face and left the heat of it warm her body more directly.

((inspired by true events >.> ))

[Dragon_Lord_Akuma]

-=══════════════════════════════ Șpy══=-

The young man shifted his head away from the general who addressed him. He knew. He knew who the hooded stranger was. This made the black haired individual nervous.

He nonchalantly pulled the towel out from under hood, which in turn pulled more of his damp hair in front of his eyes. He set it gently on the counter next to the polearm as thoughts seemed to flood through his head. If he broke out into a fight here, then for sure the smith would discover who he was and not agree to help him with his weapon. On the other hand, his eyes averted to the young lady in the back of the store who came in around the same time as the general. If he took her hostage then he could force the smith to finish his weapon and perhaps he wouldn’t have to worry about the general. But then again, the white haired man looked like he’d dealt with many minor crimes such as that. It would more than likely be child’s play for him to save the girl and that would break into another fight.

Hmmm…. What other options were there?

He could just leave. The only question would be what would happen in this shop when he does? What would happen to his Halberd? It could be that as soon as he leaves, since the smith hasn’t figure out who he is, the general will in form him and try to confiscate his weapon. Which is simply out of the question… however the smith seemed like a good person who holds a certain loyalty to his costumers. He really didn’t have any other choice, but to leave it here considering it’s current condition. The general didn’t seem like he was too interested in a fight otherwise he’d have been more forward, maybe. The hood figure was surprised out how lucky he might be today, not everyone was trying to kill him. (ok, a little over exaggerated)

His blue eyes met with the smith’s, “I trust you to do what’s best. Please,” he paused, “please take care of it.” At that he pulled some coins out of his small sack and put it on the counter. He was thankful for the cheapness in price, he would’ve expected someone as amazingly well known as him to be quite a bit more expensive.

He didn’t want to let it both him too much, he just hoped that the smith would keep the loyalty of his costumer above all else.

“I’ll return tomorrow evening. Will that be enough time?”

[arcanejalx]

+ Daisuke +

+ Alexandre +

+ Tatsurabi +

(The incessant colds, or the fire? haha)

Daisuke was in the middle of humming another random, slightly upbeat tune when he heard Ember practically drag herself into the sitting room. "Morning, spitfire. Hope you don't mind that I took a few liberties with your cooking utensils." He turned around for a brief moment to catch a glimpse of his gracious host. "Wow, you look like you've had a pretty rough night, there!" he exclaimed with a slight frown on his face. Inside, however, he was positively beaming. Ha - this is the perfect opportunity to be the nice guy! Man, am I glad I took the time to help that old apothecary owner way back when.

"Don't worry - I've got just the thing to fix that up!" He resumed his music as he turned back to their breakfast, which was almost finished. Daisuke scrounged around for a teapot and placed it outside - luckily, it was raining enough that it would probably be full by the time their food was done. He took the roasted meat from the spit, divided it into two portions, and placed them on separate plates; he did the same with the vegetables, then put the plates on the table. "And voila! Breakfast is served!" he excitedly shouted. Daisuke popped outside for a moment to grab the teapot, then set it over the flame in the kitchen. He pulled a very small package of leaves from his (seemingly) endless pack of supplies, and grabbed two mugs from the kitchen. "Tea will be done in a few minutes, spitfire. Come and eat, before it all gets cold."

+ Frostbite, n. Injury or destruction of skin and underlying tissue, most often that of the nose, ears, fingers, or toes, resulting from prolonged exposure to freezing or subfreezing temperatures. +

[XenZan]

Lance Stone ~ Earth

Skips like a boulder

Lance eyed the general’s behavior warily. While he generally approved of the military’s conduct, their motives of late had put the huge smith on edge. Best not start anything in my shop… Steele took in a deep breath, increasing the size of his already massive chest. Exhaling to calm himself, the smithy shook his head slightly and returned his gaze to the clearly nervous young man before him. His deep brown eyes grazed over the coinage set upon the counter as his ears absorbed the man’s wishes. Certainly, Lance had ever intention of “doing what was best” with the halberd, and he nodded in confirmation. “Aye lad, plenty.” With another hefty nod, the hulking smith lifted the marred polearm off of the counter. Weighing it in his grasp, Steele easily held the halberd in one hand, testing it’s weight and balance. Nodding to himself, he set the weapon upon a wooden rack behind him. Upon this rack sat an assortment of steel objects, all waiting to be repaired or refurbished.

“It will be ready whenever you stop by.” Lance craned his thick neck slightly as he reached for a huge, leather-bound tome on the counter. Sliding it before him, the mammoth smith gripped an inkpen from a vial of ink, dabbing it a few times before hefting the mighty book open to a page marked by a leather strip. The smith furled his brow as he gazed upon the page, finally settling his view upon an empty space. Bringing the tiny quill to bear, his meaty hand began etching out quick, neat words, despite the obscene difference in the size of his hands and the writing utensil. “Have a name, lad?” Brown eyes flickered upon from the pages of the tome and settled on the young man.

What we are is the sum of a thousand lies
x xWhat we know is almost nothing at allxx
xBut we are what we are 'till the day we die
Or 'till we don't have the strength to go on

[Isnook2]

Andrei Rofocale Sergov
xxxxxxxxI want your obedience.
xxxxxxxxxxxI want your absolute loyalty.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxI want your soul. Relinquish control to me.

Give yourself unto your God. Sacrifice yourself again.
Burn your thoughts, erase your will, To Gods of suffering and tears.

"Hurry up lad..." Came the soft seething warning from the general, his lips looking much like a knife wound. "Some of us do have jobs to return to." He lifted his sword suddenly as he stepped forward, testing the boy's reaction before he set it down on the counter near the smith, his fingers releasing it so that it lay there between them.

"I require some advice. In your opinion, is it more cost efficient to remould this blade or melt it?" The latter of course, meant discarding the blade, giving it up to the smithers so that it could be reworked into a lesser-grade weapon, depending on how much the alloy had been corroded over the years or how much impurity it had picked up.

A closer inspection of the blade would reveal that it was normally well kept, a sparse coat of oil clung to the metal, especially evident along its edges and where the hilt met scabbard. The sword had a relatively brilliant sheen despite the apparent use it had gone through, its age made evident through the repeated changes in its grip. Although the rain had washed away most of the blood, traces and flecks of the coagulated crimson remained on the blade, above the layer of oil which seemed to hold an equally patchy distribution. While it contained some fresh scratches and mild dents along its cutting edge, the most obvious injury was its tip, of which half an inch was missing, and what remained was dented metal. Miniature fracture lines had spider-webbed along its thick middle for a few inches, hardly visible upon first glance but quite an unsettling pattern when held up to the gleam of strong light. It was almost as if the general, assuming it was indeed him, had been trying to drive it through a stone wall with blunt force. The oiled linen had absorbed and masked some of the smell, but the damp stench of blood and death was distinctive when one drew too close to the bare metal.

Damned rain. It soils our leather, rusts our blades and... The man's unvoiced complaints were halted when he realized how much he sounded like one of the old asses he loathed. Then again, it does make the Osanen soil so fertile in the countryside... He added quickly. He didn't quite think of himself as a religious man, and while he expressed some contempt for the new Emperor's fallacious faith in some old legend, there was always the unanswered question as to what happened after death. Other than the obvious ways our bodies just flood with maggots and decompose...





Tie hallowed bonds around your hands. xxx
Kneel before this seat of shame,xxx
To Gods as lost,xxx
Gods as blind,xxx
Gods of suffering and pain.xxx

[Brethil24]

Dreams seldomly held any special significance for Shaena, even when she could remember them. They only passed in a strange blur, with strangers and loved ones alike blurring into the background only to pop back up again. Last night was hardly an exception, despite, or maybe because of, the tiring and incredibly fun dinner she’d had with Lance and her assistant. Anyways, if her dreams held any import, wouldn’t she remember them better?

A small yet insistent tapping sound was what brought the merchant out of her slumber this time, and she yawned loudly at the desk where she’d fallen asleep. Around her the animals stirred sleepily, the nocturnal ones just beginning to fall asleep as the other occupants of her store only began to awaken. The only ones that were fully active were a few birds, already starting their day with the sun they couldn’t see. Shaena let out another yawn, larger than the last, as she walked over the skylight that was barely illuminating the room.

A hooked stick allowed Shaena to open the window easily enough, and she looked up blearily as fine rain sprinkled down on her. A small brown bird fluttered in, landing on her hand and holding out its leg before cheeping a request for some breakfast. The merchant fiddled sleepily at the bird’s leg before the note came untied. Messanger first, then the note; Shaena popped the bird back in its cage, its partner having arrived the night before, where the bird promptly began its breakfast. Shaena yawned again as she opened the letter and briefly glanced over its contents, her eyebrows furrowing. She glanced around the room before walking around and relighting the candles that had started to burn down and pausing at the last one and holding the note over the flame. She waited for the scrap of paper to be completely consumed before dusting her hands of it, the charred black bits scattering across the floor. Shaena hummed, a strangely neutral sound from the girl, before briskly walking to a storage room, from which she pulled out a large sack. Even as she smiled at the morning antics of all her animals, Shaena’s mind wandered to the two responses.

The info she’d received about the general was surprisingly thin: mostly just a collection of rumors and whisperings, which was strange for someone this high up. He was an outsider, or at least enough of one to experience some of the army’s famous prejudice, and his forces had a strangely high mortality rate. That and there were some rumors about what the man did in his free time that certainly raised an eyebrow, but seeing how fussy the man was about details, Shaena didn’t think that any animal she sold to him would be mistreated. No, the most she’d have to worry about is an accident laming one of her animals and the good general deciding to ‘dispose’ of it. Like she’d let that happen. Still, the information she wanted most, knowledge about those the man would know well enough to send gifts to, was practically nonexistent. It was almost as if he didn’t have any friends at all, which would either mean he wanted the bird for himself, or had something to hide. Briefly, an image of the man sipping tea in a meadow whilst surrounded by assorted woodland creatures flitted through her mind, causing to snigger. Anyways, she had a name for his face now. She’d have to be careful not to slip.

Yet what really bothered her was the note that just arrived, the one from her contact in the palace. It made sense for this one come later; after all, it’s not as easy to just drop everything and respond to a bird when you’re in the middle of talking to nobility. But this…

Apparently, the emperor had declared an especially talented blacksmith was needed to forge a special project, which almost made sense if one took Lance’s skill into consideration. But apparently, there were whisperings, just the faintest of murmurs, that the emperor was actually looking for something. Or rather, several somethings that kept the emperor from getting as much sleep as he should. That was where the message stopped, if you ignored the feeble excuses at the end. Shaena sighed internally as she refilled food bowls. It seemed like someone was getting a little too used to the cushy life. She’d have to remind him of how he got there in the first place.

Shaena startled out of her thoughts at the sound of a familiar voice saying her name. She peeked out from behind the many shelves, her face splitting into a wide grin at the sight of a white-haired girl. “Racquel! I haven’t seen you in forever! How’s everything going?” Cat food still in hand, Shaena moved quickly across the floor and swept the girl into a bear hug. Despite the noble family the girl came from, she was really a very sweet person. It was too bad someone like her had to be caught up in the crazy family politics that nobles seemed to like so much.

[~::*Shinji*::~]

ℛ α c q υ є ℓ....❅.... 𝕮 α и δ є ℓ α я ι α

Underneath my lucid skin
The cold is lost, forgotten

Being scooped up into the girl's arms so abruptly was certainly surprising for Racquel, but she was quick to respond with a warm smile and a return of the embrace as her pale arms wrapped gently wrapped around her. Such a greeting was foreign to her and would have been considered disrespectful and rude to the upper class, yet she had learned from Shaena otherwise, as she obviously wasn't raised the same way she was, and didn't mind it in any way. It was almost enjoyable for her to be around someone who wasn't bound by the rules of the nobles and etiquette of the rich, as she was able to feel and be the same way without any condemnation.

Breaking completely free from such ingrained teachings from childhood was almost impossible, however, as she responded in a courteous, formal way. "Good morning, Shaena," Regardless of that, she had learned her lesson about calling her the proper title of "Miss Cheshire", as the girl practically scolded her each time she did. "I must apologize for my absence, for things at home have been... difficult as of late." It was something that she didn't want to admit, but it was the only time she could say something like, and Shaena was the only person she could tell. With her sister being gone, she had no one to confer with, and even though they visited each other, it just wasn't the same anymore. On top of that, there were some things that she just couldn't tell her twin sister... Ember already had a lot on her plate as it was without her to worry about.

Pulling back slightly from the hug to see her face, she kept her smile as she changed the focus of the conversation away from herself and onto her friend, her gold irises warm as she met Shaena's eyes. "How about yourself? It appears that your business has been doing well, but how have you and Miss Miku been?" Her eyes broke away for only a second to glance around the facility, but then as though just remembered something, her expression faltered briefly as she brought the coin bag up between them, gesturing towards it. "Oh, and when you get the chance, I would like some of that horse feed I got last time. Artemis and Talyn both really enjoyed that mix you made for them," she finished placidly, but it was evident that she was happy.

Happy to be away from under her parents' thumb, even just for a little bit.

My mouth is so frozen I can't even speak
You're making it hard for me
All I can do is freeze

[Dragon_Lord_Akuma]

-=══════════════════════════════ Șpy══=-

The stranger was taken aback. His name? No one has ever been interested to ask for his name. He shrugged it off figuring it should be fine. “I’m called Keiji.” He was about to continue on and thank the smith before leaving, but the general in the shop annoyingly pushed his way forward. Obviously he had more important things to worry about than politeness or simple patience. Keiji gave the tall man a sneer before turning towards the door.

He took his time walking to the door. He didn’t really have to be anywhere. It was just a matter of waiting patiently for the weapon to be finished and he could continue what he was doing before coming to this part of the empire. Looking up, the hooded figure noticed the girl by the door. She was fair and delicate. He was thankful that he didn’t have to scare or hurt her. It would have been a waste of a perfectly good and seemingly honest citizen.

This place certainly needed more of those.

He smiled gently at her before exiting the shop. It was still lightly drizzling out. This certainly wasn’t the time to wash one’s clothes, but they really needed it… All the dirt and mud was getting heavy and beginning to affect his performance in battle. He needed to be as sufficient as he could be to finish his mission.

He needed to get to the inner city once he had his polearm back, but that would take at least a day’s walk. He scowled at the unpleasant thought of it when he suddenly noticed the horse that was just outside of the shop. It was a brilliant mammal. More than likely it belonged to the stuffy general. There was another one at the shop across the way. How nice it must be to have such a convenient method of transportation. Then he noticed the little boy holding a piece of cloth. The thought of taking one of the horses did cross the black haired man’s mind, but the boy would be a good witness. On the other hand, it’s not like the general didn't already know who he was, so what would it hurt?

He leaned against the wall of a shop and heard the rustling of paper behind him. Keiji turned to see what it was and grimaced…. It was the Poster that’d been put up a few days earlier. Definitely an increased reward from the last 100,000 coins it was before. It was almost creepy the resemblance of the picture to himself. The thought that he had become the public enemy boiled a rage in his mind. He slammed his fist into the poster crinkling it slightly, before ripping it down completely and tearing it apart. He let the pieces fall gracefully to the muddy ground.

He glanced over at the horse again. If they wanted him to be the public enemy so bad, then maybe he should fill the part. He thought about which one to take. He couldn’t really effectively take the military horse, for the general would know that Keiji was the thief and would simply wait at the shop till he came back. Besides, A military horse would be better trained than to let a stranger on his back. On the other hand the owner of the other horse would be none the wiser. This is, after all, an empire filled with crime. It would be a common occurrence, he figured.

So, he approached the pepper-shaded horse and began to untie the reins.

[XenZan]

Lance Stone ~ Earth

Skips like a boulder

“Keiji…” A thick hand inked the name into the tome. An… odd name… Of course, Lance presumed the lad was not from Osanen then, but before he had the opportunity to question the boy further, the general had interjected with his inquiry. Blinking slowly, the smith eyed the blade momentarily before his eyes shifted back to the young man who was now exiting the shop. Not having the time to give it any more thought, Steele finished his entry in the book quickly before sliding it aside and shifting his full attention to the general and his other weapon. Frequently used, generally well kept, peculiar break and fracture… Was he trying to drive it through a stone wall? Lance certainly wouldn’t put it past the bizarre man.

“I would have to inspect it a little closer in order to determine the extent of the… damages. Either way, I can take care of it, if that’s what you want.” Lance brought a hand up to his bearded chin while he spoke, the faint symbol on his hand appearing as a tattoo or birthmark. “Also, I have completed the blade you previously requested.” He stated matter-of-factly, as the general seemingly preferred it.

Shifting his gaze briefly to the dainty woman behind the general, Lance offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, miss, I’ll be right with you, if that’s alright.” He didn’t like to keep his customers waiting, not at all, but there came times where his shop got busy. Rare occurrences, though more common these days, what with all the unrest in the kingdom. Fixing his brown orbs back on the general’s damaged sword, he began to contemplate the best course of action for such a marred weapon, trying to keep the cause of the fracture far from his thoughts.

What we are is the sum of a thousand lies
x xWhat we know is almost nothing at allxx
xBut we are what we are 'till the day we die
Or 'till we don't have the strength to go on

[.:Xhang Sen:.]

ɨf you play with fire...

λou're liable to get burned...

•·.·´¯`·.·•✿•·.·´¯`·.·•

((I suck! I'm sorry for never being on @__@
Btw, arcane, I know everyone would like to see you in the OOC board n.n check it out when you get the chance. ))

Ember frowned at the upbeat voice that came ringing through her ears. It was annoying beyond reason. She didn’t really care that he was using her utensils, but she didn’t like the idea that he was getting cozy in her home. Damn, of all the places in the entire empire, why did he have to pick hers? The fire in her hand quickly grew smaller before softly snuffing out. She tilted her head in the direction of the kitchen. He better realize that I’m kicking him out after breakfast… She stood up and walked leisurely over to the table and looked at the contents. They were nice well made plates of food. She hadn’t seen anything quite that good since before she left. Not knowing how to cook made living by herself all the harder. She hadn’t had a decent meal in a long time.

The only problem was he made it… He could hold it over her head… but on the other hand it was only breakfast. She owed him nothing anymore. She sat down… It looked really good… The red head guessed it smelled good too… The only problem was, she wasn’t sure how hungry she really was… She just got up and she was feeling like crap. Food was honestly the last thing on her mind. But she didn’t want to let it go to waste, and she hadn’t had something so tasty looking in forever. So, she proceeded to pick up a fork and began to munch without saying a word.

She closed her eyes.

It really was good… The mixture of flavors rolled around against her taste buds before she swallowed the mouth full. She sighed lightly at how it felt. However, once it hit her stomach, she grimaced. Her stomach was not happy at all. She put down her utensil and hugged herself as she stared angrily at the plate before her. Ember wanted nothing more than to devour all the contents before her, but she knew that if she did she would regret it. The food seemed to stare back at her laughing at her misery “… I’m done…” Then she shifted her golden eyes up to stare at her ‘guest’. “Thank you, for your help yesterday and for breakfast… you can leave now….”

[Brethil24]

Shaena grinned at the other girl’s greeting, despite the formal hint to it. After all, it wasn’t easy to kick childhood habits, and at least Racquel wasn’t calling her Miss Cheshire anymore. She’d have to find out who was just leaking her good name all over the place, since Racquel probably had no idea about the more…dangerous part of her occupation. “Ack, it’s no problem over here. I know things can get pretty crazy in that house of yours.” Which was a bit of an understatement, since Shaena had a habit of keeping an ear out for things that concerned her friend. Out of all the crazy shenanigans that went on in the city, those that involved the Candelarias were relatively tame, though kicking out your daughter because she didn’t want to get married was a little on the harsh side, especially if you consider how she’d been raised. That did leave an unreasonable amount of pressure on Racquel though… Still, there was no reason to prod. If Racquel wanted to talk about it, then she would, and if she didn’t, they’d talk about something else.

Racquel’s question was a welcome diversion, and Shaena cheerfully began prattling about the recent going-ons: “Well, business has been doing about the same as usual. We just got these really cute rabbits, floppy ears and everything. Of course, you had to come on the morning that Miku has off, but she’ll pop in this afternoon, and we can all have a lunch or something if you’re still around.” More out of habit than anything, Shaena resumed feeding the cats she’d been attending to before, their impatient mewls halting as she filled their bowls. “And of course they enjoyed them! Best treats in the whole empire, if I do say so myself. And that’s from experi-”

Whatever absurd comment Shaena was going to make stopped in its tracks, and the young woman froze, a playful smile still on her face. That sound… Most probably wouldn’t have heard anything over the general din of the store, but Shaena had spent her whole life with animals, and she knew a nervous whicker when she heard one. And that wasn’t just any horse being nervous.

While it probably would have been reasonable to say something, especially seeing how it was Racquel’s horse acting up, Shaena didn’t bother. Artemis was well trained and wouldn’t complain about just anything, so if someone was doing something that would bother her this much… Shaena picked up the pace, dropping the bag she was holding and grabbing a long coil of rope from where it hung by the door before stepping out.

Despite the dismal weather, Shaena immediately spotted the cloaked figure that was untying Artemis’s reigns. Her smile, if anything, seemed to widen, though her voice held a slightly violent undertone. “Hello. What the hell are you doing.”

[Isnook2]

Andrei Rofocale Sergov
xxxxxxxxI want your obedience.
xxxxxxxxxxxI want your absolute loyalty.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxI want your soul. Relinquish control to me.

Give yourself unto your God. Sacrifice yourself again.
Burn your thoughts, erase your will, To Gods of suffering and tears.

He had no choice but to let the boy go until he was out of the Smith's store. It was strange that he hadn't quite expected the boy to leave like that, but now his mind was running through yet another permutative set of probabilities. Would the lad flee frantically? Would it be easier for him to take more people hostage on the streets? Then again, it was unavoidable that the commoners were everywhere in this part of town; at least the lad had retreated from the immediate vicinity of the weapon racks.

Lithium-purple eyes wandered to the doorway to check that the boy had fully stepped out before he looked back at the smith. "I'll inspect it shortly. As for the other one, I have no feelings for it. If its only good for melting, then suggest it." The general murmured quietly with cold apathy. Even if he considered some of them his children, they were still tools. If he could not use them and entrust his life to their dexterity, then they were to be discarded. His speech indicated that something would now occupy his attention, a pressing matter which he had delayed long enough. In fact, he could not let the spy slip away without undermining his position any longer. As a general, he was not aware of the Empire's own spies and secret police in this part of town.

He spun around quickly, leaving his coat hanging by the doorway of the stall as he stepped outside, sweeping the streets and quickly locating the brat. If he recognized the pet merchant from yesterday, he gave no indication of it. Instead, a severe frown thinned his eyes as he stepped toward them. He took note of the horse, and quickly factored in its unpredictability, along with the two ladies nearby. Oh correction, a lady and a merchant. He rested the wrist of his right hand upon the pommel of his sword, to indicate that he still had a weapon, but was not in an immediate position to draw it since that would require his left hand. It also kept the criminal from attempt to snatch it away from him.

"Is that your horse lad?" The general canted his head to one side. It seemed fairly obvious that a scruffy 'kid' like him couldn't afford a horse, not a well-maintained one of such stock at least. "Tsk. I have no time for a horse thief like you. I do however, know that my groom needs a helper in the stables. The wages are normal, you'll bunk near the hay stores." There was a slight pause in the man's words as he stared at the ragged figure with mild disdain, though it was possible it was for the dirt that clung to him than the runt himself. "It may be the only way you can survive, if you don't want to be carted to the cells."

It was just annoying that the criminal came into such close contact with female bystanders. If his 'offer' was rejected, then he would have no choice but to place the safety of the empire over their lives. Pretty she was though... the lady of course, who cares about a merchant? Oh wait, yes he did think she was quite pretty yesterday didn't he?





Tie hallowed bonds around your hands. xxx
Kneel before this seat of shame,xxx
To Gods as lost,xxx
Gods as blind,xxx
Gods of suffering and pain.xxx

[Sothis]

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo๑ ∂ α ι ʏ υ ℓ α ɴ
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxe l e m e n t a l i s t xo f xα ι ʀ

Daiyu, as she always did, felt uncomfortable in the presence of men outside her family. Her brother may be a massive (albeit clumsy) male, but Daiyu would always see him as her troublemaking younger brother. Alone in a somewhat cramped building with a General whose eyes were cold and harsh, a Blacksmith who could probably lift Daiyu with one finger, and a sleek-though-dirty young man, the ebon-haired woman could only look trace the embroidery on her han's sash with one finger and avert her eyes from looking at any of them. Her mind wandered back to her home, warm and dry, where she could be doing something, something to keep her mind off the here and now. Her mood was expressly bleak because of the weather - the only thing that made Daiyu more uncomfortable then muggy weather was hot, dry, still days in the dead of summer when the breeze never blew. On the reverse, days where the wind could pull sails right out of sailors hands energized her. How odd, how the weather could affect her mood like that.

"Ouch!" She yelped before she could control her voice box, and she reached back to rub her calf where it'd felt like someone had kicked her. Great, now I'm getting phantom pains, like some amputee. Still rubbing her leg, she glanced up, noticing the dripping wet and somewhat muddy man had left. She could only applaud the Blacksmith's speed at dealing with customers. The General had been here before her, so naturally the Blacksmith saw him next; Daiyu didn't mind so much. Listening half-heartedly to the exchange between the two men, Daiyu gathered that the General had apparently placed a sword order the day before. Daiyu internally sighed. Weapons of war, all of them. Of course she carried a sword as sure as any - but she only did it because a lone woman, especially one as small as she, was an extremely easy target.

To her surprise, the General remarked something, brief and concise, and then disappeared out the door with a swiftness nearly on par with Daiyu's own; was something the matter? "Excuse me sir, I will return in a moment. My brother is outside, I must see if he is safe." She murmured to the Blacksmith, and then darted out the door. Never mind the fact Biyu could probably snap anyone who troubled him in half; he was her baby brother, and she had to watch out for him. Stepping outside into the mists between rain, Daiyu caught the tail end of a conversation.

"It may be the only way you can survive, if you don't want to be carted to the cells."

"What?" Daiyu asked, her tone sharp, before she thought about what she was saying. Biyu hissed at her to be quiet, grabbed her arm, and pulled his sister behind him, murmuring under his breath that the man had been trying to steal a horse. "Oh." Any pity she would've had for the man evaporated instantly; to a family who raised horses, a horse thief was the very worst. A thief could not be trusted; a thief was dangerous. "Biyu. My parasol." The tall teenager passed the bangasa over silently, and Daiyu flipped it open and leaned it against her shoulder, holding it properly as a parasol. Defenseless was the image she portrayed, but the heavy and familiar weight of the hidden sword spoke otherwise. "Bring this to the Smithy, would you? I'm going to stay here." She passed a note to her brother, written neatly in their mother's elegant script, detailing exactly what they needed for the stables. Her brother was reluctant at first, but knew Daiyu could handle herself - with one backwards glance, he stepped back inside the Blacksmith's shop.

"Err, excuse me. My sister was just in here, but it seems she's more interested in the Horse Thief outside. We need to replace a..." He held the paper up and squinted at it, reading, "Hoofpick. And.. 12 yearling-sized horseshoes, it looks like?" He flipped the note over, tried reading it upside down, failed, and then just held it out to the Smithy with a groan. "Here. Maybe you can decipher my mother's handwriting. I can't."



╭__________________________________________________╮
Of course I ƒ σ ʀ ɢ ι v ε; you've seen how ι ℓ ι v ε
I've got ∂ α ʀ ҡ ɴ ε s s and ƒ ε α ʀ s to α ρ ρ ε α s ε
my ν σ ι c ε s and α ɴ α ℓ σ ɢ ι ε s
α м в ι т ι σ ɴ s like ʀ ι в в σ ɴ s
worn в ʀ ι ɢ h т on my s ℓ ε ε v ε
╰__________________________________________________╯

[~::*Shinji*::~]

ℛ α c q υ є ℓ....❅.... 𝕮 α и δ є ℓ α я ι α

Underneath my lucid skin
The cold is lost, forgotten

Racquel made no hesitation to follow Shaena outside, as she knew that the only way she would do that in such a manner would be if she was concerned about something... and that something happened to be her horse, Artemis. Once she figured out what was going on as she stood beside her friend outside in the dingy weather, she clenched her hand into a fist at her side as she was about to speak, however, an exceptionally tall man entered the scene. It was immediately noticeable that he wasn't just any citizen either as he adorned the clothes of a soldier, most likely one of a higher status than most. Hearing the man offer a job to the person in current possession of her horse was highly unusual and strange to her, but she didn't question it. If anything, she just wanted the stranger to release her horse and be on his way, so if he took the military man's, she wouldn't complain.

As long as nothing happened to Artemis or to anyone else, she would be okay.

Sensing the general being done with what he wanted to say, she finally was able to put in her two cents. Clutching her hands to her chest, she took a step forward. "Please let go of my horse, sir... if money is what you want, my family will provide your requested amount, but I ask that you not steal her." Begging for something that was technically hers was odd, but she didn't know what else to do. Racquel was not physically adept like her twin, and she didn't carry around a weapon of sorts either... thus leaving her with this as her only option. With the view of her horse behind the cloaked figure, she could tell that Artemis was tense, uncertain as to what was going on, yet was relieved at the presence of its owner and the sound of her voice.

The pale girl bit her lip in anticipation, the tension in the air becoming thick as though one could cut through it with a knife.

Please don't do anything to her... just let her go...

It was then that she noticed another woman join them with a parasol in hand. How was she involved in this? The situation seemed to just keep getting more strange as people were just randomly joining in on what was going on. In a sense, it was nice of them to defend her in getting her horse back, but in the corner of her mind, she had a feeling that some of them were itching for a fight...

My mouth is so frozen I can't even speak
You're making it hard for me
All I can do is freeze

[arcanejalx]

+ Daisuke +

+ Alexandre +

+ Tatsurabi +

Ouch. Even after retrieving her weapon, even after making her breakfast, she was insistent on kicking him out of the cabin after spending the night. Although this wasn't the way Daisuke wanted to spend the rest of his day, he wasn't about to impose on Ember any further lest he anger his gracious host and she forcibly remove him. He had seen this type of woman many times before - they looked defenseless, but get them angry and watch out! "...All right, if you insist. At least let me eat my own breakfast first..." he responded with a melancholy tone to his voice. He sat down and silently ate his breakfast. It was good - or at least as good as one could make considering the ingredients. I hate rain, he thought to himself as he ate. I guess I shouldn't be complaining, I've been through worse than this - but still, it would have been nice to rest another day. Maybe if she wasn't so damn grumpy all the time, she would find it in whatever heart she has to let a poor, exhausted mercenary stay just one more night instead of going back out there. A sip of tea. Perhaps it's all for the best - it'll be nice to see Kai and the others again. Maybe if I hurry, I can make it to the city by nightfall. Now that'll be a nice surprise for the guild.

Daisuke only ate about half of his plate of food. He pushed the unfinished plate to Ember and stood up from the table. "Here, eat up. You definitely don't look so good." He gathered his belongings together and stuffed them into his pack, then took up his lance. He figured that it would be nice to be armed on a day like this. There was always the imminent threat of bandits on the roads outside the city - and on a rainy day, travelers would often be exhausted or run-down by sickness. Perfect targets. He opened the door and grimaced at the weather, which seemed to have worsened a bit. He glanced back at Ember, who was gloomily picking at her food. "Well, thank your for your hospitality, spitfire," he said to her, a mixture of sarcasm and genuine gratitude in his voice. "Hopefully, our paths will cross again sometime." And with a slight smile, he was off and the door was closed.

+ Frostbite, n. Injury or destruction of skin and underlying tissue, most often that of the nose, ears, fingers, or toes, resulting from prolonged exposure to freezing or subfreezing temperatures. +