ʜϻ ʀρ Restoration Of Speranza ѳ/ạ

[Kathryn Anon]

〖 LOCATION:: roi's house 〗xxx〖 COMPANY:: roi 〗xxx〖 PROFILE 〗xxx〖 OUTFIT ↠ (warm weather) 〗
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx OOC:

Nadya was on edge. It was hard not to be; she’d hardly been in Speranza for a week when the chaos had all started — her brother arriving, the fight between Mihai and Roi, and Mihai’s murder… she had just been coming to grips with that when the soldiers arrived, about a week later. In truth, she was still angry with Roi for ‘abandoning’ her and Christine. Though she could understand why he would want them to hide, and that he had other friends to check on, Nadya couldn’t help but think that things might have been different if the trio stuck together. Roi had the weapons, after all, and wasn’t there strength in numbers? Though Nadya did know that everything that happened after she and Christine had been captured was her own fault.

At first it hadn’t been too bad, Nadya could admit. Mostly the soldiers seemed to want the town to remain running properly; everybody was instructed to simply do their work, keep their heads down, and not cause trouble. Of course, that didn’t stop certain people from sticking themselves into situations that got them in trouble. Whether it was because of some collective rebellion or individual cases of outrage (which was certainly plausible, considering the gruesome and unnecessary execution of the mayor), more than a few faces were imprisoned and separated from the rest of the town. A few of the prisoners were people Nadya recognized from her two weeks in Speranza, either as friends of Roi’s or people she had met in the town on the few occasions she had gone out herself. She found that she couldn’t sit around and just do the inn work (though there was certainly much more that had to be done, considering so many residents had been forced to move into the inn and the soldiers frequented it as well) while people she’d come to know as good people suffered at the hands of these brutes!

Perhaps she got a little cocky. The first few times she’d snuck sweets, blankets, and other small comforts into the prison she hadn’t gotten caught. She simply covered it up as a trip to give ‘offerings’ to the guards in exchange to see her ‘precious friends’ — though she could only even name a few, they generally didn’t seem to care that much while distracted by their gifts of liquor and hot food. Nadya made the trip, successfully, twice before she got caught. The first time she was scolded, sent practically running back to the inn under threats of what would happen if she was caught pulling tricks like that again. She managed to get one more successful ‘smuggling’ in before she was caught a second time, and they weren’t interested in letting her off with just a slap on the wrist.

Nadya herself felt the punishment way to severe for the crime — ‘solitary confinement’, though she’d gotten enough visits from soldiers who had the intention to harass her for that to be a quite inaccurate sentence. The latter week and a half of the occupation Nadya didn’t see the sun, good food, or any friendly faces. Just a dark, grimy room, some kind of mystery food that often left her feeling quite sick to her stomach, and the jeering expressions of soldiers. She had no real idea what the conditions for the others were like, but as far as she believed they were more angry about the fact that she’d tricked them than the ‘severity’ of her ‘crime’.

By the time she’d been released, Nadya’s golden brown complexion had faded to a muddled brown. She’d lost weight (startling, because she’d been fairly slender to begin with) and she was more skittish than she ever been before. Finding that a familiar, friendly face — and one she’d been worried about since she last saw him, nearly a season earlier — had been a huge relief. Thankfully it didn’t take very long at all for her to relax back into the old habits she’d just begun to settle into before the town was invaded.

She’d spent that morning at the inn. While she knew it was a festival day, and so she was not required to work, Nadya felt obliged to spend at least a few hours in the morning tidying up and tending to the lodgers; Maryn was busy taking the reigns on the festival that was supposed to occur that afternoon so it was the least Nadya could do to ease some of the woman’s work load. She returned before lunch, a little while before noon, and settled down in the living room with a romance novel she had picked up earlier that week; her plan was to finish before bed. Considering the nature of the festival, Nadya felt it wasn’t exactly an appropriate time to ‘test the waters’ on her long-standing phobia of bodies of water. Not knowing the mayor too well herself, it was her act of respect to not attend the festival at all and avoid the chance of ruining the whole thing with some kind of anxiety attack.

Roi had woken late; Nadya was only just getting into the first chapter of her book when he came down and began preparing lunch. There was light chatter as they ate and Nadya learned that he was going to the festival later that afternoon. Well, at least that would give her ample opportunity to clean up the house more thoroughly; maybe she’d wash the floors…

As the after-lunch chores were finished and Roi had gone back up to his room Nadya settled back on the couch again, twisting the ends of her short hair in her fingers as she brought her legs up onto the couch and sat on her feet before cracking her book open again to read. She found she couldn’t quite get into her book, though. The longer she sat there, scouring the pages, the more anxiety grew in her mind. She didn’t want to seem pushy, or bothersome, and it wasn’t really her business… but it had been bothering her for almost a week, now, and she didn’t like the feeling she was getting. Surely just asking about it wouldn’t be too bad if she just asked? They were friends, right? Communication was important, right?

She dropped her book down with a sigh, untangling herself from the couch and moving quickly towards the stairs, hesitating at the bottom before forcing herself to skulk up. Oddly, she felt like a scorned child as she climbed; she doubted whether or not this was the right decision, whether she should even bring it up, but Roi’s room wasn’t exactly far away from the top of the stairs. She hovered in the doorway for a few moments, letting out a silent breath as she hesitated again. She couldn’t hear anything from the room, so after a moment she haltingly tapped her knuckles against the slightly ajar door.

“Come in.”

Pushing the door open Nadya stepped into the room, waving a little before clasping her hands behind her back, gaze evasive as she silently scorned herself. Great — now what? How in the world was she supposed to even bring her concerns up? The soft, familiar jingling noise didn’t stand out to her as Roi turned from his desk towards her.
“Did ye need somethin’, lass?”

For a moment Nadya seriously considered dismissing it all, turning back and going back to her book. In fact, it was really tempting. There was no reason at all to be so anxious, and she knew she was being ridiculous, but that didn’t really help anything at all. After a moment she finally let out a small sigh, eyes averted towards the side, and shrugged her shoulders a little.
“I didn't intend to push it, but… I'm just… I’m getting worried. Are you sure you're okay? It seems like you've been kind of… distant, lately… I don't know, not yourself..?” she could have cringed hearing her own voice. Wasn’t this exactly what Emery had been talking about, nearly a season ago? Was she really such an idiot that she had to get worked up about something like this? She watched him through her peripheral vision, nearly cringing when his gaze dropped. Great. Maybe this was a bad idea.
“I've just had a lot of thinkin' to do lately. The past couple of weeks haven' been the easiest for any of us, ye know.” Her eyes turned away again when he turned back to his desk and shuffled some papers, that familiar jingling still permeating his movements. “Would ye like to hear some poetry?”

The question was unexpected and she glanced back towards him again, but after a moment nodded her head a little bit. It had been a long time since she listened to him sing or tell stories; she appreciated the change in pace.
“Alright,” she murmured after a moment. “I’d like that.”

When he offered her a seat she was surprised to find her eyes drawn to a familiar length of silver bells dangling from his wrist. She couldn’t hold back a small smile, the familiar noise suddenly registering in her mind. In truth, she hadn’t expected him to still have the anklet — or if he did, for it to have been discarded in a drawer as some trinket. After she’d first given it to him, actually, there had been more than a few moments of regret. He was a traveller, he’d stayed for a year and — while sure, they’d became friends — there was little chance of them ever even seeing each other again. Mihai also had been very upset (to understate it) when he found out. It was hard to believe how much things had changed since then, good and bad, and it left her with a tight, almost sickening feeling in her stomach as she settled on the bed and tucked her feet up beneath her.

I’m going to let you dream
So watch over the sheep that lie in the midst of your gaze
Dream
While the wolves creep as the moon sets its phase

Every night I see the ocean crash into you
Drowning you in your own shame
And every night I watch the world humiliate you
Realizing you're the only one to blame

I'm going to let you dream
So forget the happiness at stake
And what drove you to despair
Dream
Because in the moment you never wake,
You're on a road that's beyond repair.

She remained silent, eyes closed, as he read the poem; the words resonated with a distinct sadness that, to her, weighed heavily in the room. When he paused, she glanced up towards him, expression sombre, but before she could think of something to say he had continued. Nadya’s gaze focused on the shimmery silver string of bells; it was about all she could do to avoid tearing up.

Everyday I see your love rape you
Demanding you get on both knees
And everyday I watch your faith condemn you
Sympathizing with your cries and pleas

I need to let you dream
Because they will never
let you forget about the sheep you let them take
Dream
Because you got nowhere
near the happiness you left to burn at the stake
Dream
Because I was there
the day you took the road where it does not wake
Dream
Because the moment you forgive mankind's evil ways
The moon will deliver its final haze
And forever you will suffer within the wolf's maze.

For a long moment, Nadya was at a loss for words. She remained silent, mulling over the lyrics of the poem. Somehow, praise seemed both unsuitable and inappropriate.
“Roi… are you really okay? Really?” She finally blurted out, voice thick with worry. She clenched her jaw for a moment, considering continuing before she spoke again. “I know I’ve said it before, but honestly… you’re my friend, I am here for you.” She was surprised when he laughed, albeit softly.
“I dinnae write this,” he noted as he shuffled through the papers, revealing glimpses of unfamiliar, floral writing. “These are my late wife's. But yer reaction is understandable; why in the world would she write this? Who was it for? It's something I've never figured out...” Nadya continued to stare with visible surprise and confusion, though it remained muted by the worry that permeated most of her expressions, lately.
“Oh,” she finally choked out, feeling like an idiot as she turned her eyes sharply downwards after realizing that she had been staring. “I... I'm sorry. About your loss, I mean... and... for not having any real idea, I mean, I don't really...”

This was all new news to her. Roi had been married? She wasn’t sure how she felt to find out that information in this way. She was sure that, under lighter circumstances, she would have been curious about the unknown woman. Certainly a year ago, she would have been indignantly jealous. Now… she just didn’t know what to feel about the whole thing. Though a wave of guilt, over the stunt she’d pulled before Roi left Kudamono, washed over her and she ducked her chin towards her chest, staring much more determinedly into her lap.
“No harm done, Nadya,” he responded as he set the papers down. “It’s been a few years now since she’s gone. I don’t think I ever mentioned her to ye before.” Nadya just shook her head ‘no’, the longer portion of her hair brushing against her bowed face from the movement. She began picking at her nails, a nervous habit, and was at an absolute loss for what to say. Somehow, this felt like something she should have known. It was a pretty big thing to have been married, right? She was his friend, so why wouldn’t he have told her? Especially considering what had happened before, and the fact that she was boarding with him, now. When she really, really thought about it, though… she didn’t know very much about him in general. Stories of his younger days, maybe — seemingly impossible stories about a trio of friends on heroic quests, facing beasts and creatures that you told children about to stop them from wandering about after dark. Meanwhile he knew her entire life story — at least, the entirety of what she could remember of it, not that it was particularly interesting in her own opinion — and she was almost always straight with him. Did he not trust her? Or, even worse, was she just some kind of pity case to him? Thinking about it, it was certainly possible… Had Mihai been right about how blind she was being, to run all the way out here? To get away from the person who’d taken care of her her whole life? The one who was now dead because— a grimace fell over her features before she suddenly flinched, having torn the nail on her thumb right down to the quick.

“Ow,” she hissed quietly, inspecting the damage as a small bead of blood began to inflate, red standing out against the flesh, along the edge of the torn nail.


The musical Gerudo

[Idha Lu]

♔ I, the mighty God, may be found by the lake near Maryn. ♔


Chloe, the strange ghost occupying the town he’d bee born to had passed on quietly beside him. He’d offered some words of comfort, her exhausted energy evident. How he knew to give comfort was a mystery to him. Barely even a week old, he had knowledge far beyond what would be considered normal for humans of that period of time. Some had reasoned that he was the collective of the town residents’ spirits and wishes so he was built of small pieces of them. If that was the case, whose segment had given him the desire to so much as speak to the ghost? Her passing wasn’t directly harming to anyone in the town. Nothing in that instant had needed to be protected. Saying anything had been a direct venture from his prime directive.

Not that it mattered. There were far more interesting things he could invade upon. A blonde saying farewell to a farm girl. The inn maiden, filled with trepidation, stepping into a boat upon the lake. The pinkette lunatic forsaking her weapon and taking leave of the jail. She was certainly one he’d have to watch out for. A woman who had no qualms over harming others. However she’d drifted from that opinion during her time at the clinic. If she started to cause trouble he’d know. The lake bound maiden was in far more need of watching. Had she any knowledge of boats? What if she were to tumble in to the lake? The mass of water was fairly new in the town’s history from his understanding. Could she even swim? ”It matters not.”

Omnipresence had it’s uses. Choosing to materialize by the lake, he let his focus settle on Maryn. Perhaps while manifested another human would approach him as well. Simply watching the brunette while awaiting a potential accident was hardly entertaining. Although his presence had seemed to give her the courage to step fully into the boat, ending the risk of her precarious positioning. Even so, she remained the most vulnerable person in town at that moment. Minor wounds from self mutilation were not really his forte. Protecting each and every person from every scrape and bruise was hardly worth the effort. Only potential fatalities or serious injuries were holders of his time.

♔ Even so, I am unamused. ♔

[Idha Lu]

Location / / Lake tab ⋮ tab Company / / Alone tab ⋮ tab Mood / / Uneasy tab ⋮ tab Thoughts / / I really hope I don't fall in.


ɪ ϵɴȷɵү ϻү ȿϻạʟʟ ғʀϵϵĐɵϻȿ.


⇦ I am free to rule over the inn however I please. ⇨



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Maryn was through with men. Through with propriety. The only solace she’d had since her fluke of a wedding was communal grieving over Edgar with Garnos. Marcus had grown distant, especially after the soldiers had arrived. Her cool demeanor had done nothing but cause him anxiety anyways. The soldiers themselves were brutes and her inn was a mess. She’d had some repairs done, but those helping were stretched thing. A few days into spring she’d instead opted Eyra to redirect her attention to helping her fix up Edgar’s rickety old sand boat. The project has turned more into a complete rebuild of the flimsy structure, but regardless it was ready in time.

With Garnos’ help they decided the boat festival would be the best memorial for the late mayor. The town gathering together around the mysterious lake and watching him, or his flag, sail into the middle of the water to unleash a few fireworks. It wasn’t horribly extravagant, but it was something. Hair gathered into a loose ponytail and dressed in a thin tank top and knee-length shorts, Maryn had one foot on the remodeled wooden pontoon and one still on short, holding the boat close as she nervously tossed the few fireworks she managed to round up aboard the vessel.

After that her nervousness kept one foot on solid ground, her body swaying from one foot to the other. If she didn’t quite make it onto the boat she’d be soaked. It wasn’t an ideal outcome. She didn’t entirely know how to swim. Eyes glancing towards the shore, she saw the pitch black and lengthy locks of the harvest god by a few trees. It was hard to believe such a thing existed. Or had come into existence. Still, the ethereal beings actions spoke loudly. He wouldn’t allow harm to come to the villagers. Taking the leap, she got both feet on the boat, stumbling a bit before steadying herself.

The vessel was still moored to a post on the shore, meaning she wouldn’t have to worry about drifting too far while she arranged the fireworks and hoisted the childish flag she’d found hidden in Edgar’s bottom drawer. It was childish in nature, but she figured that even as he grew he’d been unable to part with it. In his memory that flag would fly always on his boat which would be kept and maintained until she saw her dying days.



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⇦ I am free to leave the inn when it suits me. ⇨



вυτ ɪ ωɪʟʟ ɴϵѵϵʀ τʀυʟү вϵ ғʀϵϵ.



OOC




/ / ◎ / / / / ◎ / /

[cohn jena]

Location : Roi's Home (IDRIA)[indent]Company : Nadya


Restlessness had permeated Roi’s life for the past couple of weeks, the feeling causing the man to withdraw from the world and to turn his attention inward. The behavior was undoubtedly unusual to his friends who observed it. Roi was always careful to keep his deepest personal struggles and conflicts as such -- personal and out of the public world that he shared with everyone else. When he did any intensive introspection, it had always been on his own time and in the privacy of his living quarters. It really wasn’t unlike other people who preferred not to air out dirty laundry about their own lives to other people.

However, keeping up his usual calm and quietly cheerful appearance had proven to be more difficult than usual for Roi. His mind had been confronted with a puzzle, and though he solved it early on, he had not been willing to accept the solution. The feeling that plagued him was simultaneously new and familiar to him; like finding an old friend who shared many great memories, but the passage of time and the experiences it brought had formed a rift. Roi rubbed at his eyes and face as he briefly examined the stubble along his jaw and chin in the bathroom mirror. It was not quite the same kind of restlessness that drove him to gather his worldly belongings and travel the world. While the idea was still very attractive to the man with all things considered, there was something very different about it this time… something that was holding him back. Rather, it was remarkably similar to the one that led him to ask that woman so long ago to continue traveling with him and his friends… though the source of the sensation this time around was, for lack of a better word, unsettling.

”Stop visiting me.”

Deciding to pass on shaving, Roi exited the bathroom and paused, his gaze wandering about his room. The young woman had been very direct with Roi and her intention was clear -- Emery was severing ties with the redhead. While the motives behind the action were never explicitly revealed to him, there were inferences to be made from the changes she underwent while recovering at the hospital. The feral light in her blue eyes was gone, and she no longer seemed poised and ready to attack at a whim. Her desires for stories suddenly became insatiable, and -- perhaps the most telling sign to him that things were no longer the same with her -- she was allowing her brother to take care of her. Rando no longer bullied her or treated her with the same fear and distant wariness that Roi first observed of him so long ago. Has it really been almost a year?

After a quiet moment in which the redhead stared at the blue orchids on his desk, he approached the desk, giving one of the blooms a gentle caress before settling his weight into his chair. Roi sat there for another quiet moment, staring again at the arrangement of blue-and-white-striped cymbidiums. It has finally happened. For the first time in years, someone had given his endless pilgrimage towards an uncertain future pause. And it was for all the wrong reasons.

Reaching under the desk, Roi pulled open a drawer and sifted through the folders within. He pulled up a small stack of papers, her flowery handwriting flowing across the faded sheets, the stanzas decorated here and there with random stains. Roi took a trip down memory lane as he began to scan through them, reading along with her voice, the sound faint in his memory. It was in this state that Nadya approached the man, her visit not expected but not entirely a surprise either. Unwilling to pull himself away from the papers to reassure the pale-haired woman of his health, he instead offered to read one to her.

Perhaps it wasn’t the best poem of her’s to first read to another person, but Roi didn’t have exactly many to choose from that weren’t of similar nature. Nadya’s reaction was perfectly understandable, if not amusing that she thought it had been his work. Right. He had never told her of her... Looking over the rest of the poems, Roi suppressed a sigh. Oh how he missed--

”Ow.” Confused by the sudden hiss, Roi returned his attention to Nadya. The woman was closely inspecting her thumb, her face twisted a little in pain. ”Are ye awrite there lass? Got a hangnail?” She looked up towards up suddenly, though her eyes quickly dropped down again. “Yea...” Somehow, the tone didn’t seem quite right. In a sort of dark way, the situation was amusing -- Nadya had come in to inquire about Roi’s health, and in a bat of an eye her health seemed compromised. She had been flustered when she mistook the poetry for his, and further more as a reflection of his mental stability. The redhead set the papers down and shifted in his seat to turn his body more towards the woman. ”I’m sorry lass, that was nae the best poem of hers to read first to ye, eh? I didn’ mean to worry ye.” Nadya quickly looked up again, shaking her head ‘no’.

“It’s not that, I just--” she cut herself short, second thinking whatever it was she was going to say. “I didn’t think I was intruding on such a private thing; I’m sorry.” She was right on Roi being engage in more private matters, but her intrusion was hardly a bother to him. ”No harm done, Nadya. I know lately I haven’ been the most…” Roi waved a hand a bit in the air as if to conjure the word he was looking for. ”... Involved? I’ve just…” He glanced back towards the poetry, then the orchids. Their blue petals seemed to faintly glow in the sunlight muted by the thin curtains. ”I’ve been missing her a lot, lately.”

Nadya shrugged her shoulders a little, almost uncomfortably, and let her eyes drop again. “It’s understandable. I just… I didn’t know, so... I’m sorry I’ve been...” she hesitated, swallowing a sigh. “Well, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.” She pushed her legs over the edge of the bed, resting her feet on the floor, apparently torn between staying and leaving. Roi gestured for her to stay. The chair beneath him creaked slightly as he rose to his feet and sat on the bed next to Nadya, the sudden shift in weight bouncing her up a little. ”What’s on yer mind?”




Kathryn Anon

[Kathryn Anon]

〖 LOCATION:: roi's house 〗xxx〖 COMPANY:: roi 〗xxx〖 PROFILE 〗xxx〖 OUTFIT ↠ (warm weather) 〗
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx OOC:

”What’s on yer mind?”

It was a weighted question. Well, at least for her; even Nadya was able to admit that she was in the habit of taking simple things way too seriously. It had gotten her in trouble more than once before, especially because the more serious matters tended to be taken lightly — if not dodged all together. Her eyes dropped down to her lap and, despite the sting from the last round of nail-yanking, she unconsciously began to tear at the already gouged nail.
“It’s nothing, really,” she mumbled, and even to her ears it was altogether unconvincing. It seemed silly to be so stung by something like him preferring his privacy. Though, considering the fleeting moment of what she now supposed was just a matter of “it’s too much” after they’d first gotten home, she’d gotten her hopes up that she’d be able to be more of a support for her friend. Then realizing she had no idea about any of his problems, coupled with the paranoia of her brother’s persistent warning... well, all in all, it was hard to explain the cocktail of emotions. Now she wasn’t even sure she wanted to, or should.
”I think yer nail there would say it’s more than nothin’.” Roi was watching with amounting alarm as Nadya continued to destroyed her thumbnail. Nadya quickly pulled her hand away, pushing it between the bed and her leg to stop the temptation of an old, bad habit.
“My nail’s fine,” she muttered, words slightly muffled as she lifted the offending digit to her mouth, mostly to do away with the blood. She kept her eyes firmly planted on her lap, trying to organize her thoughts and emotions into sense as quickly as she could — though that was never a quick process. “What was she like?” she finally asked, though it was more in hopes of distracting the red head from her distress than it was out of actual curiosity. In fact, the moment the question left her lips she silently cursed her insensitivity; hadn’t she just apologized for prying? Contrary to Nadya’s silent self-reprimanding for the question, Roi appeared more intrigued by the question than bothered.
”She was quite a woman, a very eccentric character.” He chuckled a little, his gaze fogging over slightly as he mentally looked to the past. ”She was one that meant well, tried a little, and failed much.” Nadya paused for a moment, finally looking towards her friend from the corner of her gaze. It wasn’t exactly the way most people described their deceased spouse, after all. Catching the look, Roi gave her a sheepish smile. ”It’s how she would describe herself. She was really a fun person to be around.” Distracted, Nadya’s hand drew back up onto her lap again, though this time it apparently didn’t feel the need to attack the other hand.
“She seems like a very good person. Modest too, I’m sure,” Nadya hummed thoughtfully, gaze dropping towards her knees again. After all, wasn’t everybody that way? No one was perfect, and most didn’t muster the will to change all that much no matter how well their intentions were. “You obviously loved her very much. She was lucky.” Was that weird to say? Nadya grimaced a bit. Almost definitely weird, and kind of rude when she thought about it. The nail of her index finger raked across her stinging thumb again and she inaudibly cursed, jerking her hand away again.
"Nadya. If speaking about my late wife pains ye, I don' want to discuss it anymore." Roi reached over and grasped her hand as he mentioned 'pains'. "Now, as ye say ye are here for me, I'd like to remind ye that I am too yer friend and here for ye." His voice was serious, but his expression concerned. "Ye can' just tell me it's nothin', then continue to tear yourself up in front of me. If ye don' want to talk about it, at least tell me that much."

Nadya pursed her lips, a certain kind of anxiety rising up in her chest. Why did she feel so nervous? Out of place? It was stupid — she felt stupid — but she couldn’t deny that there was certainly a looking forwardness to the festival, now. Then she’d be alone in the house, and none of it would matter. She’d get lost in her book, go to bed... and maybe it would all pass by morning.

Probably not.

Nadya couldn’t get Mihai out of her head, now... it was debilitating, suffocating to suddenly realize just how likely it was that Mihai was right. It wasn’t like she could ask — right, ‘Roi, aren’t actually annoyed by me, are you? You’re not just keeping me around out of pity, or some other ulterior motive, right?’. That would go over well, if she even got a proper or honest answer, as admitting to any of these suggestions would be a contradiction to those very intentions. And this talk of ‘late’ loved ones only made her brother weigh more heavily in her mind; it only made her miss him more. At least Mihai was always straightforward with her — he made it very clear what his intentions were, no matter how ‘bad’ his methods might have been. It only got out of hand when he refused to cooperate, but even then he’d never meant any harm.
“When’s the festival? I should let you get ready,” she abruptly noted, not even giving him a chance to answer the first question before rising a little too quickly to her feet. “Sorry about the intrusion,”she habitually stated in a muted, rushed tone; her usual offer of consolation was absent. Roi remained silent, staring at her very pointedly. What did he just say? She cringed a little, eyes dropping to the floor. She had never been good for handling accusing looks like this one. “Really, it’s nothing! It’s just... I mean... we are friends... right?” Mihai wasn’t telling the truth... right? the question was finally pulled out of her, though only half stated, and she seemed to wither a little in disappointment at herself.
“Aye, we are friends, Nadya. Have I done somethin’ to make ye think otherwise?” Nadya kept her eyes down, now practically gouging holes in the skin next to the nail she’d been abusing earlier.
“No... I mean, not really,” she mumbled, her voice dropping in pitch and volume very quickly. “I’ve had... Phrala on my mind lately, is all... I mean, there’s not much to do and a lot to think about when you’re locked up in the dark, and... I just... I’ve realized I know nothing about you at all... and, I mean, I know that I’m not the most private of people, and that you, well, probably are, but...” Her voice became quieter as she rambled on, the red darkening the nail she was scratching with as she seemed to be unaware of the damage she was causing. “Especially with... with what I did back in Kudamono, before you left, and just... I don’t know... it’s stupid, I’m sorry. Just... pretend I didn’t say anything, or something.”


The musical Gerudo

[Kathryn Anon]

tab THE NICEST ⊹ SWEETEST ◢⋮UTMOST IN EVERYTHINGxx
tab tab tab tab tab tab IT'S SO CHARMING ( VERY CHARMING )
tab ⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰
tab tab WELL RECKON && PLAY THE FOOL x 》NO ONE'S ILL AT EASE ◞ ˟⇣
A N D xx T H E Y xx W I L L xx P U T xx T H E I R xx D E E P E S T xx SWISHBANG xx T R U S T xx I N xx Y O U
A N D xx T H E Y xx W I L L xx P U T xx T H E I R xx D E E P E S T xx SWISHBANG xx T R U S T xx I N xx Y O U
tab tab tab tab tab tab tab tab ( no one saw it coming )
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
tab ◥⋮ PROFILE tab tab ◥⋮ OUTFIT tab tab ◥⋮ IN FRONT OF JAIL tab tab ◥⋮ EMERY


Henri flashed a grin, burying his free hand in his pocket and leaning heavily on the cane once Emery had taken the flowers, obviously made proud by her praise. He nodded his head, also pleased by her decision — he wasn’t exactly feeling like hobbling around all afternoon and evening in a crowded place, pretending he actually gave a damn about the mayor or putting up with angry people who were not impressed by his lack of flying ********.

He didn’t pay all that much attention to what Emery was saying after she answered his initial interrogation. He simple nodded his head already turning towards the door with a hopping gait, twisting to push his injured leg forwards as also moved forwards the cane, putting almost all the weight on it — evident by the slight tremble in his wrist and the bulging muscle in his arm and shoulder as the cane took all of his weight, allowing him to bring his other leg quickly forwards. In this manner he hobbled to the door, pausing there to turn and stare over his shoulder at her, flashing a toothy grin that did not betray his anxiety in the least.
“Ye comin’, or what?” he drawled, cane wobbling a little as he leaned a little more heavily onto it. He didn’t want to just walk out without his ‘date’ for the week, but he didn’t exactly like being anywhere near law enforcement — including and especially prisons. He hadn’t been caught for any of his crimes, yet, and it felt like he was pushing his luck to hang around too long.

When Emery finally joined him Henri turned and tipped an imaginary had towards the officer before turning and hobbling out the door, letting out a satisfied sigh when it was finally closed.
“‘ow are ye doin’? ‘oldin’ up awright?” he inclined after a moment, struggling with a grunt to get down to the level of the road from the doorway. When he finally succeeded he waited for her to lead the way, silently hoping she’d have the common sense to move somewhat slowly for him; there was no way he was going to confess to the chronic pain he now suffered from, how how tiring it was to hobble around in the way that he now had to. He let her lead, both in direction in conversation, focus distracted to the simple act of not tripping over himself. Maybe he wasn’t exactly supposed to be moving around that much, yet. Maybe he didn’t give a ********. But his expression was tight, uncharacteristically stern as he watched his feet and cane, struggling not to trip up over any bumps or dips in the path.

Merlin The Mage

[Idha Lu]

My demeanor is one ъecoming of a demon.


Ғear me all you wish.

I am ϯrained in the art of dominance.


Your passionate ѡailing reaffirms my existence.



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His hobbling pace was far to obvious to escape her notice. Irritating as it may have been, Emery kept her gait on the slow side. It wasn't as though it were her fault he’d become a cripple, but she supposed lasses were supposed to be patient with their partners. Holding the flowers with both hands, she considered his next question. “I find I always hold up quite well. My body is still resilient since I am young. More figuratively speaking, I was only in holding for a few hours before being let off scot free. That is of course the luxury of holding on to the rules. The legal system punishes actions, not motives.” Freeing a hand, she brushed some loose hair behind her ear.

“You seem to be crumbling much faster than I am.” Even in her most volatile moments she could count on herself to be cool and collected. Her foresight and animal instincts went hand in hand. Predators didn't waste excess motions on catching their prey. So why had Henri made the motion to bring flowers? She was already wrapped up in his scheme due to Roi’s unwarranted persistence.She hadn't expected the red head to be so clingy considering their relationship had no emotional standing. They weren't friends. They weren't lovers. The greatest relationship they had was that of leader and follower. Not that any of those details mattered. Even though they flooded her mind. What was important was that she was trapped in a status for a week and he acted as though she wasn't bound by word.

Her mind drew a blank on what she had even talked with Henri about in the first place? Certainly the topic of killing a man with her bare hands wasn't an appropriate topic for a normal girlfriend. That was the entire purpose of the act was it not? She had very few experiences that didn't have roots reaching around blood and death. "When my head was all foggy," she said.Because her brother has betrayed the mafia and shoved her into an old armoire and a nail got jammed up her skull. Beautiful memory. She brought her hands behind her head as if for comfort. "I enjoyed the festivals. Watching the mayor make a fool of himself was entertaining." Had that been the harshest way she could word it?

The mayor was like her mother in a lesser degree. An obstacle she'd been robbed of overcoming. She didn't despise him to his very core as she had with her mother. At the very least he'd been respectable. He'd worked hard. He never seemed to be hung up on trivial matters. While organizing Maryn's fluke of a wedding, he never became flustered about the connotations of the event, only the completion of the work. That behavior was likely the response of a normal boss. Her father would have killed someone for their repeated failures or maimed them if they expressed concern about the time allotted. A violent way of relieving stress.

"I am afraid I do not much know how a normal girl acts in a relationship. Men were not keen of discussing their ladies when I was around. Men weren't keen on speaking at all really." Always afraid that she was a loose cannon. When she was younger she very well had been. But after six months of lock up and one hell of a broken limb she'd become much more careful. As she had with Alfonz. Her thoughts flitted to the twisted grin on his dying face. It was as though she'd met all his sick and twisted expectations. A woman who stood alone. As empowering as thought should have been, it only made her feel weak in her knees. The hibiscus in her hand suddenly weighed heavily.

She'd give them to Nadya when Henri left. Someone so stupid could actually appreciate flowers. When they arrived at her mansion, she walked inside without hesitation. The outer rooms felt as strange as the outer network of the mafia's base. Still dangerous, but familiar. Now that she was finally free of the hospital, she could remodel the secret room. Change the entrance. Reform it into the only place she'd ever felt truly at home. Her lips parted, but she shut them again. That was something she couldn't talk to Henri about. She could talk about rules of mafia life, a bit about her father. But that room wasn't something she could openly discuss.

"Help yourself to whatever you find in the kitchen. I am going to go get cleaned up." She disappeared up the stairs, forsaking the flowers at the first table she could find. It didn't take her long to shower and throw on a simple dress. It wasn't white by any means. Her dim self had enjoyed color. Damp hair stuck to her back and shoulders. The pink stood out against the pale blue of the dress. For her own comfort, she wore a pair of shorts beneath. The dress alone was far too vulnerable to move around in, especially with Henri. Breathing coolly, she went back down to the kitchen, senses refreshed as she watched for any potential danger. The predatory spark returned to her eyes, having faded only during her time in the hospital.



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Kathryn Anon

ζocation ↝ Mansion[Indent]
Ҁompany ↝ Henri[Indent]
ɱood ↝ Alert[Indent]
ϯhoughts ↝ ...[Indent]

[Kathryn Anon]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx⇣* there are so many ❶ ❷ ❸ xxxxreasons◟
xxxxxxxxx• • ━━━━I'M NEVER GOING ✕✕ TO GET ENOUGH ✹
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxIF xxx YOU xxx SHOULD xxx LEAVE xxx THIS xxx COUNTRY xxx ⋮ xxx YOU xxxKNOW xxx I'LL xxx COME xxx TO xxx YOU
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxIF xxx YOU xxx SHOULD xxx LEAVE xxx THIS xxx COUNTRY xxx ⋮ xxx YOU xxxKNOW xxx I'LL xxx COME xxx TO xxx YOU
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx░░░░░ Because you always `❤》xx ( love me )



▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
xxxJOURNAL xxxxxxx OUTFIT xxxxxxx LOCATION xxxxxxx COMPANY


The last season had gone by in a whirlwind for the growing Cyr family. It had been a hard adjustment for all; between Estelle getting settled, the take over of Speranza, and Cleo’s sudden taking to wandering after dark, Anthony was exhausted. He was trying to catch up with all of the work that he’d fallen behind on — all of the mail that had been held up by the soldiers came down on him in a wave that he was still struggling to catch up with. Many of his relationships seemed to have unravelled — no doubt a combination of everybody’s stress and the rather shameless behaviour he’d succumbed to while their home was occupied. It hurt him deeply, but if it came down to it… he’d do it again. Over and over, he’d do it again.

His initial response to the invasion had been a fight or flight response; he’d tried desperately to get his children away, to safety, but it quickly became his downfall. He wasn’t even conscious to stop Cleo from witnessing the execution of her beloved mayor — it was an event that had severe mental affects on the impressionable girl. The rest of the occupation he’d simply sucked up. Kissed a**. Licked boots — whatever figure of speech you wanted to use to describe becoming the army’s b***h. He would do anything, literally anything they wanted him to do just to keep his kids as far from everything as possible. His behaviour paid off, too — it didn’t take very long at all for him to be allowed to live in his house, with his kids, ‘unsupervised’. First thing he did was repair the damage to the door. The second was make it very, very childproof — for much of the occupation he had no choice but to leave the kids alone. He had to stay in good standing with the officers… he couldn’t risk them revoking the small privileges he’d earned for his kids’ sake.

By the time the soldiers were finally chased out from Speranza, everything changed. Cleo was struggling more than Anthony had realized with Edgar’s death and Anthony was now working multiple jobs; he’d take on anything he could get, both to try to help the town (who’s numbers seemed to have dropped) and to stay afloat. Between damages, feeding and clothing three people, and other costs, just mail work wasn’t cutting it anymore. The savings he’d brought with him had finally dried up and now, more than ever, he needed the funds.

Cleo had been more… unresponsive, lately. She tumbled around in an almost zombified daze, she refused to speak, and she wouldn’t play with her cousin or father like she used to. She’d managed to break out of the house twice — the first time had prompted Anthony to install a lock on their bedroom and bathroom doors so that the children could only move back and forth between the bed and bath after bedtime, but after Cleo managed to climb out the window and get down to the ground Anthony had to make sure that there was no way in or out of that bedroom from the inside. Both times Cleo had taken off for the town hall — thankfully the second time Anthony had noticed and was able to grab the girl and bring her back inside the house before she got too far.

That day was the festival. Not just any festival, but a festival that was now in memory of their beloved mayor. For the first time since his death Cleo had spoken to her father, making a simple request: she wanted a little boat to put on the water as a present for Edgar. She didn’t quite understand the whole situation — that he was dead, and not coming back; that he wasn’t just staying in the lake for a little while — but she did understand that this was something for him, and that she missed him dearly. All morning she’d sat at the little table in her bedroom, writing a letter in colourful blue crayons. There were sloppy pictures of ships and pirate hats and other sea-faring symbols and when she was finished she rolled it up and refused to let go, or to let anybody see it. When it was finally time to leave for the festival she took the little wooden boat her father had gotten her, Bunbun, her note, and her Kitty hat and had rushed to the door with an enthusiasm Anthony hadn’t seen in a long while.

When both kids were ready Anthony took them from the house, locked the doors up, and began heading to the festival grounds.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx♛!◟___________the mailman²

[kuranchii]

l o c a t i o n near boat c o m p a n y Ethne m o o d curious o u t f i t today's duds t a v e r n downstairs/upstairs v o i c e
















xxxxx Hey, take a seat doll. →

❝ Normally Silver would just be waking up at this time of day, but she was invited to the festival by Ethne, so she was up for a couple hours already. Under different circumstances, she would have declined, but this was a unique situation. The mayor was executed and the festival became a memorial service essentially. Although she didn't know Edgar as well as many of the residents there, she still wanted to pay her respects. He really was a great guy despite his strange obsession with nautical life. Not to mention, Ethne was the only family she had in the area. To top it off, they kept each other company during the occupation. It was pretty stressful and she honestly didn't know if she could have kept her cool during the whole ordeal. She was very thankful for having some family over none. She didn't plan on letting her family know about what happened though. It was unnecessary stress for them. After all, she was fine, so no need to scare them.

The outfit she chose was fairly simple. It wasn't exactly a formal event, but she didn't want to wear any casual outfit. It still took almost an hour to decide though. Silver was always a little bit of a procrastinator when it came to parties and festivals. No apparel was chosen in advance and it apparently it made a serious difference. She was worried she might miss meeting up with her cousin over such a silly thing as dress up. Leaving well enough alone, she slipped on simple flats and left.

Silver was nearing the boat when she spotted the familiar dark-haired woman in the distance. Her cousin seemed to be distracted by something though, so she took her time walking over. She was close enough to be able to speak to her, but she was just staring off into nowhere it seemed. Reaching over to tap her cousin on the shoulder, she greeted her. "Heya~ What's up?" She hoped that the action didn't startle her.❞

OOC

The musical Gerudo

o3o

[Kathryn Anon]

tab THE NICEST ⊹ SWEETEST ◢⋮UTMOST IN EVERYTHINGxx
tab tab tab tab tab tab IT'S SO CHARMING ( VERY CHARMING )
tab ⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰⋰
tab tab WELL RECKON && PLAY THE FOOL x 》NO ONE'S ILL AT EASE ◞ ˟⇣
A N D xx T H E Y xx W I L L xx P U T xx T H E I R xx D E E P E S T xx SWISHBANG xx T R U S T xx I N xx Y O U
A N D xx T H E Y xx W I L L xx P U T xx T H E I R xx D E E P E S T xx SWISHBANG xx T R U S T xx I N xx Y O U
tab tab tab tab tab tab tab tab ( no one saw it coming )
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
tab ◥⋮ PROFILE tab tab ◥⋮ OUTFIT tab tab ◥⋮ IN THE MANOR tab tab ◥⋮ EMERY


Henri watched Emery closely as they walked, curious about her mannerisms and her attitude. Emery was difficult to read, sometimes — it was what drew him to her. The best hunter hid their motive well, after all, and you could never tell for sure when a true predator was exactly going to strike. He absolutely refused to believe that such a good predator could become ‘normal’ just like that. Camouflage, maybe, but become normal? It was laughable — naïve! If she honestly thought she could just be somebody she wasn’t… he was giving her more credit than was due, and was fully wasting his time. That would be disappointing.
“Is that so?” he hummed thoughtfully, limbering along quietly. At least he wasn’t loosing his breath like he had been before, though he’d be happy if when his leg was better. Why had he taken that bullet, anyways? Was she really that interesting? There had been interesting things before, but he’d never nearly gotten killed over it. And then what he’d said… che, he was surprised she hadn’t brought it up. He hadn’t shown that kind of weakness since he was a boy. “I wish I could ‘av seen ye’ then, though,” he mused, a quiet curiosity creeping into his voice. “I wonder if ye’d be ‘alf as interestin’, t’me.”

He fell into silence as she fell into thought, and about what he would have killed to know. She was such a curious creature to him — one of the first he’d met that was like him; well, maybe not. He never liked guns. They made too much noise, and too much of a show.

“Ha! A normal lassy? Who said anythin’ about a normal lassy?” He turned a cool gaze, a sly smile, towards her. “Th’ deal was that ye’d b’my lassy — nobody said a tin’ about normal. Did ye’ really think that’d keep me entertained? Not that I wouldn’ mind watchin’ ye’ struggle.” He pushed himself to walk a little quicker. What did she think this was? Some kind of lesson to help her achieve her goal of becoming boring? Of becoming prey? As if. He was more likely to try to sabotage that pursuit. She didn’t have to become ‘normal’ to fit in with these fools — after all, he’d been able to join with communities in the past and she obviously had as well. Normal. Bah, nonsense!

As they finally arrived at her ‘house’, Henri allowed his eyes to wander — though his gaze flicked back towards her every few seconds. He barely caught her closing her mouth, but he did. Keepin’ secrets, huh? Interestin’. He struggled to maneuver his shoes off with his cane — a feat that was ultimately fruitless; the second Emery disappeared up the stairs the bbq chef collapsed to the ground, losing his fragile balance and barely catching himself with his hands before falling flat on his face. He hissed, jarring pain shooting through his wrists. Ouch. Well, now that he was on the ground… He maneuvered his shoes off with great pain and difficulty, glaring bloody murder at his bummed leg the whole time. Maybe he’d be better off just cutting the damn thing off… With great difficulty he managed to get back up onto his feet, breathless as he leaned heavily against his cane with a trembling arm. He had to collect himself before Emery was finished… doing whatever she was doing. There was no way in bloody hell he was showing her weakness again. Especially if she…

He made his way slowly over to the kitchen, leaning against the countertop with his free hand before diving into the fridge. Holy crap, they had a lot of… well no, ‘a lot of’ wasn’t the right word. But what they did have… he let out a whistle. This could be fun. Remembering their conversation from the hospital, he sought out foods that would appease her appetite for fruit — he wasn’t making her bbq until he was at his stand, with his toys. He’d never be able to get a good, smoky taste in an indoor kitchen. He hooked the head of his cane on the edge of the countertop so that it tottered off the ground, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box. It looked almost like a box for a ring, though it was deeper and more of a rectangular shape than a cube. He popped the top, pulling out two of the numerous pills inside before snapping the box shut with a loud cracking noise, staring bitterly at the pills for a moment before tossing them back without water. He took a moment, letting out a long breath, before beginning to prepare the meal with the ingredients he had on hand.

Merlin The Mage

[cohn jena]

Garnos Sparrow ♫

└─────────────────────┘

From the greenery that embraced the once water-deprived town to the sight of Edgar’s beautifully rebuilt boat slowly drifting into the lake, the whole scene was surreal to Garnos. The clear sky seemed like a massive canvas of hazy blue hung over the little town of Speranza, the sun like a bright lamp aimed at the young man’s face. Everything seemed fake and staged, like the dark-haired ‘man’ that stood on the distant shore opposite from Garnos. The innkeeper had called the stranger a ‘Harvest God’... whatever that was supposed to mean. Was he really a god? If he was, what was the purpose of a god anyway? To stand around and watch people? Garnos stood on the shore near Maryn’s launching point, watching and feeling as though he were in a dream... as if he never woke up the day after Edgar was shot.

Witnessing the life of a beloved so violently torn from this could be simply described as traumatic. For Garnos, it was world-shattering. He remembered the relief he had felt when he first saw the men at his doorstep, their uniforms proudly displaying the colors of Osanna. For the young man, it felt like the beginning of a new and promising era for Speranza -- if his home country could afford sending troops so far north, maybe they were finally winning the conflict along its southern border! With the troops in town, they’d be able to catch whoever shot the dark-skinned stranger and ensure that no more trouble would happen.

Such promising visions were quickly cast in a light of doubt when Garnos found himself herded into the crowded inn, the sounds of a tank rumbling up towards the structure. He had pushed his way towards the windows, where he observed with a cheek pressed up against the window the armored vehicle with its cannon leveled towards him. Just beyond it, was the last he ever saw of his beloved captain and mayor. With a single resounding bullet, the captain killed two men.

Garnos idly tugged at the loose end of the bandages that concealed the wounds on his forearms and hands. The days following his death were a blur of tears, concerned faces, and empty walls. Broken and lost without his captain, the brunette entirely withdrew from the world into the dark corners of his mind. There, he dug himself into a pit of self-pity and grief where no kind word or gesture could reach him -- woe was him! Woe to the boy whose country betrayed him, who died with his beloved, one whom he failed to protect!

Whilst in this state, the stress compounded within Garnos, and he subconsciously began attacking himself. He primarily used his nails as he clawed and tore at the flesh on his forearms until the damage force a visit to the clinic. In the days following, these wounds would be repeatedly reopened and treated again and again until Speranza was liberated, where Garnos was free to return to the town hall. The arrival of some guests went unnoticed by the young man as he watched Maryn raise Edgar’s childish flag before tending to the fireworks within the boat. He had her to thank for the gradual return to his senses and for restoring his sanity.

Where others had responded with alarm, overwhelming concern and even disgust and disapproval to his condition, she was the only one who gently sympathized. She was the only one who could offer Edgar’s parting gift -- the sad tale of his life and all the hardships he overcame before he became mayor. She was the one who helped Garnos gain new perspective on his life, a reminder that he was still very much alive and that he could do something with it. And for that, Garnos was grateful and considered himself eternally indebted to the dark-haired woman.

”Do y’need any help there, M-Maryn?” he called over to her. A quick check on the rope confirmed that the boat was still bound to land, and the young man wrung his hands a little nervously as he watched the woman on the lake. ”You’re not gonna be r-r-right next to the fireworks when you launch ‘em, are y-you?”

┌──────────

Location: By the Lake (ZAMIA DISTRICT)
Company: Maryn
Feeling: A little nervous ¶

└──────────

Merlin the Mage

[cohn jena]

Location : Roi's Home (IDRIA)[indent]Company : Nadya


As Nadya spoke, Roi listened patiently, though his brows betrayed his confusion. What was all of this about being private and open? Didn’t everyone have the private side to their lives that they kept to themselves? That wasn’t exactly fair to Nadya though; she had mentioned to him long ago that she couldn’t remember her past at all. Roi initially thought he had a pretty good idea of what was upsetting Nadya, but as she spoke he found he couldn’t be further from the truth… or maybe she hasn’t arrived at the heart of the matter yet? There were those that often talked themselves in circles when trying to discuss what was bothering them; perhaps Nadya was one of them. It was no matter -- in the end, if this was what truly troubled her, then there was no reason for him to treat it any less seriously.

”I suppose learnin’ that I was once married didn’ help the matter, eh?” he replied, rubbing his chin with a hand, the hair rasping against his fingers. ”Nadya, please don’ go. I’ve been meanin’ to talk with ye for a while, now, actually.” She faltered a bit, hesitating where she stood, turning to at least face him after a moment of hesitation.
“It’s not so much that you were married... but... it just feels like something I should’ve known a while ago, is all...” she mumbled dejectedly, finally turning her eyes up to look him in the eye again. Roi was quiet a moment. Was that all? Surely such a simple matter carried more weight if Nadya's emotions were somehow tied in... he may have thought correctly afterall.
"Forgive me for not telling ye sooner. It's not something that I like to bring up, and only a few people know of it. The details surrounding it are... sensitive." Roi paused, scratching the back of his head as he gathered his thoughts. "She's been gone for a couple of years now." He looked at Nadya curiously. "Would knowing of her have changed things?" Things. Very particular things. The elephant had always been in the background, hiding behind Nadya's timid and unsure nature. Now the man was attempting to coax it out, to finally address it and deal with it. But was it the wisest thing to do? Nadya shrugged her shoulders a little bit, glancing down.
“I guess... it’s also not really something that comes up in conversation,” she admitted after a moment, finally shifting to clasp her arm sheepishly at the elbow; at least now she wasn’t trying to murder her nail anymore. “I... I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not. Phrala always said that sort of bond isn’t something an outsider can or should intervene with, even after... well, they’re gone.” She shrugged again, eyes drawn to the floor. Her brother was right about one of those things; engaging in affairs with other people outside of wedlock was generally frowned upon and a huge violation of trust. On the other hand...

”What have you seen of couples?” Roi asked, shifting over on the bed and indicating that she could sit with a pat. After a moment she moved to sit next to him again, folding her hands in her lap and trying to control the nervous clawing she’d become prone to.
“Customers. Town residents... I think Mihai let me go to one or two weddings back in Kudamono, but that was a few years ago; I was a lot younger.” She paused, then suddenly looked towards him. “Oh, and before I left, Mihai had been talking about a possible suitor in the town he was doing some work in. I don’t know if that’s what you mean, though...” The redhead chuckled.
”Well… that’s one approach to it. So what you mean to tell me if one of the spouses go, that’s it? The person who is left cannot find a new love?” That’s certainly what she seemed to imply. Nadya paused, fidgeting a bit as she hesitated to answer. She was almost certain the answer she’d been taught, and the one most other people believed would be very different.
“It... depends,” she encroached after a moment, quietly. “Phrala said that, because of the way girls are in the relationship, they’re not supposed to get involved... with married men, or widowed men, or anything really -- and definitely not if they’ve lost their own husband. It’s bad luck, or something... He never really told me much about the rules for men, though. From what I gathered, they just do as they see fit.”
”There’s a lot of learnin’ for ye to do,” Roi replied, smiling faintly at Nadya. ”All I can really say to that, lass, is I was never taught that, and I’m certain that’s not the way it works for a lot of people.” Nadya nodded her head a little, falling into silence. She wasn’t exactly surprised by the news. A quiet moment fell between the two; the conversation had diverted quite a bit from where Roi thought it was going. The elephant had nearly been coaxed out, but the amount of side-tracking they did pushed it to the background again. Running a hand through his messy hair, he cleared his throat and looked at Nadya again.
”What do ye think of us now?” Hmmm. Maybe that wasn’t the best way to approach the matter. ”Well, I mean, what do ye think of me? Ye mentioned ye don’ know everythin’ about me; did ye have a question in particular for me? Should I share some more? I don’ mind.”

She glanced towards him, regarding him carefully for a moment. When addressed so bluntly, it was hard to find an answer. It was hardly an easy question, either.
“I don’t know, I mean--” Well, at least the next question was a little easier. She opened her mouth to speak then faltered. Maybe not. “I think that you’re... very kind,” she started, though she paused again to think. “No, maybe that’s not the right word... selfless? You do a lot for the people around you but never really ask for anything yourself. You’re also frustrating... I may be wrong but... to me it sort of feels like you keep everybody at arm’s reach, but without making it obvious... I don’t expect to know everything, it’s just... it would be nice to know something. I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to, or you’re not comfortable doing, or even that you’re just doing because you feel bad now... but isn’t that what friends are supposed to do? Share things with each other? Rely on each other?”

”No, yer right, friends share things and can rely on each other,” he replied quietly. While the ‘frustrating’ bit was amusing to the man, he was careful to conceal it; it wasn’t the first time that someone described him as such. ”I may be wrong, and even selfish in this, but I choose not to share some things for many reasons. Sometimes I think it’s not that important, the timing may not be right, or maybe I would rather not visit the subject.” The man grew very still suddenly. Gods and Goddesses know that this tendency of his has cost him dearly. ”Sometimes I don’t know where to stop with this though, so if I’m bein’ too secretive, please… tell me.”





Kathryn Anon

[Kathryn Anon]

〖 LOCATION:: roi's house 〗xxx〖 COMPANY:: roi 〗xxx〖 PROFILE 〗xxx〖 OUTFIT ↠ (warm weather) 〗
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx OOC:

Nadya looked towards him again and nodded her head a bit. It was easy enough to say, in theory, but what exactly would she do? Walk up to him and proclaim that sharing is caring? Tell him she’s starting to feel ‘insecure’ — but in what? When you phrased it that way, it sounded like they were a couple; Nadya was very sure that was not the case.
“The only problem is... there’s a lot I need to learn, too. I know that. Mihai wasn’t a very good teacher in a lot of ways... the way most people see things and the way I do is usually pretty different, I guess... Mihai told me very little, but I was raised to tell him everything that crossed my mind,” she spoke thoughtfully, closing her eyes and frowning a little. “So partially, it’s my fault. But... I also don’t think I’m wrong to be upset by how much more you know, than I do... you heard most of Mihai’s opinions; it’s hard to not think...” she slowly fell into silence, opening her eyes but glancing down again.
”Yer brother was never a big fan of me,” Roi chuckled dryly. ”And I understand what ye mean. I should have ye know that I don’ expect ye to tell me everythin’, awrite? Like I said before, if ye don’ wanna talk about somethin’, just let me know.”
“In your defence, my brother was never a fan of anybody who talked to me; especially men,” she managed a subtle smile, though her eyes were sad. “I mean, I know he meant well... I’m sure he had his reasons,” she murmured, closing her eyes and letting out a slow breath before shaking her head. “It’s not that I don’t like talking to you... It’s quite the opposite, actually. It helps to talk about it, when things are bothering me. It’s just, well, everything seems so one sided, and that makes me worry...”
”One-sided? Ye mean me knowin’ everythin’ about ye?”
“And me knowing only about your childhood, with a few creative licenses, no doubt,” she noted, trying to cover how anxious this had been making her with a forced, friendly tone. The corner of Roi’s mouth quirked into a faintly mischievous smile.
”All I can say to that is everythin’ was as I told ye. It’s up to ye to believe it word for word or not.” A few joints made a dull pop sounds as Roi slowly stretched, his expression reflecting his mind mulling over a few ideas. ”Hmmm… I dunno what else of myself to tell ye, lass. I was born and raised on a farm by my parents, I have an older sister, and probably would have worked the land for the rest of my life if my friends didn’t steal me away for the adventures I told ye about.” Was he missing something? Roi looked to Nadya uncertainly. Nadya glanced towards him, watching him a moment before sighing quietly, though a smile had begun to grow on her face. A small one, and one she was trying hard to hold back, but that only made the expression a little more ridiculous.
“Thank you, Roi,” she finally relented, collapsing backwards with a huff so she could stare up at the ceiling. “I don’t know what came over me... but you’d been so absent, and I’m still not quite over everything that’s happened... I’ll try to keep my head in a better space.” She paused, tilting her head sideways a little to look towards him. “Also... I am sorry for what I did. Back in Kudamono? If I’d known about your wife... I wouldn’t have even thought about it. Well, maybe thought but you know what I mean...”
”I wasn’ married at the time, Nadya,” Roi chuckled. So it finally came around. ”She had been gone before then, and ye seem to forget the part where I asked ye to show me ‘properly.’ Don’ worry yer head over it.” Nadya’s complexion darkened and she turned her face into the sheets, pursing her lips as she tried to push the blood away from her face.
“And then you left the next day without so much as goodbye. You’re horribly confusing, you know.” Though Nadya couldn’t see it, Roi bit his lip a little. ”... I’m sorry. I suppose… I wanted to see what it would be like, like I thought ye did. But...” The man paused. ”Ye meant more by it, didn’ ye?” There was another pause as Roi look down at his hands. ”I didn’ want to drag it out for ye after that with a goodbye. I’m… I’m sorry.” “It’s alright, I... got over it. It was just very surprising, and Mihai was... openly pleased. That didn’t help too much either.” His question made her hesitate and she closed her eyes, thinking back. “Yes,” she finally murmured, nodding her head with affirmation. “At the time, I did. Sort of. It’s kind of... confusing, I suppose. But it wasn’t like that for you, right?” The latter part was added in a soft tone, almost reminiscent, but not remorseful or sad. Roi silently shook his head. “You don’t have to apologize for that... I figured a while ago that you probably had your reasons — and by your reasons, I don’t mean the ones Mihai wanted me to think you had... It was kind of silly to get my hopes up when I could tell you were going to leave soon; I just didn’t know how soon.”


The musical Gerudo

[Idha Lu]

My demeanor is one ъecoming of a demon.


Ғear me all you wish.

I am ϯrained in the art of dominance.


Your passionate ѡailing reaffirms my existence.



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Bunching her hair over her shoulder, she took in the site of what Henri had started preparing. As expected of her brother’s ingredient choices, it was certainly fanciful. Nothing like the rugged meals they’d shared with fellow mafia members. No, the cuisine was more on par with the gut wrenching, overly flavorful dishes that had been reserved for official meetings and night club VIP rooms. The heavy thumps of music and bright lights seemed almost fresh in her memory. Gun shots drowned out by heavy beats, dragging a wasted body through the crowd like a drunkard. It had been a dirty business. “Unfortunately, you’ll have to settle for normal. If I were to go for being me then you wouldn’t see me for an entire week unless I so desired it. I usually initiate things on my own terms.”

Straightening the hem of the blue dress, she took a few steps away from the stove. “Looks good so far.” Better than what she could cook. “Still a damn shame I lost that bet. The terms were really in my favor.” Well, that was an abrupt end to conversation. The pinkette had never once been one for idle chatter. She wasn’t about to play twenty questions either. Instead she pulled up a stool to the kitchen’s island and took a seat. “Why cooking? I’ve always been on the shadier side of things, but to enjoy inflicting harm and go with cooking…You could have joined the army or even a caravan or ship to fight off bandits.”

Propping her elbows on the island, she leaned forward. “Unless you are the type that doesn’t like taking orders. I can’t really fault you on that though.” There were always those who didn’t play well with others. People always faulted her for her honesty, but she did her best to watch over her own. “Not that it matters. You are where you are now.” Her gaze followed him closely. Even if she hadn’t witnessed the beginning of his food preparations, nothing had been separated yet. Any attempts at poison would be fruitless if she only tasted each item after he did.

The red head’s meals suddenly felt quite missed. He hadn’t tried to end her even once. Not like so many of the other quiet people that surrounded her. She had to commend them for that. It took bravery. She had to stay alert and one step ahead though. Emery had no plans to eat another bullet to the gut any time soon. Or poison. Or a dagger. Rally, she was perfectly content being alive. And having a high security location to sleep again. “Have you seen that absurd looking Harvest God yet?”



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Kathryn Anon

ζocation ↝ Mansion[Indent]
Ҁompany ↝ Henri[Indent]
ɱood ↝ Alert[Indent]
ϯhoughts ↝ ...[Indent]

[Idha Lu]

Location / / Lake tab ⋮ tab Company / / Garnos tab ⋮ tab Mood / / Uneasy tab ⋮ tab Thoughts / / ...


ɪ ϵɴȷɵү ϻү ȿϻạʟʟ ғʀϵϵĐɵϻȿ.


⇦ I am free to rule over the inn however I please. ⇨



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Maryn was roping another firework into place when she caught Garnos’ stuttering voice on the wind. “Oh, I very well suppose I will be. I believe these are smaller ones though so if I light it and stand on the opposite side of the boat it should be fine. I think. Edgar seemed far more reckless when dealing with these.” Her lips curled into a small smile. “He used to light them on all sides and stand in the middle of all the sparks laughing like a mad man. Some nonsense about pirate’s courage. It’s a wonder he never set himself ablaze.” As unpleasant a thought it was, Maryn could see how some might have been surprised Edgar survived as long as he did. Aside from the fireworks he’d pulled a number of reckless stunts as mayor.

Heaving a sigh, she let her gaze settle on Garnos. He had been as infatuated with Edgar as Leena once had been. The way their eyes lit up when watching him. How they got roped into every scheme. “You know he wouldn’t give you a free pass on something as big as this boat actually floating.” She offered Garnos her hand to help him close the gap into the boat. If the whole vessel went up in flames they could brave the lake together. After helping him over she went back to setting up the last few fireworks.

“Tomorrow I plan to count up the election ballots. So for today we should enjoy the celebration.” It wasn’t a particularly extravagant one. Much of her regular clientele hadn’t returned yet. The stands that usually lined the town square wouldn’t be there. It was fine with her. The brunette preferred the memorial festival to be more personable anyways. With people who had known her late friend. Even the people who hadn’t been in town long had been touched by Edgar at some point or another. His generosity and his spirit were hard to avoid.

“Afterwards, I plan to amend the town record. I want to include a brief biography for him and some statements from those he worked closest with. Miss Gondran has already agreed. I was hoping you would write something for it as well.” She eased into one of the benches that lined the edges of the boat. The seats weren’t the most comfortable, but they served well enough to rest on. It was an improvement best saved for the following spring. Modifying the boat could become a new tradition. The former mayor would have liked that. Making everyone pitch in and add something so the boat represented every person in town was just the sort of thing he’d have done.

Sitting on a boat dedicated to Edgar seemed to make the reality of his passing settle in. The pirate maniac wouldn’t be popping up around the corner. It wasn’t an elaborate ruse to get the town to pull together in a time of need. If he was really there he’d never have passed up the opportunity to go out onto the lake in a boat. Just as Leena would never come back to Speranza either. “I have given this a lot of thought. After the new mayor settles in, I am going to remodel the inn. The antiquated principles I was raised with do not seem to fit into a town without Leena and Edgar anymore. I feel the entire establishment could do with a fresh spin. It would be nice if Speranza was no longer the stop off point for caravans, but rather the destination. The new name for the inn will be Hotel Weiss…” She rubbed her wrist nervously. Maryn had struggled for a long time to decide what her addition to the inn would be. While Garnos’ judgement mattered little in comparison to the crushing thumb of her mother’s, she wanted to tell someone else first so that they would hold her to her plan. For once, she had no plans of backing down.



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⇦ I am free to leave the inn when it suits me. ⇨



вυτ ɪ ωɪʟʟ ɴϵѵϵʀ τʀυʟү вϵ ғʀϵϵ.



The Musical Gerudo




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