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 Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:14 pm
Traugott had long since stopped trying to sell his wares and had moved progressively down the street as beggars filled the road. His knees and hips were pounding from the constant movement, so he eventually just took a seat on the side of the road beside his cart.
When the caravan made it into view, he vividly saw the elderly woman be carelessly cut down. His face fell and grew solemn and somewhat confused. Was that how this day would run? Mowing down anyone who dared try to get something to eat? Good lord, this was barbaric.
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Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 4:42 pm
Fae caught sight of the back of the crowd just in time to watch a woman get cut down. Fear gripped at her throat, feeling as real as a pair of hands choking her, and she involuntarily sucked in her breath. Every last fiber of her being told her to turn tail and run away from this noise and nonsense.
But...Fae you need to eat. She reminded herself. And there will be money to be made tomorrow. Those who survive this will need medicine. And the ones that can't afford medicine will need me. She felt ashamed at that thought, but it was true. For an instant she pictured the woman guard cut down in the madness, bleeding her life out into the street. But no, the likely hood of that happening was slim. There was a toughness behind that teasing smile, and Fae dared not toy with that.
She started with a step. Then another. She moved her way slowly toward the crowd until she was caught up in the flow of bodies, joining like a drop of water joins a stream. When she was sure she was caught up in the crowd, she reached a hand into her pouch and curled her fingers around a chunk of brick as she scanned the convoy for her co-conspirator.
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Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:26 pm
Kaley was in position long before the locks began moving. She waited a bit as they were all chatting and talking before she moved into position with everyone else at the same time. She was watching the crowd when the woman was killed and she did not even bat an eyelash.
She laughed a bit and sighed a bit as she waited for everything to happen, it would take a bit longer before people gave up and flooded the caravan. She of course pulled some strings and had the guards around her that would rile up and taunt the crowds into attacking.
At least she got as many as she could manage, things were not perfect, they never were in this city. She kept her sword ready however, she did not plan to get herself killed in the oncoming assault of beggars. She did not envy those who would be cleaning this mess up so that Sekhet would be happier...if such a thing was possible. She did catch sight of Fae while she waited.
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Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:30 pm
Alaina stood still a distance from the group, but she had just realizednow that she had stopped walking. It really wasn't in her complete nature to be so kind, but she had proper manners and that was what mattered. Although, she didn't really like the question she had been asked.
Stepping a foot closer, she gave a slight smile, "Sorry. Just on my way .. erm, and your group is just heading the same way." Really, she didn't know what to say. I'm going to steal some food, kay. Thanks. Not so much a good idea.
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 5:54 am
Kaelwin She did catch sight of Fae while she waited. Fae's eyes quickly made contact with the guard. A chill of fear and adrenaline rushed down her spine, making her shiver a bit. No turning back now.She maneuvered herself in the crowd, trying to find a pocket large enough to let her move an arm freely while still providing cover. This was easier said than done, and when she finally found a suitable location in the human river she realized the convoy had gotten a lot closer. She tightened her fingers around the piece of brick as she pulled it out of her pocket, praying to whoever would listen to keep her alive through this. She chose a guard, a younger, green looking boy, and waited until he turned his head away from the mob. To her, it seemed like an hour had passed while she waited, but finally he turned away to speak to another guard. Fae pulled back her arm and let the piece of brick fly.
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 8:47 am
Rhiannon clutched the few sheets of paper that she had closer to her chest as she dodged amongst the crowd, eyes continuously scanning as she went. The sheets and their contents were real - they had doodles and sketches of people and places, done in the quick, bold strokes that were her style. But today, they were just a guise.
She was looking for a fat, rich target.
Well, she amended silently, green gaze flickering over the crowd, more like someone too distracted by the current happenings to notice when she filched their coin pouch. Her eyes fell on a likely target, a man with beefy fists raised in the direction of the wagons, beady eyes flushed with anger. He was dressed relatively well for a low class worker - by the looks of it he was probably a supervisor of some sort - he had that look about him, of false superiority.
Rhia worked her way closer, slipping smoothly between agitated bodies whenever a gap was available, her eyes never losing sight of their target. Her free hand dipped quickly into her own belt-pouch, pulling it back out with something clasped loosely between slender fingers.
When she was close enough, Rhiannon paused, glancing about to make sure everyone nearby was still focused on the wagons and not on her before she quickly transferred the contents in her free hand to the one holding the sheaf of papers. Hand free once again, her deft fingers moved nimbly at the man's pouch strings - not to remove it, but simply to untie it. Reaching in, she waited until the man did a particularly violent fist-shake before grasping at the loose coins and replacing them with the stone.
"Gotcha." The word was said softly, triumphantly, as her hand left the man's belt filled with coins. She risked the few seconds it would take to tie the man's pouch up again before turning quickly, edging slowly sideways, along with the direction of the mob. The coins went into her own pouch, and she tossed her head back in a yell of triumph that echoed the angry shouts of the mob around her.
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 11:24 am
Miaka watched, green eyes shimmering with childish excitement as the child, not much taller than herself, placed the babe- and herself- at a viewing level to her. She could see the gold of his eyes, and the red hint to his skin. Strips fell down his cheeks, and they reminded her a little bit of tears, even though they didn’t shine with wetness like tears did. Cocking her head to the side, listening as a light tinkling noise followed the action thanks to her jewelry. He seemed a bit chubby, and when they were eyelevel like this, she could see his hood didn’t actually sit on his hair, but a bit in the air. Curious, her tiny fingers itched to lift the hood away, but refrained from the action. After all, it might upset the greenette.
Instead of grasping the hood like she wanted to, she moved them in front of her. Half offering the babe, half pretending like that wasn’t exactly what she was doing. “Hello there, little one. I am-” She was about to continue her self introduction when she could hear the other woman, who wasn’t her Master, talking. Turning around, to see the situation and not just listen to it, she had a funny sinking feeling in her stomach. Master was upset. Why?
Hikari didn’t move from her spot as a tiny tongue peeked out between her lips, licking them nervously for a second. An action to stall, an action to open her mouth. If it was already open for a reason, perhaps it would be easier to coax the words to move through them? She wanted to say ‘Go on, then, if you aren’t following us, go ahead. Go.’ It was safer for the Chou trio to move behind any group than it was in front of them. It was harder to stab someone from the front than the back. Or, in this girl’s case- hit you with a hammer.
The child her other was talking to was of concern to, but considerably less, she figured. Though, that being thought, she kept a firm on the kneeling child and the pink haired girl. She’d jump at the slightest wrong movement. But at the moment the green haired female seemed encumbered by her own burden, so it would take her longer to attack than this female in front of her. It was safer for Miaka there, than here.
A thick gulp and Hikari still couldn’t get the words she wanted to speak to leave her lips. Pursing them together, in defeat, she gave a sharp nod of her head, down the road. She figured it translated to ‘Well, if you’re not following us, get gone.’ She hoped the other got the message and left.
Miaka watched, one foot posed to go to her Master, the other planted firmly towards the other children. What to do? She was about to decide, when Hikari’s voice whispered something, and she found herself straining her ears to hear.
“Y-Yami, we sh-should move on. …We we-were going some…where.”
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 2:03 pm
Yami nodded and turned to the other woman. "Seems so. I guess we'll meet each other again if our paths end at the same destination". She gave her a slight nod to signal her leave as she turned to her sister, and assumed her position as front. How much time have they lost?
She felt guilt squeeze her chest. They lost time because she decided to veer off course. She knew how much time it would take to reach their desired destination, but the whole series of events that transpired here all stemmed from her naivete. Her face couldn't bear to curl into a smile. It wasn't appropriate at this time. "I believe I owe you an apology: I'm sorry, things like this tend to happen too often because of me". And with that another heavy sigh escaped her lips.
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:41 pm
The fools were not near Marsalles.
After leaving the apprentice loft Feyd had hurried down a floor to a very specific room: the theatre’s second storage room. To the casual eye the room was generic as storage rooms went. There were old props in crates and barrels; racks and piles of costumes, and stray, half assembled bits of scenery. But, to Feyd Raither’s eyes the room had been every so carefully ransacked. Costumes were missing here and there, the plain, everyday looking costumes. And, most comfortingly, certain props were missing as well: swords with edges all too real. That was good. It meant the others were already on their way to the “party.”
Syrin still tucked in one arm Feyd made his way into the room, stepping past one barrel of swords but pausing at another. For a moment he stared at the contents, shaking the barrel slightly to hear the bright clink of metal on metal. Then, seemingly arbitrarily, he selected a sword from amid the rest and delicately tested its edge against his thumb. Good, it was real, they had left him one.
“Feyd, give that to me.”
Starting, Feyd spun about to see Seth emerge from behind a rack of clothes. The other actor had shed the bright clothes he wore for his street tumbling. Now he had donned a drab collection of rags and leather and smeared his face with dirt and dust. If Feyd hadn’t seen him dressed that way before he would have found it hard to recognize his colleague. “What?” he played dumb. “You want me to be there with just sticks and stones when the riot breaks out?”
Seth frowned and crossed his arms. “With any luck that’s all we’ll use. It’s not a small convoy in the night like they were before. It’s big, heavily guarded, and coming in broad daylight. We won’t be able to get away if the guards come after us specifically; we need to blend with the crowd.” Noticing Feyd drift towards the racks Seth intercepted him and held his hand out for the sword. “That’s beside the point though. What I mean is: you can’t come today.”
Feyd’s eyes narrowed. “Oh? Just how will you run the Party without me?
“'How will we attack the convoy?'! Call it what it is, Feyd! This isn’t a game anymore. There’s no one to overhear us, call it what it is.” They kept their voices low but now Seth’s words had the impression of a shout. “And we’ll do fine. I know what to do. Cull a cart, spook a horse, throw a rock. The others are already in place, we’ll be fine!”
Feyd surged forward. “I’m going!”
“And what about your son, Master Raither? Will you leave him here with the apprentices? What if you die?”
Feyd flinched. In his arms Syrin looked up at him, eyes curiously focused for one so young. Feyd wasn’t worried about dying, that was far from his thoughts. What worried him was leaving his little Self alone at the theater. The apprentices couldn’t watch him. They would notice his red eyes and pointed ears. And locking the babe in his room wasn’t an option… Feyd wasn’t even sure if he was allowed to be apart from Syrin, they had been so vague while he was in the Velvet Room.
“Give me the sword, Feyd.”
Sullen from his thought’s Feyd obliged, barely managing a ‘good luck’ as Seth dashed out the door. He would, Feyd knew, take their secret ways and be at the gate to Marsalles quickly. And he would find the others and they put on their show and throw a rock and spook a horse. Perhaps, if they were lucky, they would be able to route a frightened horse out of the district. Perhaps, if they were lucky, none of them would die.
Playing at being heroes; maybe they were too old for this game. Yet, he would give almost anything to be with his friends at the gate.
With a sigh Feyd lifted the babe in his arms. “Where are your grand promises now, Myself?” he asked those bright red eyes. One thing in the Velvet Room hadn’t been vague. He remembered exactly what Sasuke had said before infancy muted him: ’An adventure? I'm all for it! Don't worry, I'll take care of all the problems in our way!’ Gently he pressed his forehead against Syrin’s smaller one.
“Where is my adventure now?”
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 8:26 pm
Easter hoped the curious girl wouldn't bother Egan's hood. Just because the group here knew this suddenly older girl wasn't normal, didn't mean that everyone needed to know this boy was different too. At least this pink one was lucky. She could prance about anywhere and not look suspicious...physically at least. Her attitude towards people was far too removed from anything Easter knew to be safe.
When the girl's introduction trailed off the older girl looked up at what she was staring at and noticed the confrontation going on. Perhaps this was a good chance to escape from the group. Although they didn't seem to be overtly threatening on the whole and Egan was rather interested in them himself, Easter didn't want to be caught with them long in case this was a set up for something larger. Something sinister. Everyone nice had a motive, and this duo wasn't going to stick around and find out what it was.
If the people in the house she was kneeling in front of could be trusted, then there was something interesting going down in Marsalles. That could mean all sorts of good food and drink. Meat! There was something she'd not had since Mom and Dad were around. Even with the kind people she'd helped out with in exchange for food, no one had had enough to spare for yet another orphan girl who probably wouldn't last out the next winter, let alone summer.
Driven by her need for comfort food and a bit of her imagination's need for exploration Easter's mind wouldn't allow her to think anything other than that she should go and investigate. Never mind the danger of having a small helpless infant weighing you down, never mind the possibility of guards preventing you from getting anything or worse, attacking you for being around.
Slowly standing so as not to alert the nameless child in front of her Easter readied her grip on her precious cargo. 'You better stay quiet Egan....we have no reason to trust these people.' Easter imagined these words in her head as vividly as she could. She imagined them becoming tangible, floating above her head before descending upon Egan and being absorbed and understood by the infant. She wasn't sure how well her telepathy would work but it only needed to last long enough for her to make a silent getaway. Quietly and swiftly as possible the pair backed up and headed towards the alley way they'd come from.
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:12 pm
Alaina had grown up in such a large family, she could taste the sarcasm when it came from someone's speech. Really, this "leader" character's first statement came off slightly rude; it was hard to trust people these days, so it was understandable why. Yes, this one speaking to her appeared to be the leader. The other was quiet, shy and a mother. You'd figure that she'd be the "momma bear" of this situation rather than this .. what, artist? She had heard of most of the people around town; she appeared to be the one mentioned as the artist.
Rolling her eyes, Alaina sighed, "I'm probably going to the exact same place you guys are. To get food. Besides, it's probably safer to stick to a large group to get somewhere." She looked at the two adults and then the child, "That little one with the kid seems to be the only one that could hold their own. No offense." Picking the hammer from her pocket, she twirled it around gracefully, "And I also seem to be the only one with any sort of weapon. Now .. do you want to all go safely as a group to get food, or am I going to have to just be a b- .. a pig and get all the goods to myself?"
She caught her language. Alaina wasn't the politest person when she got into moods like this - hungry, tired - but she still used common sense. There were children around after all.
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Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:05 am
Hikari smiled, benignly, when Yami approached her and murmured soft apologies. “It’s okay,” She whispered back softly, her eyes watching the woman in front of them. She didn’t want the other traveling with them, not with a large hammer in her hand.
And besides, saying ‘no offence’ didn’t just rid the impending offence that followed it, regardless. She wanted to tell the woman they’d be fine without her. After all, there was strength in numbers. And they were a group of three, while she was a woman of one. But how did she dismiss this person in front of her?
Miaka watched the scene before her unfold, unnerved by the way her Master was shifting uncomfortably with the passing moments. She was so caught up in the older woman’s distress, she almost missed the nearly silent shuffle of feet and clothing. She almost missed the movement in her peripheral. Almost, being key. Taking her eyes off the brunette woman for a moment, Miaka whirled around, her jewelry clattering as she narrowed her orbs in an attempt to find the fleeing girl with her child. This wouldn’t do. Not at all.
“Wait,” She called, softly, coyly, as she spotted the figures disappearing into the Alleyway. The girl cocked her ehad to the side, watching them carefully, almost waiting for them to run. “He’s like me,” She finally spoke. She wasn’t sure it would work, but if she mentioned that she knew this other baby was an Actor, perhaps they would stay for her to watch them.
Hikari turned at Miaka’s voice, a bit panicked. What was going on? She’d taken her attention off the child for two seconds. What had she missed?
The green haired child had backed away into the Ally, leaving her other alone. The dancer quickly moved towards her child, and Miaka looked up with wide eyes before offering a sparkling smile. Nothing was wrong, after all. Her friend was just moving away and she was getting her to come back.
Yami, for her part, watched as her sister moved away from her, before looking back at Alaina. There was a mild sense of distrust from the woman. After all, like she had said, she was the only one with a weapon. “Perhaps you should go and get the goods yourself.” She spoke, calmly, as politely as possible. It wouldn’t be good for Miaka and Hikari to stick around a woman with a weapon. There were too many variables.
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Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:35 am
Easter stopped short of the safety of the shadowed alley. Damn. She'd been noticed. Though it wasn't very easy to be a stealthy person while creeping backwards. And while running would probably have worked in this situation, she was caught off guard by what Miaka had said. If this girl knew what Egan was then she might not be as big a threat as once thought. Perhaps she could even use this group as a distraction... Easter weighed the words carefully and spoke them clearly so she wouldn't have to repeat herself. "There's food headed into Marsalles...That's where we're going." Easter's eyes settled on the slight woman standing next to the other Actor. She hoped to convey that this wasn't anything other than a temporary alliance.
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Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:40 am
Oh, how the slur of insults were stirring. Trying not to be rude; she was thinking like a man, but would act like a lady. Plastering a genuine(-ly fake) smile on her face, Alaina bowed her head in a short, quick manner, "Suit yourselves. But like I said .. if I get the goods, I'm not about to share with some .. artist." Turning her back, she went to leave, "Or anyone for that manner. Except for maybe the little ones. After all, they need the food to grow."
Another pause, she could feel herself fuming, "You'd think you'd care more about feeding your kids than you care about yourself. Huh, guess I was wrong." She shot over her shoulder, but the next comment came with a coy look, "What a terrible thing for an aunt to do to her niece."
Alaina began walking at a slow pace towards the Marsalles, "You can still follow if you want, but I'm not waiting any longer." She looked over at the green hair child and smirked, "Seems as though that kid's got the right idea, anyways." The kid knew what she wanted and just wanted food rather than friends. Smart kid .. very smart.
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Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:47 am
Hikari reached and grabbed Miaka’s hand, carefully in her own. The green orbs peered up at her before going back down to stare at the green haired child. “Food…” The dancer whispered, softly, to herself. Food in Marsalles.
Yami listened to the other woman as she turned to leave. She was looking after her sister and niece, regardless of what the carpenter thought. And in doing such, she couldn’t put them at risk by a potential threat. She’d already veered them off course once, she couldn’t just toss them into danger, willy nilly.
Moving to her sister’s side, once the other was gone, she caught the tail end of Easter’s speech. “Marsalles?” She looked at Miaka, then Hikari, and let out a sigh. “I think that’s the place to go, then.”
Hikari nodded softly, staring at the child in front of them. She’d never verbally invite her along, but if she wanted to come, she didn’t seem like much of a threat… Besides, Miaka, was intent on staying near the infant for some reason or another.
And with that, the Chou trio silently set off on their own, towards the university, towards the food.
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