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 Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2023 2:28 pm
Shoving against Nyko now would be like pushing his way with an injured and frightened beast. The last thing he wanted was to harm Nyko or to be bit because of his own impatience. There was a time and place for everything, now was not a moment for aggression but for patience and understanding…if possible. One false move and he could shatter the fragile peace that was in the room now that everyone had aired out their thoughts and feelings. For now all Yunan could do was stay quiet, his gaze thoughtful as he slowly nodded while listening to both Nyko and Aaricia. Admittedly it was hard to stay quiet, especially when a whip was mentioned, and Yunan’s fingers curled into his hands with the perfectly manicured nails biting deep into his palms as he held back the rage. He knew about such things from the past and since being with Nyko, but just hearing about them still made Yunan’s blood boil. For now though the glass clutched in one hand was forgotten, dropping to the ground since Nyko decided to not cut him with the offered piece. Yunan’s gaze shifted towards Aaricia at the idea of all three of them going to Matori, but after a moment he looked back to Nyko and nodded. Why not? She meant enough to Nyko that they were concocting some crazy plan instead of simply delivering her to her father so bringing her to Matori or anywhere else for that matter simply made sense…as long as she proved herself and didn’t end up betraying them. It was still hard for Yunan to trust the hybrid woman, but he understood that she had a connection with Nyko which surely would mean something even if she was loath to trust Yunan as he was wary of her.
Yunan’s lips pursed thoughtfully as he listened to Aaricia explaining more details about their plan. “From the brief encounter I had with your father, the man is very dense when he’s already prejudiced against something. Just a few touches should suffice along with some lewd commentary which I do apologize for in advance.” Yunan’s golden gaze burned at the very thought before a soft chuckle left his lips at the stabbing commentary. “I’m not inclined to stab you, either.” Yunan admitted to Aaricia, a faint smile crossing his features before he looked back towards Nyko. “If we act as lovers, can you stand it?” There was a coldness in his gaze as he thought back to other plays he had to endure when he was first starting out his business in Oba. The acts before had been fine, but this time there could be consequences now that he actually was involved with someone else who he cared about. “Though I have the feeling that it would be fine if Aaricia prefers to be disgruntled with me since her father would much rather enjoy her suffering in some form even if he cannot physically harm her for the time being.” It was an honest if not crude statement, but Yunan was not going to sugarcoat anything. This would be a difficult situation to navigate indeed.
“Needless to say if the man gets a bit too greedy before we can get the evidence required I will find other ways to end his actions. I promise that I will not allow him the chance to harm Aaricia or any of us for that matter.” Yunan didn’t even seem bothered by the offer as he glanced about the room. “For now we’ll try to keep it on this path to keep things clean on our end without having to worry about unnecessary complications. The last thing any of us want is to be branded as criminals in Oba.” He could try to arrange something, an accident, but for now this would be the best route because not only would it secure funds but hopefully get rid of others who were blocking his way without Yunan needing to get his hands completely dirty. Crossing the room, Yunan snatched up some parchment and spread it across the table. Grabbing a quill and some ink, he started to write down dates that he knew would be important to them. “These will be the best times considering the upcoming festivals to host dinners and meetings for us going forward.” Yunan began as he peered back towards his companions. “Unless there’s any other issues we need to address I see nothing holding us back from starting to plot around important dates. We’ll include some flexibility in case others interrupt the flow, but most of the elite have a set guideline for arrangements such as these and I’m sure we’ll push to follow suit to allow us the time we need to gather everything that we can against Dazhiq. The initial dinner to announce the news will be held within a week of me bringing Aaricia home since he’ll want to get things started as soon as possible. The quicker we are married the sooner he can have access to my wealth once any accidents happen to us. There’s a full moon blessed by On’os within two weeks and I would push to host a dinner then to follow the customs of wishing good fortune upon new couples. That would be perfect timing for Nyko’s debut to Oban society where we can encounter him and perhaps receive an offer of music for our wedding which we would have to discuss and practice with Nyko over several dinners, both with the family and in private if necessary.” His lips pressed thoughtfully together before he glanced away from the parchment and back to his companions. "I know it feels rushed but that is the best that I could plan giving the pressures of time. Before I bring Aaricia in we should also gather supplies to help us to survive this insanity. There's a potion shop down by the docks that we should visit, it's far enough away from Sulburi to avoid unnecessary eyes and we can always use some sleeping droughts for nights when we need the help for sneaking about."
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Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2023 4:07 pm
“Dazhiq has another child?” That was news to Nyko and the surprise in his tone was only beat out by the look of horror and disgust on his face. “I know he has his wealth, but I can’t imagine anyone willingly laying with him. The woman must be mad.” Or brain dead at least. What self-respecting individual would want to tie themselves to Dazhiq with a child?
The talk of lovers…Nyko huffed out a puff of air and ran a hand through his now dampened curls. “I’ll have to, won’t I? Can’t slip up on my end.” As far as anyone would be aware he had a brief business history with Yunan and nothing more. Even those in Belrea who knew the truth knew to keep their business to themselves so risk of being ‘outed’ was limited if they played the proper roles.
Oooh, and then there was that. “Again; you mean branded as criminals again. I haven’t been able to find any traces of my time in prison, but I suspect that’s because what they were doing wasn’t exactly ‘legal’ from the start.” Still, he planned on looking into things just in case. He wasn’t sure what sort of a record Aaricia had managed to wrack up in her time, but Yunan should be safe, at least. Funny really since he seemed the type to have at least something shady hidden in his past. He moved closer toward the table to get a look at the dates that Yunan was outlining. “Two weeks should be enough time for me to see about some renovations to the estate. It needs some work if it’s going to be up to snuff for any sort of events.”
Or rather, it was going to need some work if it was going to be livable to him, no matter how short the period.
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2023 11:13 am
Aari nodded at Yunan's observation. "I haven't interacted with him in a long time, but from my observations.. he has changed little over the years. He will watch you closer due to your lineage, but he is also more likely to underestimate you. If he were easy to fool, I would have brought him down long ago." It was a bitter pill to have to wait so long and need so much help to bring her father to the ground.. but it was one she willingly swallowed. The end result would be worth far more than some self-centered pride. Besides, few things got accomplished alone.
She nearly laughed at Nyko's shock. Instead, she gave him a sour but sad smirk and nodded. "Those circles are not above marrying for convenience and status. His façade as a noble runs deep, and I can only imagine how desperate he felt when I got away. He would take anyone if it meant a new child to be his heir."
She scooted her chair closer to rest her arms on the table and see what was being written. "I should keep laying low until we're ready to approach him to prevent being preemptively spotted by other nobles or hunters. I have contacts all over that I can leverage for supplies and information to help as well, but I want to limit who I include. Loyalty is as fickle as the flip of a coin, and was out of Oba until recently." She looked between the pair with an almost apologetic smile. "You two will have the hard part of being in the public."
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Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 6:56 pm
“I believe in you.” Yunan was perhaps a bit too mischievous in the moment as he actually smiled towards Nyko. “You’re very talented with performances, after all.” It was only a split moment before his expression shifted back towards that calm mask again as he listened to Nyko and Aaricia, the mention of criminals making his lips press together as he was both concerned and interested at the same time. “Hopefully any records would be under different names perhaps? If they even exist.” He did comment quietly before glancing back towards Aaricia. He knew that she was a daughter on the run, but honestly there seemed to be a lot more to the woman that he had yet to learn. It was hard not to be interested and since they were spending time together he could only hope to learn more about Aaricia and Nyko as well. “Either way Aaricia’s records will be wiped clean before the wedding, that much I know her father will do to avoid any trouble for his investment. As it is, I am prepared for a fight, so do not worry about me. I prefer a challenge, it would be too boring if we could simply kick Dazhiq out within a night. Two weeks will give us time to prepare and then we can reveal you while moving along with the plan.” Yunan spoke towards Aaricia with a nod, a hint of that mischievous spark from earlier showing despite everything as he spoke about enjoying a challenge.
“As for staying low, do you have local lodgings?” Yunan asked with a raised brow. “If Nyko does not opposed to the idea we can hide you in the place I have rented here for the next week while we gather supplies.” The hybrid gave a slight shrug as he offered, not wanting to push the idea but thinking it was a valid option. “There’s no servants there since I wanted a respite from everything and it's on the edge of town with a basement entrance you could slip into instead of using the main doors, easy enough to not be seen if you’re careful. As for the public part? I think we’ll be just fine.” Nyko was a performer and while Yunan did not host concerts the man had his own different sort of public experiences, something vital for a businessman promoting so many new shops across different countries. One day he would hopefully not have to endure so many false smiles and sickening comments, but for now he would endure as he always had before.
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Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2023 10:10 am
“If you’re not particular about where you stay or gather supplies the estate is open to you. You’ll have to go through the servant’s quarters, maybe even the dungeon, but I can have a key ‘left out’ for you.” They wouldn’t be able to openly communicate with one another, though at the very least they would have the knowledge that Aaricia had a safe place to sleep should she need it and food in her stomach. “It’s not as if I’ll be keeping a lot of the current employees so you won’t have to worry about eyes on you. Or you could go with Yunan’s offer as well. Either way you have options.”
As far as being in the public eye, well, at that he shook his head with a roll of his eyes. “Don’t worry about us, Aari. We can handle it.” Normally he would have had some sort of flyer with – of course – his own face painted across it, but not today. Shame, really. “I know it’s been a while since we’ve talked, but I made a name for myself in Belrea and Yunan’s not exactly a shut in. Public appearances are the least of my worries in all of this.”
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Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2023 3:36 pm
Aari felt her lips twitch with amusement. "That will be quite a bitter pill for him to swallow to have my record cleared. I believe the majority of the charges there are by him alone." A few had been earned from people other than her father, but all were noble fools who had deserved to face justice. Criminals with enough influence to keep themselves from facing official consequences. Aari may have been hiding for the past few years, but she certainly hadn't been idle.
The confidence of the men concerning their public appearances did earn a chuckle. "I recall you being quite charismatic," she observed to Nyko lightly. "I trust both of you will be fine. I suppose I have kept to the shadows too long to be comfortable so openly exposed." That was going to be an adjustment as well. Even her trip to Zena had found her using her stealth more often than not though it hadn't been necessary.
She tapped her lips thoughtfully as she thought over the presented options. "Yunan's rental will probably be best. Everyone's eyes will be on the manor out of curiosity once word spreads about someone from Belrea buying the estate." She huffed softly and leaned back in her seat. "If I do somehow get spotted or the wrong person hears that I'm back in Oba, it would be better to not have any possible connection to you."
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Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2023 11:02 am
"I see." Yunan nodded as he spotted Aaricia's slight expression change, the amusement not escaping his notice. "Even more reason for me to push for a clean record, if he won't do it himself." The chuckle actually felt like it removed some of the lingering tension in the room and despite the situation that they were preparing for the hybrid found himself somewhat relaxed. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to handle anything public that we would need to endure." Yunan promised Aaricia before glancing back towards Nyko thoughtfully. Taking over a whole estate... the bitterness towards the former owner and everything surrounding the past, well Yunan could only hope that this plot would allow for some closure while granting them all the power to move forward. He refused to run away from Oba, he wanted all of them to conquer the past and those that had caused them so much harm. In the future if they left this damned country then that would be by their choice without anyone forcing them to do so.
"My rental it is. Honestly I was hoping my rental would serve for all of us, for a couple of days at least. We can rest there for tonight and then begin gathering supplies by tomorrow evening, I've already taken care of inventory here and need to delay actually turning in the numbers so that lingering in this area makes sense." Yunan offered before finally going back to the table to pour a new glass of wine, his fingers curving around the cold glass as he pondered everything that they had just discussed. "When we go back to Sulburi, then I'll speak with Aaricia's father and I'm assuming we'll be forced into that estate while Nyko conitnues working on his new acquisition." Raising the glass to his lips, he took a sip before gesturing at the table that had food and water in addition to the alcohol. "I promise it's more than just alcohol. Have either of you eaten today? We should take this time to rest and prepare ourselves, not stress ourselves out before going into enemy territory. Exhaustion only opens up opportunities for mistakes which we must avoid." While Yunan did not necessarily have the trauma from Oba, there were definitely more eyes on him here and going into that estate....well there would be no time for relaxing then. So for tonight, why not at least relax a little bit now that things seemed to be somewhat sorted out? Well, they would need to come up with a more detailed story whenever he brought Aaricia in. Even if her father didn't pester him then others surely would once she was introduced back into Oban society with him. Did he simply fall in love at first sight? Was such a thing even possible? Even Nyko had driven him insane before he started developing feelings, would it be possible to express an interest in Aaricia from the very beginning? The chemistry in this room seemed more focus on Nyko...if only that had been an option. Aaricia seemed trustworthy enough and he was already willing to work with her which was a rarity for the distant businessman, but surely that was only because Nyko had spoken for her and obviously cared so much about his friend. Yunan found himself taking another drink of the wine at the thought, his mind struggling more with their relationship more than the actual plan.
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2023 10:23 am
“I suppose you’re right,” Nyko admitted with a sigh. It wasn’t as if he were opposed to attention, good or bad, but he didn’t relish the idea of staying the manor alone. Thought of asking his stage crew to fill in the guest rooms filtered through his mind and the Matorian knew it was something he would have to explore in depth tomorrow. Honestly, Nyko was just now noticing the offered food and water. He’d been so keen on getting to business that he didn’t look at much beyond the offered alcohol. So, he reached out for a few niblets before popping them into his mouth. The Matorian chewed on it for a moment before swallowing with a little frown. “Do you have spare parchment and a quill? I need to write down some supplies. If we’re going to be staying at the rental then I need to pick up proper spices and work on a real dinner. It’s been ages since I’ve cooked with real Oban ingredients and I’ll be damned if someone else ruins that for me.”He'd spent the majority of his life in a kitchen and while Nyko hadn't cooked a massive meal in ages he still enjoyed the craft. While Aaricia had already had the divine pleasure of eating his cooking once before Yunan hadn't and Nyko wanted to remedy that. "So nows the time for you two to say what you want and what you don't want. "
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Posted: Sun May 21, 2023 2:53 pm
Could this really be happening? Sitting there making a solid plan to bring down her father... Aari had lacked the resources to act fully on her mission, only picking away bit by bit at Dazhiq's foundation over the years. Now, there was an actual chance? The risk was extremely high, but the reward would certainly be worth it. Her eyes flicked briefly between the men. Such a high risk... She wanted to walk the streets of Suburi without fearing for her life, but those men were planning a future together. If anything went wrong... There was a special ceremony waiting in Matori, and Aari was going to make damned sure that the men would both get there. It was tempting to think she might go as well, but surely Nyko had meant for the trip to just be for two.
She glanced at the offered food, but her stomach curled against the idea. Yunan was right, though; food was necessary. She silently reached out for a biscuit and turned it over in her hands without eating. She knew it was nerves. The knowledge that she would soon be back under Dazhiq's roof, essentially a prisoner there again, was not settling well. She could be calm and go over the plan with a cool exterior, but her stomach betrayed her inner turmoil to herself.
"I could use a little more time before I think too much on food," she said softly. Still, she attempted an encouraging smile. "I doubt you would make anything that I would not eat. Whatever you wish to make with your 'real' ingredients will be wonderful, I am sure."
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Posted: Wed May 31, 2023 10:02 am
Yunan gave Nyko a soft smile. "Of course." The hybrid shuffled the paperwork on the desk until he found some blank parchment and passed it over with a silver tipped quill that he had been using. "I look forward to trying a real dinner then. Just nothing too sweet, other than that I'm fine." Offered Yunan with a thoughtful expression, curious to see how well this cooked meal would go. It was strange to think that while preparing for such a mission they could be doing something else like discussing meal options and cooking at home. But that was something that Yunan honestly appreciated since it showed confidence and in a sense gave them something else to do instead of fretting over all the possibilities of what could happen.
His gaze drifted over towards Aaricia. It was obvious that she was still nervous about the situation, the biscuit twisting in her hands was proof enough and Yunan found himself moving to pour some water for the hybrid woman. "Perhaps we can learn more about each other? I prefer the sound of the ocean crashing against the shore early in the morning to the busy sounds of the street, but I do enjoy the architecture of Belrean cities along with the fresh scent of bread from a nearby bakery. I'm not one for sweets, but spices can be enjoyable and I prefer cooler colors to something like bright orange. I was raised in Zena until my teen years when I relocated to Matori to learn business and help my aunt who introduced me to medicine."
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Posted: Wed May 31, 2023 10:15 am
"It will take some time to find everything I'm sure, so maybe by then I can tempt you with a bite?" Nyko brought the tip of the quill to his tongue, licked the tip, and tapped it into the ink before writing out his list. It was a lot to take in now, but surely at some point the smells of a nice, warm meal would lure Aaricia out of her worries. "I'm s**t at cooking sweets so you're in luck, Yunan."
For the moment Nyko was content to passively write down things he might need in the kitchen and listen to the two of them, especially when Yunan of all people extended an invitation to chat. He looked up from his writing and passed the lighter hybrid a warm smile before turning that same look Aaricia's way. They were going to need to get along sooner or later, but if it could happen naturally then that was all the better.
So long as it wasn't too close. Nyko was still going to have to work on that one.
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Posted: Wed May 31, 2023 7:48 pm
"I am sure I will be ready later," she assured Nyko. Just as she was counting on the men, they would be counting on her to keep her head in the mission. She had some more mental preparation to do, but she knew she would be able to get where she needed to be. Eventually. She would need to make the most of the coming days. Preparing to see her father again and look at his face and be in that house once more and pretend to be stuck without killing him on the spot...
Aari glanced at the water and managed a small smile at the unexpected gesture that was only sweetened by Nyko's encouraging smile. Perhaps she could focus on the hopefully more pleasant aspect of this mission. Companions.
As Yunan spoke, Aari twisted off a piece of biscuit to eat. "The people who live in the rooms under mine bake bread once per week to share with the neighbors. It heats up my room something awful.. but the smell is indeed wonderful. I believe I do like sweet things, but I don't have them often." She let her finger rest on her lip as she chewed another piece contemplatively. She didn't want to bring the mood down with details, and how much dare she share? She was so used to keeping information close to the vest. "I was born in Zena, and lived there until.." she hesitated before she gestured to the space around her, "I was brought to Oba. I think I was around 8 or 9 years old. Spent a brief time in Matori, but pretty much just Oba since then."
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Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2023 10:12 am
A rare laugh crossed Yunan's lips. "Fortunate indeed so some spice it is." In the moment he was honestly more relaxed than before, the hybrid seemingly less cold and distant as he glanced over his companions. Despite everything there was something nice about just being able to share some conversation with others. There was no need to pose as anyone other than himself in this situation, not when they were all in this dangerous plot together.
Seeing Aaricia warming up to his actions made his lips curl up into another faint smile. It did feel like things could work out, especially now that they were opening up to each other. Such a plan could only work if they were willing to protect each other, not worry about betrayal constantly. "I see." He mused with a nod of his head. "Zena made me appreciate the warmth of a bakery, I could see how miserable it would be in Oba's heat. There is a good spot in Belrea which we found...perhaps one day if you travel that way we could show you and try out some sweets to see if you do indeed like such things." Was he promising future connections even once this plan was over? Perhaps. Surprisingly the thought was not completely unwelcome to the usually reserved man who once hated bonding with others. Even Yunan was surprised by the offer despite the words leaving his very own lips, the thought making him glance over towards Nyko with a small nod. Why not? This was Nyko's friend, why not consider future meetings once everything was settled? Yunan knew better than to think he could completely cage the other man and keep him in the privacy of his own home, Nyko was happiest living freely and going as he pleased which made Yunan feel even more confident considering he had decided to stay instead of leaving him. Yunan would just have to try to consider working on those stirrings of jealousy and let the past be the past, that was all.
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Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2023 12:31 pm
"Y'know, I almost stopped by that bakery on our way out, but I didn't know how air travel would sit with me." Nyko paused in his writing - which was more chicken scratch than anything with more pictures than words - "I think you'd like, Aari. Everything is so fresh it melts on the tongue." He raised his spare hand to form the sign for 'delicious' before getting back to his work. It was a was an unexpected gesture from Yunan, but honestly, Nyko liked the idea. Beyond his excursion to Belrea he'd not done much travel and never for 'fun'.
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Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2023 9:22 pm
Belrea? She couldn't help an intrigued look flitting between the men. "Well, maybe one day. I would feel better knowing someone out there if I were to go." Go all the way to Belrea? It was quite a tempting idea though. Leave her history behind an ocean of water for even a brief time.. how pleasant would that be? Indeed, she was going to need a vacation anyway after this mission was over. There would be a lot of work to be done after to ensure there would be no resurrection of her father, make sure Yunan got the proper money, ensure her little brother was settled... Yeah. A trip away would be just the thing for her!
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