{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Recluse : 19 } { ??? : 1900s London }
"Hmm." They held their chin through the shadows in thought, tilting their head. "Never been asked that one before."
After a moment, they snapped their fingers, and another cloaked individual appeared in a small whisk of golden dust, handing them a strip of paper that looked ripped straight out of a notebook before vanishing back into dust. The Broker focused on the paper for a moment, and with a soft hum, an triangle appeared on the sheet, which they offered to her.
"Find someplace safe, press this symbol onto a surface, and charge it with the slightest bit of magic. It should burn away, leaving this mark on the surface," they explained. "The burning of the sheet will alert me that you've rung, and the new symbol's location will be my guide. I'm trusting you not to lead me into an ambush doing this, of course."
"I might not respond immediately, but I'll know to check that location when I can," they continued. "For now, will that suffice?"
{ATE: The Broker ~ Case of the Recluse .:. 20} {Janex .:. 1900’s London}
She nodded, accepting the rune-inscribed paper solemnly.
”Thank you,” Janex said, putting as much feeling as she could into the words—which was already considerably more than she had been able to do this morning. ”I… you’ve done more for me than I can ever repay, but if there’s anything I can do for you… Well, I assume you know how to find me. Bet this little baby will make a good tracking device, after all.” She smirked playfully, waving the folded strip of paper between two fingers.
Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 6:51 pm
{ ATE : Closing Wounds : 7} { Dawn : Mirage Arena : Stables}
"Because. I have been unfairly cold to you," Dawn started, but paused and sighed as she tried to find the right words to say.
"Since you arrived. I've found it hard to say much of anything to you. I felt unsure. With no fault of your own, either. If anyone is to blame it is me," the girl continued as she shuffled nervously, "It really isn't your fault you have the face of someone I named as a friend. Even after being used, I promised I would remember the good I saw."
Dawn clinched her fists as she finally found courage to look in Steven's direction, then looked down and said under her breathe, "I am such a b***h..."
{ATE: Good Friend Captain Morgan .:. 14} {Bobbi .:. Mirage Arena .:. Second Floor Halls}
"HEY EVERYONE! DO YOU WANT TO MEET MY GOOD FRIEND CAPTAIN MORGAN? COME TO THE LIVING ROOM!”
Bobbi opened one eye and glared at her almost-closed door from where she sat on her bed. Feather’s call had echoed up to the second floor, and Bobbi thought that if she had just shut her door, her meditation wouldn’t have been interrupted. But it was, and she hadn’t been really feeling the meditation anyway. So, she stood, and stretched, and poked her head out to see if anyone else from upstairs was going to take Feather up on her offer. She had of course heard the dulcet sounds of someone outside being clumsy, and recognized Kyle’s voice, followed by Noelle’s. She listened to their conversation, leaning against her doorjamb, not particularly feeling like joining in at the moment—meditation brain fog was fun—and raised an eyebrow at Kyle’s apparent class change.
”I can cook,” she offered when Kyle mentioned food. Because of course food is what gets her brain working well enough to pilot her mouth. ”Ya hungry for anything in particular?”
Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 2:51 am
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Recluse : 21 } { ??? : 1900s London }
"True, true," they said, chuckling. "But don't you worry. You have paid. Those wishes..."
They paused, a sort of moroseness coming over them. "As I'd said, you may never have had them, but they were still a steep price. And they're not solely for my benefit. I used a wish just to give you your new heart, your new lease on life. With those two wishes, that's at least two more people I can save. And beyond that, who knows what good my people can achieve for the sake of survival, of free will?"
They sighed, shaking their head.
"At minimum, to get your own freedom, you've potentially given two more their own," they said, giving a thumbs up; the woman could practically feel the person's smile. "That's more than I could possibly ask for. So believe me, the thanks go both ways."
There was a small glimmer at the corner of Steven's eyes, he always had a bit of a soft spot for apologies, but he wouldn't let her see that, far from it. He looked away, staring at her chocobo rather than his own- Louis' chocobo. There were many ways to reply to her, but the best of all was definitely sarcasm, certainly the most eloquent of replies, "Oh yes. That certainly clears things up. You're a female dog without a doubt."
He gave her a sideways glance and quirked the corner of his lip into a sly grin, "Really though... you're apologizing for that? It's no big deal." That's a lie,"Like seriously, 'Oh no, how dare you be emotionally unsure in this ******** up, backassward place?' -No, no one in their right mind would blame you."Yours is certainly not the worst reaction I've had.
At this point Steven pushed off the stall he'd been using as a resting post and squared off with Dawn, his gaze was severe but there was a certain lingering compassion in his tone that contrasted, "Listen, what Louis did- from what I've gathered- was pretty messed up. I don't blame you or the others for having your problems you have to work through. But, I won't apologize for him and neither do you need to apologize to me-- and any apologies to him, died with him. I'm not going to be dragged down by a dead man and stopped from moving forward to find my future and make friends in this world. Neither should you. So, rather than sitting here pointing fingers at others or ourselves- calling yourself a b***h when you're obviously not- put it to rest with Louis and forgive yourself."
Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 4:20 pm
{ ATE : Closing Wounds : 9} { Dawn : Mirage Arena : Stables}
Dawn stared at Steven with what felt like a lump in her throat with a loss as to what to say in response. A couple of tears in the corners of her eyes made them sparkle.
"You're right..." she said finally with a soft breath, "Maybe an apology isn't needed. I just felt it was the right thing to do. I felt like I was being unfair to you somehow, that is why."
Dawn shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself and looking away, "I just wanted to find a way to start fresh. Seek forgiveness for how I treated you, was one of the ways thought to do it. Maybe from there try and build friendship. Silly I know. I just want to help others and make them happy. Even if it is on impulse and nine times out of ten it is the wrong way to do it. AKA throwing a grape at Kyle to try and get his attention, only for it to hit Sora instead. Not smart, you know? I just don't think sometimes. I just act on pure emotion and heart though it tends to cause myself problems. But do I care? No. I do it anyways...."
"Eeee sorry!" she stopped her tangent to look back at Steven her cheeks flushed from embarrassment, "I'll stop talking now! Sorry!" the girl quickly looked up at the ceiling waiting for Steven's response.
{ATE: The Broker ~ Case of the Recluse .:. 22} {Janex .:. 1900’s London}
”I’m… glad to hear that,” Janex said, with a pause to make sure she was labeling the emotion correctly. ”It’s nice to know I’ve done something that can actually help people instead of hurt them for once. Hopefully I can keep that trend up. I think… I think I’ll take a bit of time, try to figure out who I am now. But, my offer still stands. If you need me for anything, let me know.”
She took a few steps back, giving the Broker room to pass out of the alley to the street if they so desired. She opened her mouth, intending to say goodbye, but the words refused to come. Part of her was scared of being on her own in this world when her heart was so new. But she knew better than to think that clinging to another would be healthy; Bobbi's memories told her as much. She had to be brave, and forge her own path, make her own decisions in order to truly grow into this young heart.
So, instead of saying goodbye, she raised two fingers in salute, and smiled.
Steven snorted and laughed, "Stop apologizing. You didn't do anything wrong."
The man sighed and ran a hand along the back of his head, walking over and looking Jessie in the eye for the first time. The bird let out a hearty squark, it seemingly recognizing him despite from his perspective, meeting for the first time. Perhaps there was something to be learned there.
Steven returned his attention to Dawn and smiled, "Well, how bout this-" he held his hand out to Dawn, "My name is Steven, pleasure to meet you Miss...?"
{ ATE : Closing Wounds : 11} { Dawn : Mirage Arena : Stables}
"I make no promises about apologies, Dawn said with a soft chuckle as he introduced himself and extended his hand, "Dawn." she took his hand with a smile as she looked up at him.
'KWEH!' Sky answered them both with a happy cry as he touched his beak to the back of Steven's head in his own greeting.
"Sky, be good." she said to her chocobo, who proceeded to ignore her.
Steven had a perfectly good follow up to his re-introduction, but stopped short as the bird behind him butted his in the back of his head with its beak as a form of its own introduction, "Oi, you..." he reached back without really turning entirely, instinctively scratching beneath Sky's jowls, as he continued his conversation with Dawn, "Let's work well together from now on. I hope we can be friends."
[Kyla: ATE: Good Friend Captain Morgan] {15} { Kyla's Living Quarters:Mirage Arena: Second Floor Halls}
As playing the trope farther, the artist buried herself in her work from the get go- taking off running metaphorically into her studies. To the point she was nearly a shut in, surfacing for the first while only to train with the others, then disappear to collected information from the reservoir of knowledge that had at their disposal. She walked back and forth with towers of books piled up to her chin, taking nearly religious care with their exchange back and forth from her room. It didn’t take a genius to know she was trying to avoid people. Given everything that happened she turtled into herself again- social anxiety cloistering into a cycle of study- training- rest- repeat.
Even so, she knew she couldn’t keep this up forever. Kyla was avoiding the subject that gnawed at her, so many unresolved feelings towards so many people. And as time passed, she felt the rift widen, despite the whole purpose of this committed time to training. Sure she was there as far as physical- heck there was a keen zeal to her focus, but she wasn’t there with them -inside. And every so often there’d be that jamming sensation every time Feather looked at her and talked to her.
Kyla had a hunch… but she was too afraid to admit what it could be. And why?
The word ‘Why’ smeared her nearly perfect circle on her latest conceptual spell. Brow knit as she leaned towards the blemish in her work, before releasing a sigh and straightening up- only to lean back into the wall of her room. At a glance she was surrounded by friendly faces, leather worn surfaces containing pages of information that held no bias opinion of her. Save for one. Sitting across from the artist was her summon, seated comfortably on a text on combustive aether transference.
“... You can’t possibly keep this up.”Carbuncle said. And Kyla did an outright pout of her bottom lip in defiance.
“I- don’t even know where to begin. With any of them… Noelle, Mathew, Feather, Joe, Louis, Bobbi… I don’t know where to start. Just when I THINK I know what to say.. the words die in my throat.” Despite her pension for spouting long winded diatribes of thought, those ‘fits’ of outspokenness had massive births of silence between them. She couldn't shake the thought, the paranoia that surely others were maybe unimpressed with her, probably talking behind her back about her, she must've looked like an idiot that morning at breakfast. More and more thoughts knotted like a vice around her head, refusing to let it clear enough for her to conceptualize an icebreaker to get closer to anyone on her own terms.
Her own terms. Maybe that in itself was the problem- she wondered.
If only she had some way outside of training to mingle, some catalyst of an event, like- like…
"HEY EVERYONE! DO YOU WANT TO MEET MY GOOD FRIEND CAPTAIN MORGAN? COME TO THE LIVING ROOM!” ?
REALLY?
Kyla shared a glance with Carbuncle, knowing the summon was currently sharing her thread of though- as both turned simultaneously towards the door of her living quarters.
Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 5:27 am
[ ATE: Good Friend "Captain Morgan" : 16 ] [ Luke : Mirage Arena : First Floor ]
For the past few days - or maybe more, for all he knew at this point - Luke had gone about his downtime in one of two ways. The first, and most often used, was to stay confined in his room and try to work through his thoughts and feelings in the form of vomiting them up as words on paper. The second was to walk around the house, slowly, at his own pace, examining everything and trying to discover every little nook and cranny that he possibly could. If he liked them, they would fill the purpose of safe spaces he could disappear into when he needed peace or a place to think things out that wasn't his room. For the moment, the safest space he had found was one of the several small landing-spaces on the upstairs looking over the first floor.
It was enough out of the way of the main traffic areas, but close enough that he could go to any of those places without much physical exertion. While he found The Kingdom Under The Stairs (which was a working title) to be very comfortable, the loft-like area provided a more open-spaces feeling. There he sat, silently reading a book about dragons, and for the latter portion of his me-time, continuing to wonder if he was smelling food in the house or just hungry. He ignored whatever the possibility may be for a good while after, which was nothing new; if he was immersed in a book or game or movie, he would put off everything, including hunger, as long as possible so as not to interrupt the experience. He simply went on taking frequent sips or gulps from his large glass of water.
The cup had just emptied when he heard a familiar voice calling upon people to come to the living room. Something about meeting their friend, Captain Morgan? The corners of his lips curled upward. He could tell it was Feather's voice, one of the people he had become somewhat accustomed to in the short span of time, and apparently they were inviting everyone to drink. That wouldn't be his cup of tea; it had been a long time since he had last allowed himself to partake of alcohol by this point, and didn't really care to have it again unless he was around familiar, comfortable people he knew he could trust. He had gotten to know a few of the team a little bit during their time in the Arena so far, but there was a long way left to go in his relationships with any of them. Time was the only thing that could help that. However, he was acutely aware now that he had not been hallucinating the smell of food, and figured that was also part of Feather's plan. He closed the book gently and rose to his feet, then took hold of his dirty glass and made his way downstairs, a song already in his head. A song he naturally began to sing, imagining the accompanying instruments in his mind.
"Murphy, Murphy, darlin' dear, I long for you now night and day. Your pain was my pleasure, your sorrow my joy. I fear now I've lost you to health and good cheer~"
He interrupted his singing once he reached the living room, and let his smile grow a bit wider as he directed it to the person who had invited the household - or at least everyone within hearing range - to a shindig of sorts.
(( Sorry it took so long! And I took some (vague) liberties with the building, I hope that's okay. I dunno what kind of structure y'all were going for. Also, I didn't call Feather Fern because I figured that conversation wouldn't have taken place by now. It might happen in this shindig! XDD Ummm yeah that is all. Expect my random one-shot Meeting Salamander ATE soon. Hopefully. And I will try to respond quicker next time! Um. Rambling. Anyway, YAY, my first-ever ATE post! ^__^ ))
(( Aaand edited! Just building-related things, nothing that affects anyone. ))
{ ATE : Good Friend 'Captain Morgan' : 17 } { Feather : Disney Castle : Mirage Arena }
Feather looked behind them and smiled cheerfully at their first vic-comrade coming in.
“Hello yo! You can totally help lighten up the load by putting it in your stomach ahaha! Though seriously, thanks I spent a good amount of time doing this. There are more platters in the kitchen to move and you can totally help with the calling for people!”
Hopefully the excitement is contagious; Feather continued to do the moving as they did do a small spin and turning around to ask.
“I don’t think we had much time to talk but I’m like s**t with names. What’s yours again?”
They had to ask, training didn’t give much time to get to know the assortment of people who sometimes just run off and do their own thing. Feather briefly remembers seeing some of the room hiders during training and only got to get to know a handful that they just clicked with on the ball.
Entering the living room with some more food, Feather tilted their head towards the always interesting word phrasing of Luke. With a wide grin, Feather used their head to gesture to the food while setting down the platters.
“Food, Drink and a good time! Feel free to try the food and crack some of the drinks open too. I recommend the bacon mac n’ cheese and the poutine! I should run up to the second floor to see if anyone wants to join.”
Feather quickly spoke to Luke, because of their speedy do nature, and skipped out to sprint up to the second floor with their seemly boundless energy.
“YO! FOOD AND DRINK IN THE LIVING ROOM! IT’S HYPE AND I SWEAR I MADE SURE TO KEEP THE TRAIN OUT OF THE KITCHEN WHILE I COOKED!”
Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 5:06 am
{ATE: Good Friend 'Captain Morgan':18} {Sayrike: Disney Castle: Mirage Arena}
This person has a lot of energy. Where the heck are they getting it all from? Sayrike thought enviously, though she grinned in return to match the other Earthling's exuberance while following them back and forth from the kitchen to finish bringing out platters of food. As Sayrike grabbed a pot of mac and cheese, she remarked, "You must be Canadian. I saw the poutine out front, and if that didn't give it away, the Kraft dinner would. The real national food of Canada, no?" she joked. As they carried the dishes out front, Sayrike continued. "Don't worry, I'm pretty bad with names too. I'm Sayrike. I'd shake hands, but I'd say they're kind of full, haha." The two of them reached the living room as another new Earthling showed up.
"Hey, Feather! What's the word, city bird?"
Oh yeeaaah...Feather. I think I remember hearing that back before training. I knew it was something unusual. Though now, what was this guy's name...damn, I'm bad at this. Feather replied to the new guy before bounding upstairs, presumably to gather more people, leaving Sayrike and the new-ish arrival alone in a room steeped in an interesting mixture of Western and Chinese cooking aromas. She flashed a grin at him. "Hey! Mind grabbing the last couple of trays and drinks with me?" Even if Luke didn't follow, Sayrike's voice could be heard down the short walk to the kitchen. "Man, I don't know about you, but I never thought I'd get to taste Chinese food again. Reminds me of my biannual trips to see my grandmother. I'm looking forward to trying a little bit of everything here!"
{ ATE : Good Friend 'Captain Morgan' : 19 } { Kyle : Mirage Arena : Second Floor Halls }
Kyle turned to look at Bobbi as she stuck her head out, only to shrug. "Eh, not particularly? Probably just gonna see what--"
And then Feather bounded up one of the staircases, her shouting voice echoing. He cringed.
"Feather," Kyle projected across the charms, his voice pleading slightly. "Maybe instead of yelling at the top of your lungs, you could just... project it once over the charms for all to hear? And at a reasonable level?"
