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 Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 10:21 am
Who: Lady Estratus, Sloane, Jin-Ho and Blaithe
Where: Northern Base's dining hall
When: A couple of nights after the Cultist attack
Why: Jin-Ho had been summoned to meet with The Lady
Weather: Sunny and warm, for Shyregoad
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Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 10:35 am
With his new companion in tow, Jin-Ho rushed to the dining hall, sure that Lady Estratus was there. This was where they usually held their meetings as the room was constantly warm, had nice lighting and of course, the large table. Hopefully his little distracting hadn't wasted too much time and that The Lady wasn't irritated further than she could have been. Would his Plague, this tiny being, possibly even excite her? Just a little?
Jin-Ho could feel Blaithe's hands quickly working against the skin of his palms, the cold air hitting the wet ink as they moved. A smile spread across his face; not only was it precious, but... it kind of tickled, as well.
He was sure that Sloane, at least, would be happy. He seemed extremely interested in Blaithe's growth. After all, he mentioned that he wanted to be the first to see her, right? That beast of a Plague knew how to terrify Jin-Ho... then again, Sloane probably took pride in scaring anyone. Though, that look before the grin that Sloane had given him really felt sincere. Maybe he was a bit of a softie on the inside? At least, for cute, small things?
Hopefully.
Cupping his hand gently against his chest so to protect his little package, Jin-Ho burst into a sprint, almost to the dining room. He was already late as it was, which seemed to become habit. It wasn't his first time, and certainly not his last. At least The Lady Estratus didn't seem to mind entirely. Even when late, upon arrival she would immediately start what she had been waiting to say.
"Where are we going, Oji?" Blaithe popped her head out of the space between two of his fingers, the tassles of her hat flying around her head. The grin on her face was rather large in proportion to her, seeing as how she was only an inch tall, at best.
Jin-Ho didn't direct his attention towards her, but reached for the large, intricate door in front of them. The door to the dining hall.
"I'm late for some work, Blaithe, but you're going to make a new friend!"
The excitement on Blaithe's face, despite only having a mouth to show any expression with, was very apparent. Her glow seemed to have brightened and she hugged one of Jin-Ho's fingers. Making friends would be amazing! Her first friend!
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 7:31 am
Before Jin-ho had a chance to open the door or so much as knock, the door creaked open to reveal one side of an all too familiar pale face, framed with choppy red hair and two red swirled eyes. He was devoid of expression, which typically meant he was being intimidating, and he looked nowhere but Jin-ho's eyes.
"You're late," he announced bluntly, opening the door and allowed him entry without so much as a second glance. As soon as the assistant was within the confines of the dining hall, the door was shut and latched.
Inside there was a fire roaring, all the windows were closed and there were many candle holders situated across the lengthy wooden dining table that spanned most of the room. Typically, he Ladyship would be sitting at one end of the table and Jin-ho would be asked to take a seat where ever he pleased before they began, but her usual seat was empty. In fact, there didn't appear to be any sign of Lady Sage Estratus in this room.
However, it was not just Sloane, Jin-ho and the as-of-then unnoticed Blaithe in the room. Standing before the fireplace, back facing them, was an imposing figure clad in black armor. The helmet was intricate, with a long crest of horsehair so black it was blue hanging from the top and falling their upper back. At their hip was a sheathed sword and the figure was standing at attention, arms clasped behind their back. They seemed not to notice the two new presences, not even sparring them so much as a glance.
"Well, sit," Sloane instructed, giving a quick sniff at the air as he walked over to the windows and began drawing the curtains. He paused for just a second, smelling decay, but he always did with Jin-ho since he always had that brush of his tucked behind an ear.
Curtains were drawn on each of the windows until the only light came from the fireplace. Candles were then lit, flickering gently in the presence of the humans and Plagues.
Sloane returned from the candles, flipping one of the chairs so the back was against the table and straddled it, staring at Jin-ho until he complied. Something was different about him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it until he looked at his ears. Both bare. Just as he opened his mouth to ask where the brush was, a flicker of color came into view as it moved across the man's palm. Sloane's eyes widened, but he could not examine the new birth now. So into the moment at hand he was, that he completely overlooked the particularly puny Excito; he would have to apologize to what he still assumed was a girl later but for now, business needed tending to.
Lady Estratus had ordered this meeting herself, after all.
The black knight had not moved in all of this time, but once the candles were lit, they did so. Pacing carefully along the perimeter of the table until coming face to face with Jin-ho. Whoever was under the armor stared, or so it seemed as their eyes were hidden by the shadows of the helmet and the darkness of the room, but they did not speak for some time. "I am Lady Estratus' new knight," they introduced themselves simply. The tinny reverberations from the full headed helm made it difficult to detect gender, but it wasn't a high voice. "I will be working together with Sloane at all times to see that she is properly protected." Well, that was good. What with the recent attempt on her life and all, this seemed rather peachy.
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2010 7:52 am
As soon as the door had opened, the colorful little Plague in Jin-Ho's hand began to move, trying to wriggle out of her Grimm's hand at the smell of the much larger Plague before them.
Jin-Ho, on the other hand, rushed through the door as quickly as he could, embarrissed of how late he was and knew that it couldn't have been good on his part. Being late wasn't a practice he wanted to have happen regularly, but due to circumstances, it wasn't entirely his fault. As much as he wanted to bring up Blaithe, he knew the timing wasn't right and besides, she would be out in the open for them both to see and react as they chose.
"Apologies," he said quickly, taking a seat and placing Blaithe on the table, putting out his paper and his new pen and vial of ink before handing his little Phasmas a small piece of scrap paper, "I was in town, so it was hard to get here right as the news was passed to me."
The little one before him didn't have to be explained as she sat there, staring at Sloane with the biggest smile she could muster. "Hi--!"
"Blaithe..." Jin-Ho cut her off, laying his hand down for her to climb up on. His look alone let her know that now wasn't the time. With his other hand, he picked up the scrap that he had offered her in the first place and handed it to her once again.
As the armor clad character near the fireplace spoke, Jin-Ho watched them carefullly with his pen and paper at the ready. Whether or not it was needed, it was a force of habit. He wanted to stand and extend a hand in polite gesture, but given the situation, he stayed in his seat, mearly watching as they got closer. Whoever it was obviously wasn't to be known other than an iron person.
"It's a pleasure. I'm glad to know that my Lady's safe. Is she to be hiding even in the castle?" Jin-Ho thought back to the time in her room; very empty and very lonely. Was she to be trapped in there...? The thought almost saddened him, but if it was for her own protection, then there wasn't much else that could be done.
Surely Sloane would still keep her company at times, right?
Little Blaithe fidgeted in Jin-Ho's hand, unable to contain herself around a fellow Plague. He was the first she was able to meet, and she wanted to meet him now. "Oji!" she chimed, her voice small and light, "I want to see him! Please? Hand me to him!" He knew that she had trouble with movement in the little time he had her; her wooden leg must have been difficult, especially with that bow of thread keeping the surface of the bottom uneven.
"Sloane..." Jin-Ho whispered, offering his hand out to the man. Blaithe bobbed up and down excitedly as she was moved closer, her hands outreached toward the Anhelo.
Immediately, Blaithe tried to stand, her hands still outreached, "Slo...? Slo! Hi! I'm Blaithe! You're huge! And you smell like metal!" Her dainty voice barely cutting the silence between the four, but her excitement was easy to hear. Jin-Ho smiled, knowing that as long as it was Sloane, she was in good hands.
"So what are we to do now?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2010 9:44 am
What a tiny, chirpy voice.
A girl, yes, it was a girl, he had smelled it. Not 'woman' as he had smelled with the ring the priest Theo held, but a girl. How she would grow was uncertain, but as soon as she opened her miniature purple mouth, his eyes did not, could not, leave her.
The meeting around him was no longer there, as far as he was concerned. He knew how this was to go and that meant he didn't need to pay attention, which suited him just fine now that the little one was present. She was so excited, begging Jin-ho to hand her over to Sloane, and before Jin-ho even whispered, he cupped his hands and held them forward for her to walk onto.
Or crawl, as the case seemed. Her leg... Leaning closer, Sloane's brows knit in subtle confusion. She was a Phasmas, same as Clurie, but so the opposite. Her glowing skin, nearly translucent, the bright star emblazoned on her face in place of features, and the colors! Oh, such colors, she was a glowing rainbow. But her leg... Why was her leg like this? Phasmas and Quietus Plagues had to be the ones Sloane knew the absolute least about. He had both sides of the spectrum within himself, the white knight Servos and the chaotic knight Infitialis, but Clurie was truly his most detailed look into the Phasmas line. One thing was for sure, they were unique in a sea lacking similarity, and that was saying a lot for Plagues.
As she came into his palms, he held her close to his face and kept his voice low, giving her a quiet and gentle 'shhh' not to make her stop talking but to lower her voice, curb her excitement only slightly. "Hello, Blaithe," he returned in a whisper. Her words reminded him of Clurie, then; "Sloane! You smell like me, but not like me. But we smell somewhat the same. You smell like rust and iron." That had been one of the first things the ash Plague had gotten to say to him, and it made him smile wide down at Blaithe. Mimicking the exchange with Clurie, he offered "And you smell like art."
During this exchange between the two Plagues, the armor-clad figure seemed to be giving Jin-ho's question some thought. Their head turned, looking around the room, as if double checking that they were all truly alone and that all of the curtains were as closed as they appeared to be.
Black gauntlets reached up and took hold of the helm, pulling it off to reveal a pale and familiar face, black hair pooling out until it lay flatly against their back. The disguise assured no gender differentiation and zero ability to detect anything but a man in armor that had been hired to be Lady Sage Estratus' second body guard in response to an attempt on her life. That was the plan, anyway, but it just so happened that the second body guard was Lady Sage Estratus. Shaking out her hair, she gave a sigh and ran a clawed gauntlet through her hair carefully. As usual, no rouge adorned her face, but the signature (and probably only feminine thing she wore) dangling headpiece was absent.
"Hmm. Convincing," she offered to no one but herself, resting the helmet on the table before turning back to Jin-ho. "What we are to do now is pretend we're going about as expected. I will have hidden myself somewhere in the confines of the base--as I am truly not, no one will ever find out where--and Sloane has taken it upon himself to search for someone whom looks enough like me that we can create the illusion that I am, in fact, making public appearances from time to time." It was all rather simple, really. Whether they, the people, cared about Lady Sage Estratus as an individual human being or a political figure head made no difference, she was currently a support beam in the political structure of the Fellowship and it was important that she remained undaunted in their eyes.
That being said, her eyes drifted to Sloane and Blaithe, easily spotting the glow and color in the dimly lit room. She observed them for a few moments, expression as unchanging as ever, but her posture altered to a more comfortable stance with a hand on her hip. Something... casual. "A Phasmas," she mused aloud. Giving Jin-ho a quick glance to make sure he was paying attention, she nodded back to Blaithe, "Will gain magical abilities later in life. It's fitting for our numbers to be so heavily populated with the Phasmas, she is our third one, now."
Sloane stopped mid-chuckle at whatever Blaithe had said or done, looking up to his Lady, "Third?"
"Miss Crane has been carrying about a Phasmas for some time now," she had seen them in passing at some points while in the halls, some shortly before the incident and others while in her armor disguise.
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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 4:17 pm
Blaithe wiggled happilly as she sat in the silvery gauntlet of the one holding her, admiring every inch of the man. Her tiny cheeks glowed brighter as he informed her of her smell. Art! She smelled like art! She liked the idea very much.
Her voice, despite how excited she was, did not disrupt the meeting as it would have if she were the size of a child.
"I like art! Do you like art?" Blaithe held out her arms once more, reaching for Sloane's face. Her size didn't seem to bother her in the slightest, especially since it seemed as though everyone was willing to work with her. Until she was on the table, she hadn't touched anything other than her Grimm's hand, and now, this Plague's hand since she was found.
Now, at this, Jin-Ho would have been surprised if it weren't for what he had been exposed to as of late. At this point, it seemed like almost nothing would be able to surprise him.
"Brilliant disguise, my Lady," Jin-Ho admitted. He wasn't about to lie to her, it was obvious he hadn't a clue that it was her under that thick suit of armor. This could work. She was able to fool him, one who was around her almost daily, so it wouldn't be too difficult to put on others. It wasn't until Lady Estratus pointed out his little Blaithe that he was pulled out of his thoughts.
Her sudden change in posture nearly caught him off guard, at least, more so than it being her under the suit of armor. "A Phasmas..."
Nestled in Sloane's hand, already drawing little faces and figures on his shining claws, Blaithe looked up at the mention of herself, the smile on her face rather wide. She hadn't a clue that she could, or would, rather, be able to do magic. Even now, Estratus mentioning it didn't register with the shining little Excito. "Who are you? I'm Blaithe! You're very pretty!" she cooed, her attention back on Sloane as soon as she had asked the question.
A chuckle escaped Jin-Ho's chest. She was rather childish, and he couldn't help but love her already.
Jin-Ho cleared his throat, once again facing his Lady. "I have to wonder, though... will Sir Sloane be able to find someone similar in appearance enough to fool others? You don't have a face that's most common."
In his mind, Jin-Ho was right. Her features were very unique and it would be quite a task to find a body double. Then again, what were the chances of being able to find a perfect double of someone, even if they were twins? Everyone had their own special features that, upon examination, could very easily pick them out.
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Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 2:03 pm
Sloane leaned his face closer as Blaithe silently commanded, entirely too enthralled with the tiny Plague to even listen to the rest of the conversation. However, the fact that Elsie's cup had grown since they last seen each other was interesting and he rather wanted to check in on the coffee Plague as soon as he could.
"I do," Sloane chuckled, giving his nose the slightest wiggle when her hands touched it. "I like art very much but rarely get to see any. Will you make art for me to see?" His gut had told him the paintbrush Plague would be something like this, but she was still so far above and beyond his expectations. So tiny, so fragile, but so willful and curious.
In some ways, he was reminded of himself when he was but a tiny Servos.
Giving a slight shrug of her shoulders, Lady Estratus took the compliment of the disguise silently, her eyes fixed on the scampering rainbow cradled in Sloane's hands. She had been hoping very much for a Servos to come among their ranks, but it seemed there was no such luck for the Fellowship yet, as far as the Lady was aware. However, a Phasmas would still be of much use to their goal and she turned to Jin-ho, holding out her palms.
"When a Phasmas grows, it gains access to magic; it is then called a Quietus. Your brush will have access to one of two types of magic, black or white. Black is most common: control over the elements, offensive capabilities... White magic is more in line with your abilities. I expect that your Plague will be doing much of the same," and with a very slight, almost undetectable quirk of her brow, she looked back over at Blaithe, "We could use as many healers as we can get."
The sudden outburst from the brush caused Lady Estratus' face to fall back into its normal, expressionless gaze. Sloane could not help but give a quiet laugh himself, glancing apologetically to his Lady before attempting to coo Blaithe's attention back to him.
Instead of appearing affronted or some other, it seemed more as though the Lady was just completely unsure of how to react to the statement of her beauty and opted instead to ignore it entirely and concentrate on Jin-ho's concern as it was presented just moments after. Pausing to collect herself, Lady Estratus rested a hand on the table and looked back at him. "That is one of our concerns, but she will only need to look enough like me to fool the average person. The blanks can be filled in with a proper act," giving a pause, her eyes wandered briefly to the side as she nibbled her lip absentmindedly. "Magic would also assist in a more convincing charade on our part."
Sloane glanced over, pausing in his play with Blaithe to take note of his Lady's behavior. A slightly casual air was about her, one normally not present in her in meetings with others but even when it was just the two of them one on one these days. Perhaps the change in role, the adopting of a new identity -- the black knight -- was giving his Lady a way to loosen herself. To say the least, it was simultaneously refreshing and extremely worrying.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:12 pm
Blaithe's excitement grew ten-fold as she squeezed his nose in a tiny sized bear hug. "If-- if you like art, I will make art JUST for you!" she chimed, squeezing Sloane's nose tighter. How exciting! Her very first friend! AND he likes art!
Once again, Jin-Ho forced his attention away from his colorful little Phasmas.
So Blaithe will learn magic? Jin-Ho hadn't thought much of her later forms... forms she would grow into... Potentially, she could have either healed or spread the Plague, but luckilly he wouldn't have to worry about it when the time for her to grow again came.
Rather than address that matter, he switched back to the more important discussion at hand.
"Do we know of any talented in that form of magic? I mean, transforming or disguising?" He knew that he couldn't; he was best at healing magic and a little bit of defense and offence. He'd never been informed or even suggested at being taught such an ability. It would have to be asked the next time he went into tutoring, which from this point on was probably going to be less frequent. Aramoth had given him two weeks in order to make his staff, but Jin-Ho, in excitement, had made it almost as soon as he had reached home that day.
Blaithe gently slid her tiny hand across Sloane's cheek, a nearly multicolored streak left in its place. One line became two, two became three. Her hands quickly worked on the side of his face, tickling him ever so slightly as she moved.
A few small doodles now covered a portion of his face.
Another issue popped into Jin-Ho's mind; one that would, indeed, be of high importance. "What are we going to do about missions? And people wishing to recruit?" he asked, his expression turning a bit more grim and stony than the usually calm or goofy expression he held. "I can imagine working with unknown people isn't the best idea at this very point in time, my Lady." His gaze remained on Estratus, watching her strangely calm stature. She was much more relaxed, more calm and, well, casual than normal. Had this experience made her more humble? Or was it just the facade of being the "Black Knight?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 9:00 am
The reaction giving to her colorful words could only be described as euphoric; Sloane's eyes widened and his lips curled into an ear-to-ear grin so wide he nearly looked insane. Lifting her just slightly closer, his head turned and he gave her ready access to his cheek as she readied herself to begin drawing against his skin.
How long would it last, he wondered, and what in the world would it be of?
Lady Estratus raised a brow at Jin-ho, one corner of her mouth twitching though it was impossible to tell if it wanted to turn into a frown or a smirk--it did neither. Turning away from him, she pulled out the chair beside her and sat, resting an armored leg over her knee in an unladylike fashion before turning to him once more, gesturing a hand around the room. "Magical talents of all ranges reside in this very castle and among our Fellowship. However, I do have at least a handful of trusted people in mind for the task should we need them," she did not elaborate further on the matter, instead turning her attention to Sloane and Blaithe, her brows raising just the tiniest fraction.
Sloane's smile grew and faded every few moments whenever a gentle tickle or prickle occurred. The paint she could create and smear attracted the cold air to hit his cheek and with each stroke he felt the frigid n** of perpetual Winter.
Both of their attentions drew to Jin-ho at his next set of concerns, Sloane's darting between the man and his Lady but hers were locked quite intently on her assistant's.
"This is true," she retorted, though her tone was knowing, carrying hints of a premeditated answer. "Which is why, until further notice, you will be issuing missions and assisting those who wish to take shelter within our walls," an eyebrow raised as she judged his reaction, taking a second before giving him the title "Assistant Adviser Kyon."
Sloane's grin plateaued, flattening into a thick line of teeth and uncertainty.
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Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:11 pm
Jin-Ho fell silent at his Lady's words. He could not tear his gaze away from Lady Estratus, but he could definitely feel Sloane's uncertain stare against the back of his head. It seemed that the Lady's very own Plague couldn't believe what she had just said, either.
Not even able to find words, he forced himself to look back at Sloane, his expression almost the same. Stuttering, he glanced back to his Lady, "I... I'm flattered, Lady Estratus, but..." he trailed off, unable to find the words. He really was honestly flattered, it was a high honor, and he was pleased that Estratus trusted him with this matter. Laying his pen against the clean sheet of paper that still layed flat against the table, he stood and bowed. "...I will trust your judgement, my Lady. I accept."
A nervous wave swept through Jin-Ho's body as he thought about this new task that was set upon him. He was now practically a notch below Lady Estratus, but he didn't feel much different than he had before. It was only a title, but a heavy one.
Taking a seat once more, Jin-Ho's face still had a touch of uncertainty, but he did his best to keep a straight face. This was definitely a great chance to learn of the other Grimms here in the castle... a plus. He was a bit unsure if he had what it took to be able to issue missions, or would it just come naturally? He wasn't ususally told much other than what he wrote during meetings, but they would most likely include him more from now on.
Blaithe, at this point, had moved on from painting on Sloane's cheek. For several moments she had tried to regain his attention, but to no avail, it seemed.
In a quick movement, she smeared a long, black line across the top of the Anhelo's lip, leaving a thick "mustache" in the process. The smile took its rightful place along Blaithe's face as she laughed.
"Slo! You're distinguished!"
Jin-Ho, now out of his trance, looked back and immediately wished he hadn't. A smile cracked across his face as he tried not to laugh. He wasn't sure if Plagues were able to grow facial hair, but he realized that if it were possible, Sloane wouldn't have been able to pull it off.
Apologizing, he turned back to Estratus, but he was unable to wipe the smile from his face. "What would you have me do, now?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 2:38 pm
The tiny traces of Blaithe's fingers tickled, causing Sloane's skin to twitch just the slightest bit. Sloane kept his face stone still, eyes intently locked on his Lady and her apprentice. He assessed Jin-ho's reaction with much scrutiny, unable to decide if the man was humbled and nervous or legitimately felt he was not suited for the position. There would be a sense of victory in Sloane if Jin-ho managed to lose this position of his own volition--that would deem him very unworthy of his Lady--but all the same he did not exactly wish failure on him.
It was more like a rivalry, almost like a game. He may have wished for one outcome, but he put money down on another.
Then, quick as anything, the tiny Phasmas traced her hand across his lip and the smell of taint quickly burned at his nostrils. Letting out a muffled sound of surprise, Sloane leaned away from the colorful girl and attempted to look down his nose at his own face. It wasn't until Jin-ho let out a laugh of his own, however quiet, that Sloane reached for the nearest piece of blank parchment and wiped his face clean. Hopefully she wouldn't take the loss of her work so hard but such was life with a living canvas. Leaning back in, Sloane grinned widely and whispered slyly, "I was already distinguished."
Lady Estratus seemed neither amused nor entertained but the most important thing was that she was distinctly not annoyed by the interruption. Simply, she stood as she had been--hand resting atop the chair's back, the other on her hip--and she merely watched the antics between two Plagues. At Jin-ho's smiling apology, she raised a slight brow as if she were examining him.
"For now, continue as you are," her hand slipped off the chair as her arms crossed, armor clinking with the effort, "We will find a stand in, a temporary figurehead, and from there you will make the decisions that I cannot. I," she turned on her heel and picked up the helmet, "Will play out this role. No identity, just a knight for hire chosen to protect Lady Estratus after the attack on our native soil." It all seemed simple enough, in theory. Sage pulled her hair back safely before returning the helmet atop her head and she was hidden once more in the guise of a male.
Turning her head, she glanced over her shoulder through the thin slitted eyepiece. Her own eyes were hidden in the darkness of the helm but she saw Jin-ho clearly. "When the time comes, you may need to make difficult decisions. You must rely on your heart and spirit, as there is nothing more concrete for a human. Can I count on you?"
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