Solo or RP Format Counts as 5 RP growth Points Solo word minimum is 750, RP post minimum is 7
Fears are meant to be overcome, but often are hard to do so. What are the fears that plague your character at night? How long have they dealt with these fears, and where did they originate from? How do they deal with their fears, and how does it impact their life and relationships? And will they ever work to overcome it?
[ Spend this World Event working through the fears of your character, either on their own or with some moral support of a friend ]
It happened all at once.
The day itself was calm. Sariza had gathered up the courage to send Faisal a missive inviting him to the estate and once he was there she gave him the 'grand' tour. It went without saying that their home was much more utilitarian than his own. There were no grand sconces, artistic draperies or vases dipped in gold. The halls were built to withstand a siege and consisted of the hardest stone Hakan had managed to find. All in all the home itself was far from an eye sore and yet it lacked any sort of character. It was cold, unfeeling and militaristic.
The training grounds were perhaps the only spot on the estate that rivaled the gardens of Faisal's mansion. At least, in size. There were weapons of every shape, size, and style as well as a grand open space where one could do mounted training. That's where she introduced him to Uovu; her janarim. The creature's scales were as dark as ash and her wild eyes were the color of fresh blood.
Later on, when she was walking away from her house, Sariza thought about how angry she'd been around Faisal. The janarim flat out didn't like newcomers and had their Beast Master not been there to stop her she may have attacked him. As it was, after a long day of being around one another, she was walking him into the city before leaving to go back home. It seemed only fair, after all that.
"She really is nice once you get to know her."
Sabra Knight
Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 7:46 am
Painted Moose
Faisal knew that he had made jokes about Sariza's father killing him before but he truly had not been expecting a tomb when he arrived at her home. It wasn't as if the property wasn't nice and useful, indeed it was the perfect fort within the city, but there was just something about the building that seemed so cold. Regardless of the artistic touches within his own manor the man at least felt warmth there, some sort of obvious life. Here? He just felt like even a ghost would be afraid of stirring within these halls save if it wanted to die once more. At least the training yard gave him fresh air until he met the beast. Faisal had never been afraid of a janarim before but there was something about this one that made her absolutely seem to despise him. Was there no solace in this place? But he behaved as calmly and politely as he could until they were finally walking into the city.
"I'm sure she is." Faisal managed with a weak chuckle towards Sariza. "Maybe she just needs to stretch her legs more." To be fair he would have probably been a bit more hostile had he been raised in such an estate. His gaze softened though as he glanced towards Sariza. It wasn't his place to say anything negative about her home....it simply just wasn't what he was accustomed to. The discomfort he had felt could simply be his own awkwardness while the home could bring her comfort and a feeling of safety instead. Had his own manor been so overwhelming but in a different way for Sariza? Gods have mercy it was frustrating trying to think about all of these other perspectives. Faisal closed his eyes against the thoughts before focusing back on Sariza. "You know we have more time. Would you like to go anywhere while we're out and about before you have to go back?" He asked, his amber gaze curious as he studied her. Would it be nicer if they got to explore more and save her from returning to that place alone for now?
Sabra Knight
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Painted Moose
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 7:59 am
Sabra Knight
Sariza was just happy he seemed to have enjoyed himself. She was worried at first that he wouldn't find her home nearly as inviting as his own, which given it's aesthetic it wouldn't be by default, but she was never the less pleased with how things turned out.
With the exception of Uovu, of course, but she was temperamental at best. "Oh, she's exercised regularly. We go on morning and evening runs, as well as most of my training is mounted so she's just naturally irritable." Of course Sariza's image of 'irritable' was what others would describe as 'murderous' but it was all semantics.
"I'm not sure. Where would you want to g-?" Sariza caught herself and stilled. When she turned her head upward a figure was scuttling across the rooftop before disappearing. Furrowing her brow, she took a half step forward. "Did you see that?"
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 3:45 pm
Painted Moose
"I see." Faisal smiled and nodded but a pit of dread had started in his stomach. That was considered being naturally irritable? Maybe he was starting to realize he had more fears about janarim than he had previous believed. Thank you, Uovu. He mused with some amusement, his hopes not completely dashed just yet by the intimidating beast. Maybe in time she would adjust to his presence and snarl towards him rather than actually ripping his hands off from his body. Surely if Sariza adored her then something had to be cute about the janarim....even if on the rarest of occasions, right?
Faisal's thoughts were so distracted that he found himself just staring at Sariza's face while waiting for her response. Would she want to go have a cup of tea? A walk through the grounds or just browsing the market perhaps? Eventually he would like to offer a trip to Matori but perhaps that would have to wait until later when....when well he supposed they did finally get married. If things keep going like this. He honestly didn't know how to stop the engagement just yet without stepping on toes that could potentially murder him. At this rate it seemed Faisal had no other choice and he wasn't completely enraged by the idea anymore either. "Ye-wait what?" Blinking Faisal frowned as he glanced upwards towards where Sariza was looking. "Something was up there? Maybe a stray perzi?"
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Painted Moose
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:36 pm
Sabra Knight
"I don't think so. It was too big to be a - " Her near musing tone was cut off with a sharp curse as a figure gang rushed her. Sariza brought her arms up to block the attack, successfully preventing a dagger from burrowing into her face, but not without being wounded in the process. The blade sang into her forearm, settling into the muscle between the bones of her arm. A sharp uppercut caught her attacker by surprise, causing them to jump back and leave the dagger buried in her flesh.
As if the attack itself wasn't enough to put her on alert it seemed they weren't alone. She could see the shadows practically thrumming around them, causing the Oban to take a step closer to Faisal. Every time she moved her arm a sharp burst of pain spiked through it, but removing the dagger was out of the question. If it had hit a vein then doing that could do more damage than good.
If only she'd thought to bring a weapon with her...
Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2021 7:29 am
Painted Moose
"Saraza!" All it had taken was one split second for everything around him to become complete chaos. Faisal had twisted, his body moving towards Sariza before being ripped backwards by another of the shadows. A heavy staff that made his whole body throb with pain as it connected with his back and surely would have snapped his spine had he not moved with the surprising blow. Faisal grit his teeth before seeing Sariza moving closer to him and the hybrid lashed out, his sword singing as it was freed from his sheath before digging into the side of an assailant to shove them backwards into the shadows of the street.
Was this his fault? Why would someone be attacking him...but no. Faisal's gaze narrowed as an arrow came towards Sariza and the swordsman tugged his companion towards him, his own body wincing at the movement as his gaze caught sight of the wound and he felt himself growing even more furious as his concern rose. Why are they targeting, Sariza?! A knot of desperation formed itself in his stomach as he studied those around them. "I don't think they're going to be very reasonable, do you?" He found himself joking to keep the rising tension from making anyone panic, including himself. His amber gaze darted around them as he slowly tugged Sariza further back, his arm secured around her waist and wary of the arm wound, and the sound of creaking wood beneath his sandals caught his attention.
"Can you jump?" Faisal whispered in a hiss before deflecting another attacker with his sword. "Hopefully so because I will need you to jump backwards in about five seconds..." A group of barrels were behind them, probably stored there to collect rainwater or something else for some local family, and Faisal was ready to beak the wooden plank holding them back to give those on the ground something to deal with while they bolted forward. We'll have to get away somehow... Suddenly all of the shenanigans that his brother and he had went through as teens was coming back to mind. Hadn't they also stolen Xaraan and even a Quhar once from a stable that was in the area?
Sabra Knight
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Painted Moose
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2021 3:43 pm
Sabra Knight
4/7
At first Sariza had assumed the attack was directed at Faisal, but it became apparent rather quickly that she was their target. With each arrow that came dangerously close to her flesh Sariza questioned the assault more and more. Why would anyone attack her? Surely her father had his fair share of enemies, but while she'd seen others curl their lip as he passed no one had ever outright attacked! At least, not that she was aware of.
"No," She grit her teeth as she was pulled back, the action itself jarring her arm. When an assailant's blade zipped past her thigh Sariza brought her leg up to kick them away. Weaponless or not she was far from helpless. "I think so..." Jump backwards? But why? She didn't dare look back lest she give away some secret or another, which turned out to be in her favor. It kept her from getting a blade buried in her belly and with a snarl Sariza brought her forehead down on the man before her.
"Who sent you? What do you want?!"
"Ruzicka blood cannot live!"
Ruzicka....? Was that some sort of curse or...?
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:47 am
Adrenaline kept Faisal moving, his legs kicking with plenty of force to get more barrels tumbling at their attackers. The hybrid saw another one going for Sariza but he ended up tossing a dagger from his sash into their stomach to deter them. A wince crossed his features at the sight of blood, his experience with actually fighting like this limited despite his father's military history. Faisal could fight but those had always been duels with formalities or some sort of training. This situation was more intense and he knew if they didn't flee soon that someone's life would be forfeit.
The name Ruzicka tickled something in the back of his mind but Faisal didn't have time to try and make connections. This time he opted to race towards the stables, his relief at seeing the old lock still hadn't been replaced and within a quick moment he was reliving his teen years but popping it out of position and gesturing for Sariza to follow him inside. "This way!" He hissed before running towards a Xaraan that some poor stablehand had been prepping for a customer. Faisal wasted no time in mounting before holding a hand out to Sariza. "Care for a ride?" Despite his attempt at humor Faisal felt his heart racing as he knew their time was limited before the assassins caught up.
Sabra Knight
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Painted Moose
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Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 10:00 am
Sabra Knight
5/7
Despite her injury Sariza kept up with Faisal. She knew she was at a disadvantage as far as defending herself, but sheer determination alone kept the Oban woman's leg sprinting fast enough that she couldn't be caught. A few tried to swipe at her with arrows, one with a whip, but with Faisal's help they were kept at bay. It was far from the first time she'd been chased, unfortunately, so that wasn't the reason behind her fear. There was so many unanswered questions to all of this that fear of the unknown caused lapses in judgement and at times she would mentally lock up, only moving forward because of something he'd say to snap her out of it...
"Can it hold us?" She wasn't exactly light and with the two of them combined the weight might be too much for the animal to handle, let alone light enough to speed away. Still, she took his hand with her good arm and pulled herself up with a grunt.
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 1:23 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
You would be surprised by how resilient these guys are." That and in the moment they didn't have much choice. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that they had found another exit from the stables. Faisal just hoped it would be enough to throw them off for a bit. "We just need to get far enough away in the desert." He had an area in mind where they could lose them.
Faisal gathered his courage, his protective nature pressing him forward as he urged the Xaraan out of the stables and up the street. A long trip would probably wear the creature out but he was hoping it would have just enough stamina to get them to the edges of the city. Another area that he sneaked out of would allow them to slip into the desert sands where Faisal would pull the Xaraan into an oasis before letting up on the reigns. The beast clicked at him with its beak, sides heaving but eagerly went to drink some fresh water while Faisal slipped off with a splash before waiting to help Sariza down so that he could send the Xaraan back towards the city. "Let them track those tracks while we stay in the water and head this way."
Painted Moose
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Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 1:28 pm
[6/7]
Depending on what area they branched out to Sariza knew she could call on her resources. Not only did she have ties to the city guard due to work, but there should be at least one militant squadron patrolling the edges of the city. If they could just make it out far enough...
She held on tight as Faisal maneuvered them around the city, doing her best to keep any noises of pain from slipping out. It was hard to stay balanced with one arm, and more than once she was sure she gripped onto him harder than intended, but it was unavoidable. When they finally came to a stop the adrenaline had started to wear out of her blood, causing the Oban to stumble into him. Realizing what she'd done, Sariza took a half step back with a flush.
"That was....intense. What did they mean by Ruzicka blood?"
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2021 3:07 pm
Faisal had similar intentions. He recalled his mother had been visiting an encampment of soldiers who were training on the outskirts of the city. It would take them to a desert but at least he could get Sariza to a healer, maybe even to his mother if she was still there. His whole body ached and he most definitely had a sprained or broken rib but the hybrid was mostly worried about his companion. Was she okay? Would she heal alright? How was she holding up after being attacked? So many concerns flashed through his mind, especially as he found himself reaching out to hold her while she stumbled. Fear tightened his heart as he realized he was actually afraid of losing Sariza.
"It was something alright. " Faisal frowned at the question and found himself shaking his head. "Maybe I'm not thinking clearly but honestly I don't know. It sounds like an older family name...but I don't know anyone with it. How would that connect with you?" Maybe...her mystery mother? Faisal opened his mouth then closed it before he said anything. "It may be best to ask your father or even my grandmother. At least she would know most of the higher family names. " Faisal nodded before looking around them. "I want to get us to an encampment that's a bit northwest from here. Do you think you can walk a bit?" They could go through the oasis and there was an old path that he recalled was fairly unknown...
Painted Moose
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Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2021 3:12 pm
Sabra Knight
7/7
"It sounded more like a slur to me." She mused, her mind clearly wandering off just like her tone. A family name? If that was the case then maybe this had something to do with her father? "Do you think it's retaliation for something my father's done?" She didn't outright say it, but Sariza was worried. She hadn't heard from him in a few weeks, which wasn't exactly uncommon, but now....
"Yeah, I can walk." Still, seeing the state he himself was in made her reluctant to leave his side. Instead of branching off completely, Sariza softly took his hand with her good one and started the journey. "You should ask your grandmother and I'll get in contact with his regiment. If it really is an old family name surely one of them has an answer."
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2021 7:40 pm
Painted Moose
Faisal blinked. "Maybe?" If it was a slur then it was one that he had never heard before or at least didn't recall. The hybrid shook his head before giving a small chuckle. "If it's retaliation for your father then may the gods have pity on those fools." He could only imagine the hell that her father would bring to whatever idiot tried to mess with him through his daughter. The man seemed cold but was protective enough that even Faisal worried about his own neck when they returned. Still, it didn't worry him as much as Sariza actually being hurt. The very thought made his mouth purse into a frown that slowly softened as his fingers curled around Sariza's hand, something oddly comforting about the touch.
"One would hope so." Faisal agreed with a nod as they walked along. At least they seemed to be safe for now. It just made him worry about the future and how they were going to move forward into the future. Would this Ruzicka haunt them for much longer? "Let's just get to the encampment and get you patched up." Rest, recover and then they could focus on solving this new mystery that had just been abruptly tossed at them.
