inherit
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Aug 29, 2016 21:30:12 GMT
1
Kotetsu
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August 2015
kotetsu
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Post by Kotetsu on Mar 20, 2016 3:51:42 GMT
There was a chill in the air that night, yet Amalica was none the worse for the wear. The outside of her clothes were lightly dampened from the mist floating about. However the outside of her cloak and hood took the brunt of the condensation. She was more worried about the condition of her bow and quiver, tucked safely underneath her cloak strapped tightly to her back. This thing had been with her through thick and thin, and even though she could always have a new one made, it wouldn't be the same she thought. It's come close mind you, but so long as her luck continued she would just roll with it. There were more important things for her to worry about anyways.
Etirath, it was the largest territory she had been to in a while. Working small jobs in the surrounding villages dried up the available gold pretty quickly. If everyone in those areas wanted to kill their neighbor there wouldn't be much left to those places. It in some ways was not as easy to get away with it, but more dense population centers was where the money was sometimes. Until she discovered her future clients, she had to scope things out, set up a base of operations, and to do it quietly at that. A good nights sleep and a small meal would help. It had been a long time since she'd had a bite, even for someone who got by on as little as her.
She had heard of this one inn on the way that most travelers passed through. The building was easy enough to spot, though she wondered if anyone was even watching the place at this hour. Perhaps she didn't think this all the way through. The door was unlocked however, and she took ease with it slowly making her way inside, scanning the main room for signs of life.
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inherit
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Jan 17, 2019 22:10:26 GMT
4
blacknoise
I don't have kik.
273
Aug 14, 2015 15:19:56 GMT
August 2015
blacknoise
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Post by blacknoise on Mar 21, 2016 0:00:26 GMT
A small fire crackled in the middle of the forest, a small, antlered girl stared deeply into the flames as they licked up the dead wood. The deep navy of her skin could be seen momentarily as she covered her fingers and hands with thick, brown, leather gloves. Lacing up her fur boots and checking her cloak over her tunic, she gently flipped up the hood over a small pair of thick horns just beginning to bud on her head once more. She touched them gently, glad to feel them once more, as she looked out and watched the last light of the sun disappear beneath the horizon. Bringing her gloved fingers to her lips, she breathed onto the fire. Frost and ice burst forth from the wood, immediately extinguishing the flame that reflected in her glowing yellow eyes. A loaf-like, large, lumbering forest troll slowly reached up and scratched the top of his head in confusion. His voice, sounding aged and wise despite his lack of knowledge, echoed through the forest as he inquired of the girl her intentions. "Why cover you your skin, yes? I think you very beautiful, yes, very beautiful little spirit."The sunken, malnourished face snapped upwards momentarily, looking almost surprised at the troll's remark. Spreading gently across her face, a small smile graced the face of the girl for but a moment. "You're sweet, but no, I am not. I'm going to see the humans." "Ooooh, see, yes. Humans like humans, no like us.""Yes, humans like humans. Don't worry though, I'll be alright. "Mmmhm, yes. Safe."Without warning, he enraptured the girl in his large arms. One arm pulling her close, the other brushing her mangy, curly red hair after pushing away her hood. Staying like this for a few moments, the troll muttered a prayer and released her. Breathing once more, the girl laughed and waved him goodbye. The second she was out of sight, her spirits fell once more, left alone with her thoughts and the madness that devoured her head. Her walk to and into the city of Etirath was not an eventful one, with her cloak she easily blended with a traveling caravan and slipped past the guards as they counted members inside the city. Moving helped drown her own doubting voice inside her head, the more she moved, the more she worked hard to conceal her face, the easier the blankness inside her head became. She needed a place to rest, however, as constant movement had made her weak body exhausted. Even running short distances was enough to bring her to the point of passing out, and she cursed herself once more for her previous lifestyle. Slipping into the inn, she glanced around and brushed a gloved hand over her face. Dark smoke gathered about her face and the visage of a bearded dwarf overtook her dark, navy skin, horns, and round, yellow eyes. The illusion of a beard flowed down and ended at her stomach, her own hair matched well the hair of an aging dwarf. She wasn't sure if she was happy to not have to use extra magic or if she was ashamed of her own appearance. Walking towards the bar, she tapped the top of the counter to get the attention of the bartender. Her head barely appearing over the counter, she ordered a hot soup and made her way over into a corner table. Carved into the wall over the booth, a sign read 'Come wayward souls!' The forest spirit assumed it to mean something kind and welcoming, but she could only be reminded of an old ditty that children used to sing hundreds of years ago. Shuddering, she sat down and settled in to wait. Her hand momentarily brushed her face in a moment of weakness, revealing the illusion of her dwarven face before the shadowy mask realigned itself. Looking up, she noticed a woman scanning the inn and tried hard not to stare her down. Had she seen the dispelling of the illusion? It was only a moment, she told herself, she could not have seen it unless she was a well trained warrior. Her brain began wondering how many of those existed in Etirath, but she quickly dispelled that notion, she couldn't think about it, not right now. She needed that soup, she needed to help herself return to full strength, this inn would do for now. Hopefully casting an illusion on some wood chips to make them appear like coins would work for a little while, this seemed to be a well off enough establishment to not feel the necessity to check the validity of every coin.
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inherit
21
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Aug 29, 2016 21:30:12 GMT
1
Kotetsu
29
August 2015
kotetsu
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Post by Kotetsu on Mar 22, 2016 2:15:55 GMT
As she scanned the room, Amalica only noticed one soul aside from the bartender. That soul was a peculiar one at that. At least she thought it was. Her eyes blinked a few times and her hand dragged across her face as she took a second look at the old dwarf in the room. She wasn’t sure she could really process what she just saw. Was it a younger woman sitting in his place just now or was she just that fatigued from the long journey to get her. Maybe she had looked to closely into one of the torches lighting the room and the bright light messed with her vision a bit…
No, she was certain she saw something just now. Whether or not it was any of her business was another question all together. While she thought this out she realized it was kind of awkward that she got lost in thought standing in the doorway, so step inside she would now, knowing that she could do so. Did it matter to her one way or another that someone wasn’t who they said they were? Possibly... As she brushes past a few empty tables towards the counter, she makes brief eye contact with the supposed dwarf for a moment before turning to the bar counter. She wasn’t sure why exactly she had to look.
“Barkeep… some cider and a small bit of meat.” She speaks in dull sullen voice behind her face mask to them as she plants a few coins on the countertop. “I’d also like a room for a weeks, let me know if what I’ve presented isn’t enough.”
Amalica figured it would take a moment or two to get what she had requested, thus her wandering eyes took over once more. She had reached a conclusion that the dwarf in the corner bothered her enough that she would investigate it a bit further. She looks in his direction once more and calls out.
“You there… care to tell me a bit about these lands? I’m new to this place and a little curious.”
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inherit
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Jan 17, 2019 22:10:26 GMT
4
blacknoise
I don't have kik.
273
Aug 14, 2015 15:19:56 GMT
August 2015
blacknoise
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Post by blacknoise on Mar 22, 2016 12:36:25 GMT
"No."
The moment the word left her lips, Holly knew it was the wrong response. She could have said anything! "Atch, ah'm new too!" Or "Ah'm a wee bit tired lass, pardon me." Or even "Leave me 'lone." Her dwarvish accent was perfect, as was her dwarvish speech if she actually encountered a dwarf. Did she really just say that?!
As her soup arrived, she shifted her focus away from the woman and focused on her food. Maybe she'd just ignore the lack of dedication to the character of the illusion? Maybe she'd realize Holly was probably a fugitive and leave her alone? What the hell was she thinking, such naivety was not characteristic of her, neither was such anxiety. This wasn't worth her time, let alone her worries, she probably should have just ignored the woman.
Sighing, the 'dwarf' rested a hand on his head and beckoned the woman over while he began eating. Holly found out quick that it was mostly broth, the cook didn't know how to make good soup, but that mattered little. It was sustinence, and it would work. If the woman walked over, Holly would ask a question in her own voice, not that of the illusion's.
"Who are you? And where are you from? I might have been there, but I've never been to this city before."
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Aug 29, 2016 21:30:12 GMT
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Kotetsu
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August 2015
kotetsu
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Post by Kotetsu on Mar 23, 2016 3:56:00 GMT
No? Well that was... rude. Amalica knew she wasn't the most pleasant person to be around herself but dwarves... okay so maybe they aren't exactly known as the most charismatic folks around either. Well, that is if this was even a dwarf she was really dealing with. She still had her doubts for sure, and she could tell whatever this person was, was nervous.
Amalica waited a moment for her own order from the bar tender before answering their call to come forth. The small bit of meat she asked for was taken quite seriously. She had received a thinly sliced piece of what she assumed was beef, or maybe venison. It beat her diet of grasshoppers and sketchy looking berries on the road. She shook her head a bit and pulled her mask down, then took the mug and sliver presented before her, not bothering with the wooden plate it sat on. As she approached the table she took a swig, and took solace in the face that it was at least half decent tasting, not too bitter.
“You can call me Amy for now if you want, and the city itself is called Randyn Nasak. Lovley place, lots of sunshine and rainbows.” She would say in reply to the initial questioning. It was then that she realized that she had the person in a corner… that is unless they were dropping the act intentionally. It was hard to tell as the male dwarf was still sitting before her, just speaking in a female’s voice. Leaning in, Amalica places her mug down on the table, followed by her now free hand, and bites down on a piece of her meat, speaking again as she chewed. Her face would be slightly more visible to the stranger. Her hood still cast a slight shadow over it.
“Sound familiar to ya stranger?”
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inherit
10
0
Jan 17, 2019 22:10:26 GMT
4
blacknoise
I don't have kik.
273
Aug 14, 2015 15:19:56 GMT
August 2015
blacknoise
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Post by blacknoise on Mar 27, 2016 12:47:10 GMT
Holly took in the stock of the woman before her as the drow sat down. She was a dark elf, that was clear, but why was her skin so dark? She was so young, younger than any elf she had seen in a long time, practically a child. That city she spoke of, was it the underground one that the elves were building those many years ago? It sounded familiar, but Holly had never been there so she really couldn't say. Tapping the table in deep thought, she relaxed her focus on the illusion and continued to eat her soup.
The illusion shifted and faded on the girl's face, revealing her dark, navy blue skin and glowing, almond shaped, yellow eyes. The rest of her was still well covered by a cloak, but little, fuzzy, black feathers could be seen beneath her tattered shirt collar. One hand absentmindedly moved up to her neck and scratched off some of the downy feathers as she replied to the Drow's question.
"I feel like I should, but I don't think I've ever been there. Is it underground, lots of tunnels, little dark elf villages, right? Why're you here? Etirath may be a melting pot, but elves tend to be treated better by their own kind than by humans. And where are your parents?"
Her inquisitiveness began to get the best of her, Holly's questions running quickly out her mouth like an unfiltered stream.
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inherit
21
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Aug 29, 2016 21:30:12 GMT
1
Kotetsu
29
August 2015
kotetsu
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Post by Kotetsu on Mar 28, 2016 6:30:47 GMT
She looked upon Holly with a blank stare on her face. Did this newly revealed face just ask her about her parentage? Just how naive was this kid? Enough to think she could slip one by here with that illusion she finally dropped. That much was plenty clear. Where did she go from here she thought? A mild amount of intimidation couldn't hurt, thus her free hand swiftly moves to one of her holstered daggers, bringing it down with just enough force to dig the tip into the table.
"Kid.... I'm twenty six. That's young by my peoples standards and maybe even... whomever yours are, but still well over the age of depending on a parental figure... even if they were still alive." She sighs as she finishes her brief rant though, she leaves the dagger where it was and picks her cider back up from the table as she settles into her seat a bit more, continuing on she seems to avoid going into detail about her home.
"I'm pleased you've graced me with your true self but at the same time I could ask you the same questions ya little brat. I at least have a service I can offer to the humans, and in my line of work they don't much care for what you look like. Something tells me you're not here to enter into any contracts or agreements with the locals."
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inherit
10
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Jan 17, 2019 22:10:26 GMT
4
blacknoise
I don't have kik.
273
Aug 14, 2015 15:19:56 GMT
August 2015
blacknoise
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Post by blacknoise on Mar 29, 2016 20:05:37 GMT
A small giggled slipped through her voice at the woman's response, 'Kid... I'm twenty six.' Practically a child, just because she had the body of an adult did not make her one. Drow didn't tend to age until they passed their first century mark, at least in Holly's experience that was the truth. Had the Dark Elf bloodl become tainted with that of human? That would explain a faster growth cycle, but that would also make them susceptible to death by old age. Now that, she knew, was something no self respecting Dark Elf would ever wish upon their bloodline. Shaking her head, she disregarded it and listened to the woman ask her own questions.
Folding her fingers together, Holly crooked her to the side and grinned. The elf was quite rude, but so were all children. Shrugging, she finished her soup and answered the dark skinned woman's questions. She ignored the 'little brat' comment, as Holly figured it was just her still reacting angrily to the 'where are your parents?' question.
"Perhaps I worded my question wrongly, I meant less that you need a parent and more that I was curious as to what house you originate from. But if you parents are dead already then I suppose it doesn't matter. As to why I'm here, I'm here to remember. Humans and myself do not have a great relationship, but they are a key component to recovering my memory. The more I'm around them, the more I can see my past.
Oh, you said you offer a service? What kind of service?"
Holly's own naivety shone through in her question. But keeping in mind that she was very old and had been absent of the world for a very long time, back when she was alive she didn't interact with the humans enough to find out the intricacies of their society. Assassins and contract killers were something she had never heard of before, so the implications of 'services' went straight over her head.
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inherit
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Aug 29, 2016 21:30:12 GMT
1
Kotetsu
29
August 2015
kotetsu
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Post by Kotetsu on Mar 30, 2016 4:10:50 GMT
Amalica hadn't survived this long in her life by just giving away all her secrets upon meeting them. The direct answer to that question was not for her ears until Amalica knew her better. This could all still be some sort of trick for all she knew after all. Wouldn't be the first time a traps been sprung on her straight on arrival into a town. This could all still be some sort of trick for all she knew after all. Wouldn't be the first time a traps been sprung on her straight on arrival into a town. Then again, she did have something half decent to blackmail her with, just in case she felt like opening her mouth. She'd throw out a little tid bit of information to see if she figured it out on her own. Not being direct about it also gave her plausible deniability.
"Humans have problems that need to be dealt with... I'm a specialist they call in to deal with these kinds of problems. The house I come from is only of significance as they are the ones that brought me up to the point I'm at now. It's the only good they ever did for me." A part of her was trying to sound intimidating, yet another part couldn't get past the fact that the girl just giggled at her. She tried to ignore it, but it just stuck in the back of her mind. Her only reassurance was the fact that the girl was continuing to fumble over her verbal gaffs. She felt smarter for it, yet still a little off put by the current situation.
"I'll tell you something though..." She finally manages to mutter out after chewing of a piece of her venison. "You shouldn't single out humans the way you do. The truth of the matter is, all the races are lowlife assholes. Granted humans are among the worst... I thought it would be different when I came to the surface, but trust me when I say they are the same everywhere, so ya might as well learn to make whatever good use of them you can."
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inherit
10
0
Jan 17, 2019 22:10:26 GMT
4
blacknoise
I don't have kik.
273
Aug 14, 2015 15:19:56 GMT
August 2015
blacknoise
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Post by blacknoise on Mar 31, 2016 3:28:11 GMT
Holly waited for a moment, pausing and thinking. Humans had problems that required specialists? Surely that could only mean problems that someone like herself would not have, but what problems had her own species never had trouble with that a human might need help with? Then it dawned her, the girl was a courtesan! Now it made sense, smiling and winking, she replied to the Drow. Her voice
"Oooh, I get it. Well, my people wouldn't need your services, see, we can't reproduce. Anyway, I'm sorry to hear about your house and family, I know what it's like to lose those who were close to you."
Scratching the back of her neck, the little girl withdrew almost a handful of dark black downy feathers. Making a comically childishly disgusted face, she shook her hand and flung the feathers to the floor. She muttered something about 'molting' and continued to listen as Amalica finished speaking. Shaking her head, she shrugged and responded nonchalantly.
"Oh, it's not that. No species is born naturally good, everything in this world is evil, it's a constant struggle against that nature. What I mean is that I feel an innate hatred of humans, not because of who they are, but because of what they are. But some species are naturally better than others, surely you know this."
As she continued speaking, it was almost frightening, the empty, dead look in the spirit's yellow eyes. As if she felt nothing as she continued speak, except hatred.
"Humans are the Children of Den, they are the lowest of the low in my eyes. Crafted from the hubris of a filthy god who could see nothing past his own need to be worshiped. They are lower beings, not deserving of their lives and not capable of living very long. They expend their petty existences futilely attempting to lengthen their lifespans or dedicating themselves to avenging small slights against their person. Elves are strong, spiritual beings who live for centuries, they can spend their time wisely and make a great impact on this world. Humans enter, consume, destroy, burn, kill, murder, rape, then leave the word a worse place than when they came.
Don't you think we'd be better off if they were all dead?"
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Aug 29, 2016 21:30:12 GMT
1
Kotetsu
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August 2015
kotetsu
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Post by Kotetsu on Apr 4, 2016 1:23:25 GMT
I only kill for coin, I only kill for coin, I only kill for coin, I only kill for coin, I only kill for the fucking coin...
This thought repeated over and over in her head as the woman she was talking with took what she was saying and implied that Amalica was a prostitute. She really did have to resist pulling her weapon on the creature for real this time. It was to the point where everything Holly had said after that might as well have been spoken with a sheet of wool pressed tightly against her lips, muffling her words. Whatever she said, even if Amalica was in a mental state to process it, she had very little reason to care.
This wasn't her though. She was calm and collected most of the time. Her hand was trembling at the thought of someone thinking she was submissive to others for such an act. To be lowered to the level of the slaves that roamed the halls of the richest of the underdark manors. Her hand was shaking as she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
"Listen here... you'd do well to not assume someone is a lady of the night. Say that to the wrong human that you hate so much, and you might see me again under severely worse terms? Understand?"
Amalica didn't care if the woman understood what she meant or not. This was made apparent by her next course of action, to splash the rest of her cider in the general direction of Hollys face. The remaining sliver of meat she had she would stick between her teeth and her dagger in it's sheath as she turned around. Even if the woman pulled some sort of convaluted magic trick to avoid the splashing, it would still be satisfying enough to Amalica. Ahead of her she saw that a an iron key left on the counter by the one tending the in. She'd reach out for it as she passed by, leaving the woman she had met that night behind her for now.
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inherit
10
0
Jan 17, 2019 22:10:26 GMT
4
blacknoise
I don't have kik.
273
Aug 14, 2015 15:19:56 GMT
August 2015
blacknoise
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Post by blacknoise on Apr 4, 2016 4:11:56 GMT
Holly did not understand what the woman meant by her words, but she did understand it was a threat. As the cider dashed across the table and into Holly's face, the small being slowly reached for a nearby cloth and rubbed her face dry. Not seeing the dark elf leave, she looked around after clearing her vision and sighed. Quietly, she asked herself aloud.
"Was it something I said?"
Standing, her meal finished and her conversation partner gone, Holly headed towards the Inn's exit, not bothering to conceal or hide herself. Something the Drow said resonated with Holly, it was a threat, but the Child of Dread took it as a warning. Humans would hunt her, and those that could not would send others. Therefore, it was best if she took her hiding a bit more seriously. Drawing her hood over her head, she took to the rooftops and sought out a dry, dark place to sleep.
She didn't know why she hated the Humans, even lower beings like Trolls and mice deserved a chance in life. Why did she immediately jump to the conclusion that Humans deserved no such chance? It had to do with some memory she experienced, some event that left her scarred enough that subconsciously she holds enough hatred to shine past any real remembrance of the offense. Perhaps she'd visit the Gardens next, seek out her memories there.
A pang of guilt did linger on her consciousness for having offended the Drow. Hopefully the next time they'd meet, she'd know the right way to act and the right things to say. She really didn't mean to do anything wrong, but something told her she wasn't doing the right thing either.
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