ShadowAngelBeta
Well worn.
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A Second Chance (Reincarnation/Crossover)
- Thread starter Inara Seraph
- Start date
Inara Seraph
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2013
- Messages
- 187
- Likes received
- 79
BGM Set
[X] Sheffield is standing alone at a balcony looking unhappy.
- - [X] Commiserate with her over the extreme boredom this event is bringing you.
- - [X] Chitchat with her, because while you might not KNOW what she is in relation to your uncle... it's telling.
- - - - [X] Rather, it's telling that she is with him all the time or enough.
- - - - - - [X] Apologize for using the power in the "magic" communicator.
It's been on your mind since it happened- you haven't seen Sheffield since your faux pas with the radio. You want to apologize for that, and now is as good a time as any, in your mind. You don't think it would be a good idea to clue her in on how much you know about the device. You'll pretend you thought it was a magical artifact when you talk with her.
All these other faces are nameless, easily lost in a crowd- you tend to think of them all as one entity anyway. As long as your reputation is good amongst them as a whole, you're not interested in singling out enemies and allies amongst the nobility. Your stellar entrance has assured you of that, at least.
Sheffield is someone you can interact with beyond this event- and really, you have a feeling she's way more important to Gallia than anyone actually realizes, and certainly more than anyone else you might meet here except your uncle. Getting on with her, or even just getting to know her better is a far more interesting prospect.
It's also a place of relative safety, ironically enough. Nobody's going to try tripping you up or even something more sinister when you're accompanied by Sheffield. Even if people didn't know who she was, she naturally radiates a 'back off' aura. You drift over to where she's standing, leaving your mother looking worried behind you.
"Good evening." you say politely.
She glances at you but doesn't further acknowledge your presence, merely staring out into the night from her high vantage point. You're not offended, having gotten used to Sheffield's attitude by now. The fact that she hasn't told you to buzz off is proof enough that your presence is not unwanted.
"I'm sorry for touching your stuff. I won't do it again, I promise."
Her gaze slides over to your direction. She crosses her arms and turns back. "Hmph."
You hesitate, not sure what she's thinking. You are spared having to come up with something to say when she speaks of her own volition. "I hate these things."
It's sticking out to you how.. awkward Sheffield is right now. Her clothes, the atmosphere- none of it agrees with her. If you had to guess, you'd say that ritzy functions like this one are events she's not used to attending. Which is weird, because they're something any noble will experience at some point, even one from a minor house.
"How long have you lived in Gallia?" you wonder aloud.
You blush after you hear yourself speak. "Ah, I'm sorry.. that was rude." you stammer out quickly, trying to cover for yourself.
Sheffield raises an eyebrow. "It's not rude. It's obvious I'm not from around here."
She leans against the railing, her voice casual as she answers your question. "It's been.. six years now. Hu.. that is hard to believe, now that I think about it. At times I feel like I've always been here, and other times I feel as if the time has flown by."
You want to ask more- what happened six years ago? Where did you live before you came here?.. but you don't. You feel like you'd break whatever spell is causing her to tell you anything at all. Maybe she's simply feeling melancholic tonight, you don't know. You do know it must be exceedingly rare for her to speak with such.. wistfulness. What did she leave behind?
You pass by most of the social bantering phase chatting with Sheffield. She absolutely loves mocking stupid people, so you take turns pointing it out whenever you catch a noble doing something idiotic. You aren't approached by anyone, though Sheffield speaks aloud her annoyance that people are paying more attention to her this year, and that she blames you. Well, it is your fault.. but she doesn't seem all that bothered, so you don't worry about it.
Your mother glances a few times in your direction, a look of intermingled deep thought and worry. You think she might have words with you later about your choice of company. The herald calls an end to the proceedings and the event ends without any further fanfare.
After the nobles begin filing out, you stand with your mother to see them out. You manage to cajole Sheffield into not exiting immediately, something you consider a momentous accomplishment. You thought she'd want to get the hell out of here as fast as possible. Her piercing gaze scrutinizes each of the leaving nobles, leaving them feeling disquieted as they leave. She doesn't quite have the 'politeness and graciousness' thing down.
A feeling of unease creeps up your spine as you curtsy to the exiting men and women. You tug on your mother's dress surreptitiously, trying to get her attention.
"Mom, something's wrong. Are we.. safe..?" you whisper.
She glances quickly in your direction. "Are you okay?" she speaks softly back.
You shake your head back and forth, trying to dispel the cloudiness from your thoughts. It feels kind of fuzzy right now. "I think so.. it's just.. I'm not feeling so well. I think we should leave early."
She looks down at you with concern before acquiescing. "Alright, Charlotte. Just give me a moment to make apologies and say our goodbyes."
She moves to speak with some other people, and your eyes become glassy and your mind blank. You want to see.. the flowers. Yes. The flowers are pretty. You step gracefully out of the entrance hall toward the garden outside. You find your way is impeded by someone. You stubbornly try to move around them, but they move to block you. Undeterred, you once again attempt to maneuver a way past them, but you just can't find a way around.
"Stop."
You vaguely hear them speak. Stop? Why? You have to see the flowers. Why won't they move?
"What are you doing?"
"I have to go see the flowers." you say mechanically. You continuously try to move past, playing an absurd game of shuffling back and forth to find an opening. They sigh in exasperation.
"Right this very second?" they ask questioningly.
"I have to see them." you repeat.
"Really.." they drawl out unpleasantly.
"Wake up, idiot."
You're slapped across the face. You stare straight ahead, slack jawed. You can start to think again.. and your face hurts. Hurts..? If it hurts, you can think? Then.. you should hurt more. Yes, that should work. You send strong signals of pain to the nerves all along your arms.
"Grraah-!" you cry out in pain in a very unladylike fashion, and collapse to the floor, clutching your crossed arms to your breast.
Your clarity returns immediately. Your arms are really sore, and you can't really heal them- it's mostly phantom pain. You should be fine in a minute. But what just happened? It's obvious, you realize- again, someone tried to do something to you at a major function. They seriously need to expand their playbook.
It looks like you'll have to eat your words- someone would try something with Sheffield right here. You're just glad she decided to help, for whatever reason, as you realize that the person standing in your way is none other than her.
Skill improved: Nerve Control F
"Welcome back." she says condescendingly. She doesn't seem to have noticed you paying particular attention to your arms- she thinks she slapped you out of the trance.. but that's fine with you. You don't like to broadcast your weirdness to everyone you meet.
"Do you remember where you wanted to go?" she questions.
You nod positively. "Um.. yes.."
"Let's go see the flowers then." she says sardonically.
You look back at the castle briefly. "What about my mom..? She must be worried.."
Sheffield rolls her eyes at you. "Who cares, she'll be fine. Are you coming or not?"
You answer by looking determinedly toward the castle garden and heading in that direction. Sheffield walks at your side casually. When you get closer to your destination, Sheffield motions for you to go ahead. "Just walk like a drooling idiot. That should work." is her advice on the subject of subterfuge.
You move forward nervously, trying to imitate the mechanical precision you were walking with before. When you turn the corner to the garden, you find it deserted. You're a bit disheartened, but keep up the act, moving steadily over to some blooming flowers and leaning over them.
Someone taps you on the shoulder, and you have to fight really hard not to scream reflexively. You don't quite suppress a flinch, but you try to recover by slowly turning around to see who it is.
There's a gaunt-faced man dressed in servant's garb facing you. He grabs your hand and starts leading you away, and you decide to go along with it for now. Sheffield wouldn't just leave you with this guy, right..? You desperately hope your faith is not misplaced.
Your trust is rewarded when Sheffield appears suddenly in front of the man, smiling evilly at him. She extends an arm and pulls out a sword from thin air, grasping it by the hilt and slashing downward, disemboweling him. He falls to the floor, and you leap away, but not before a splatter of red stains your white dress.
Sheffield laughs at his crumpled form, taking pleasure in his pain. The man is leaking blood and entrails all over the ground.
What now?
[ ] Save him, there's still time. Dead men tell no tales.
[ ] Stare on in shock. "W-w-what the heck?! Y-you just killed him!"
[ ] Business as usual. "Whew. Thanks, Sheffield."
[ ] Fangirl. "Wooow, that was amazing! How'd you do that?"
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
Regarding your awareness:
1-25: Lalala~ life is good. Nothing shady going on here.
26-50: You feel uneasy, and are on your guard.
51-75: You recognize your behavior is becoming erratic, but you don't know why.
76-100: You can filter between your own perceptions and manufactured ones- you recognize that you are being indirectly attacked.
101+: As above, but recognizing the source as well.
Regarding your attempts to break the effects:
1-25: You try sending pain signals to break out.. and fail. Pretty flowers are pretty.
26-50: You send out pain signals to break out, but they're too mild to do the job. You have only limited awareness.
51-75: You send out pain signals to break out, but you go overboard. It's gone, but you're sore all over and can barely walk.
76-100: You spike pain into your nerves expertly, awakening yourself immediately.
101+: You recognize exactly how you are being affected, and discover a new way to utilize your body arts to counter it.
[X] Sheffield is standing alone at a balcony looking unhappy.
- - [X] Commiserate with her over the extreme boredom this event is bringing you.
- - [X] Chitchat with her, because while you might not KNOW what she is in relation to your uncle... it's telling.
- - - - [X] Rather, it's telling that she is with him all the time or enough.
- - - - - - [X] Apologize for using the power in the "magic" communicator.
It's been on your mind since it happened- you haven't seen Sheffield since your faux pas with the radio. You want to apologize for that, and now is as good a time as any, in your mind. You don't think it would be a good idea to clue her in on how much you know about the device. You'll pretend you thought it was a magical artifact when you talk with her.
All these other faces are nameless, easily lost in a crowd- you tend to think of them all as one entity anyway. As long as your reputation is good amongst them as a whole, you're not interested in singling out enemies and allies amongst the nobility. Your stellar entrance has assured you of that, at least.
Sheffield is someone you can interact with beyond this event- and really, you have a feeling she's way more important to Gallia than anyone actually realizes, and certainly more than anyone else you might meet here except your uncle. Getting on with her, or even just getting to know her better is a far more interesting prospect.
It's also a place of relative safety, ironically enough. Nobody's going to try tripping you up or even something more sinister when you're accompanied by Sheffield. Even if people didn't know who she was, she naturally radiates a 'back off' aura. You drift over to where she's standing, leaving your mother looking worried behind you.
"Good evening." you say politely.
She glances at you but doesn't further acknowledge your presence, merely staring out into the night from her high vantage point. You're not offended, having gotten used to Sheffield's attitude by now. The fact that she hasn't told you to buzz off is proof enough that your presence is not unwanted.
"I'm sorry for touching your stuff. I won't do it again, I promise."
Her gaze slides over to your direction. She crosses her arms and turns back. "Hmph."
You hesitate, not sure what she's thinking. You are spared having to come up with something to say when she speaks of her own volition. "I hate these things."
It's sticking out to you how.. awkward Sheffield is right now. Her clothes, the atmosphere- none of it agrees with her. If you had to guess, you'd say that ritzy functions like this one are events she's not used to attending. Which is weird, because they're something any noble will experience at some point, even one from a minor house.
"How long have you lived in Gallia?" you wonder aloud.
You blush after you hear yourself speak. "Ah, I'm sorry.. that was rude." you stammer out quickly, trying to cover for yourself.
Sheffield raises an eyebrow. "It's not rude. It's obvious I'm not from around here."
She leans against the railing, her voice casual as she answers your question. "It's been.. six years now. Hu.. that is hard to believe, now that I think about it. At times I feel like I've always been here, and other times I feel as if the time has flown by."
You want to ask more- what happened six years ago? Where did you live before you came here?.. but you don't. You feel like you'd break whatever spell is causing her to tell you anything at all. Maybe she's simply feeling melancholic tonight, you don't know. You do know it must be exceedingly rare for her to speak with such.. wistfulness. What did she leave behind?
You pass by most of the social bantering phase chatting with Sheffield. She absolutely loves mocking stupid people, so you take turns pointing it out whenever you catch a noble doing something idiotic. You aren't approached by anyone, though Sheffield speaks aloud her annoyance that people are paying more attention to her this year, and that she blames you. Well, it is your fault.. but she doesn't seem all that bothered, so you don't worry about it.
Your mother glances a few times in your direction, a look of intermingled deep thought and worry. You think she might have words with you later about your choice of company. The herald calls an end to the proceedings and the event ends without any further fanfare.
After the nobles begin filing out, you stand with your mother to see them out. You manage to cajole Sheffield into not exiting immediately, something you consider a momentous accomplishment. You thought she'd want to get the hell out of here as fast as possible. Her piercing gaze scrutinizes each of the leaving nobles, leaving them feeling disquieted as they leave. She doesn't quite have the 'politeness and graciousness' thing down.
A feeling of unease creeps up your spine as you curtsy to the exiting men and women. You tug on your mother's dress surreptitiously, trying to get her attention.
"Mom, something's wrong. Are we.. safe..?" you whisper.
She glances quickly in your direction. "Are you okay?" she speaks softly back.
You shake your head back and forth, trying to dispel the cloudiness from your thoughts. It feels kind of fuzzy right now. "I think so.. it's just.. I'm not feeling so well. I think we should leave early."
She looks down at you with concern before acquiescing. "Alright, Charlotte. Just give me a moment to make apologies and say our goodbyes."
She moves to speak with some other people, and your eyes become glassy and your mind blank. You want to see.. the flowers. Yes. The flowers are pretty. You step gracefully out of the entrance hall toward the garden outside. You find your way is impeded by someone. You stubbornly try to move around them, but they move to block you. Undeterred, you once again attempt to maneuver a way past them, but you just can't find a way around.
"Stop."
You vaguely hear them speak. Stop? Why? You have to see the flowers. Why won't they move?
"What are you doing?"
"I have to go see the flowers." you say mechanically. You continuously try to move past, playing an absurd game of shuffling back and forth to find an opening. They sigh in exasperation.
"Right this very second?" they ask questioningly.
"I have to see them." you repeat.
"Really.." they drawl out unpleasantly.
"Wake up, idiot."
You're slapped across the face. You stare straight ahead, slack jawed. You can start to think again.. and your face hurts. Hurts..? If it hurts, you can think? Then.. you should hurt more. Yes, that should work. You send strong signals of pain to the nerves all along your arms.
"Grraah-!" you cry out in pain in a very unladylike fashion, and collapse to the floor, clutching your crossed arms to your breast.
Your clarity returns immediately. Your arms are really sore, and you can't really heal them- it's mostly phantom pain. You should be fine in a minute. But what just happened? It's obvious, you realize- again, someone tried to do something to you at a major function. They seriously need to expand their playbook.
It looks like you'll have to eat your words- someone would try something with Sheffield right here. You're just glad she decided to help, for whatever reason, as you realize that the person standing in your way is none other than her.
Skill improved: Nerve Control F
"Welcome back." she says condescendingly. She doesn't seem to have noticed you paying particular attention to your arms- she thinks she slapped you out of the trance.. but that's fine with you. You don't like to broadcast your weirdness to everyone you meet.
"Do you remember where you wanted to go?" she questions.
You nod positively. "Um.. yes.."
"Let's go see the flowers then." she says sardonically.
You look back at the castle briefly. "What about my mom..? She must be worried.."
Sheffield rolls her eyes at you. "Who cares, she'll be fine. Are you coming or not?"
You answer by looking determinedly toward the castle garden and heading in that direction. Sheffield walks at your side casually. When you get closer to your destination, Sheffield motions for you to go ahead. "Just walk like a drooling idiot. That should work." is her advice on the subject of subterfuge.
You move forward nervously, trying to imitate the mechanical precision you were walking with before. When you turn the corner to the garden, you find it deserted. You're a bit disheartened, but keep up the act, moving steadily over to some blooming flowers and leaning over them.
Someone taps you on the shoulder, and you have to fight really hard not to scream reflexively. You don't quite suppress a flinch, but you try to recover by slowly turning around to see who it is.
There's a gaunt-faced man dressed in servant's garb facing you. He grabs your hand and starts leading you away, and you decide to go along with it for now. Sheffield wouldn't just leave you with this guy, right..? You desperately hope your faith is not misplaced.
Your trust is rewarded when Sheffield appears suddenly in front of the man, smiling evilly at him. She extends an arm and pulls out a sword from thin air, grasping it by the hilt and slashing downward, disemboweling him. He falls to the floor, and you leap away, but not before a splatter of red stains your white dress.
Sheffield laughs at his crumpled form, taking pleasure in his pain. The man is leaking blood and entrails all over the ground.
What now?
[ ] Save him, there's still time. Dead men tell no tales.
[ ] Stare on in shock. "W-w-what the heck?! Y-you just killed him!"
[ ] Business as usual. "Whew. Thanks, Sheffield."
[ ] Fangirl. "Wooow, that was amazing! How'd you do that?"
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
Regarding your awareness:
1-25: Lalala~ life is good. Nothing shady going on here.
26-50: You feel uneasy, and are on your guard.
51-75: You recognize your behavior is becoming erratic, but you don't know why.
76-100: You can filter between your own perceptions and manufactured ones- you recognize that you are being indirectly attacked.
101+: As above, but recognizing the source as well.
Regarding your attempts to break the effects:
1-25: You try sending pain signals to break out.. and fail. Pretty flowers are pretty.
26-50: You send out pain signals to break out, but they're too mild to do the job. You have only limited awareness.
51-75: You send out pain signals to break out, but you go overboard. It's gone, but you're sore all over and can barely walk.
76-100: You spike pain into your nerves expertly, awakening yourself immediately.
101+: You recognize exactly how you are being affected, and discover a new way to utilize your body arts to counter it.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2013
- Messages
- 29,223
- Likes received
- 128,436
[X] Blush and look at Sheffield with awe and gratitude. "T... thank you Sheffield. If... if you hadn't woken me or..."
- - [X] Look away at admitting to weakness. "Thank you."
- - - - [X] Wait, how had she pulled the sword out of thin air. That seemed almost like mage craft, graduation air?!?!
- - - - - - [X] Shake your head and bring him back from the brink. You have questions.
- - [X] Look away at admitting to weakness. "Thank you."
- - - - [X] Wait, how had she pulled the sword out of thin air. That seemed almost like mage craft, graduation air?!?!
- - - - - - [X] Shake your head and bring him back from the brink. You have questions.
Last edited by a moderator:
ShadowAngelBeta
Well worn.
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2013
- Messages
- 7,413
- Likes received
- 49,344
*Stares at the majority response* *Facepalm* Its called Innocence(False) people and that basically sets it on fire for any dealings we have with Sheffield from now on... *Thoughtful Face* then again she may just appreciate how well we can pull that off.
Hmm... Tricky decision is Tricky.
Hmm... Tricky decision is Tricky.
Inara Seraph
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2013
- Messages
- 187
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- 79
BGM Set
[X] Buisiness as usual. "Whew. Thanks, Sheffield."
--[X] Bring him back from the brink. You have questions.
Honestly, pretending to be shocked here would be too much work for you. You've seen worse. "Whew.. thanks, Sheffield."
You ignore her furrowed brow and kneel down next to the mortally wounded man. You place your hands over the gaping wound and reverse it. It's really grotesque the way his intestines slowly crawl back into his chest cavity. You're very glad you aren't a squeamish person. As soon as you finish, he begins stirring.
Skill improved: Healing and Decay E+
You stand up, and Sheffield takes her stained sword and impales him into the ground. He jerks and twitches, still alive somehow. She must have missed any vital organs. That was probably intentional.
"Ahahaha!" she laughs maliciously. "Do it again! I want to see him beg for death." She looks slyly at you. "By the way, since when can you use healing magic? That's some potent spellcasting."
"But.. I want to find out who sent him and what he was trying to do. I can't do that if he's dead." you say petulantly. It strikes you that this conversation has rapidly migrated to the twilight zone.
She waves a hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. I can already tell you everything relevant. Now, are you going to heal him again? I'd love to keep this going." She grins in anticipation.
You aren't a sadist. At least, you hope you aren't. You're not going to keep healing him just so Sheffield can exercise her predilection for cruelty. "..." Sheffield frowns at you, pouting.
You pretend you can't see it. "Um. If you aren't going to let me ask him anything, can you tell me 'everything relevant'?" you ask.
Sheffield thankfully decides to answer. "He's a member of the famed Gallian black ops squad. Surely you've heard rumors of its existence?"
You have. Consisting mostly of commoners who infiltrate a noble house for the purpose of sabotage and assassination, it is a feared tool. It's probably why the palace requirements for new arrivals are so ridiculously stringent. You didn't know for sure- it might've just been a story to scare you, but Sheffield seems to be affirming its existence as fact.
She tosses her hair back haughtily. "Well, it's an open secret. Gallia was the first to figure out that commoners could be very useful in ending the lives of their rivals." she says.
"Not to mention, they make excellent scapegoats if something goes wrong. The other nations still haven't quite caught on."
You think on what she's saying. "But.. how do they operate? Who is in charge? Who lends out the operatives?"
"I do." she says in a matter-of-fact tone.
That.. wait, what?
You stretch out the words, trying to process the implications. "So you're saying.. you accepted someone's request to kidnap me?"
"Yep." she affirms.
"But.. if you accepted it, why did you help me out?" You shiver, remembering the man leading you by the hand. "You could've just left me."
"I was bored? I don't know. I certainly don't care if you live.. but, I don't care if you die, either. I'm not out to protect the integrity of my little group. One failed contract isn't going to ruin our reputation. We're much bigger than that." she explains.
"Besides, no one actually knows I'm the leader of that organization. I can sabotage my own contracts without fear of repercussions."
"I'm not going to stop, either. If you beg, maybe I'll give you a heads up." She titters into her hand, seemingly in a good mood.
"Besides, assassinations build character. I'm sure you can handle it." she adds cheerfully.
Her attitude shifts, and her gaze sharpens. She pins you in place with her intense stare. "Also, don't tell anyone. Or I'll kill you."
"Let's head back, shall we?" She heads off to the castle, leaving you to your own thoughts as you follow after her.
Your mom is beside herself with worry, and has to seriously restrain herself from snapping at Sheffield as you arrive with her. She demands to know how your dress got stained. You explain that you were attacked, and Sheffield saved you. It's obviously a bit more involved than that, but it's sufficient to placate her. She thanks Sheffield stiffly and leads you back to your room, fretting all the while. You're wrapped up in thoughts of what Sheffield told you, your mother's voice fading into the background. Your sleep is troubled that night.
You keep away from Sheffield.. or rather, you don't seek her out for the next few days- your paths don't cross normally, after all. You're still trying to process what happened that night. She hasn't acted any differently or let anything show of what she thought of your display of healing.
That's another clue. You can't say for sure based off what she said, but you believe she thought you were using willpower to fuel Halkegenian healing magic. Unless there are some water mages with amazing healing powers hidden away, what you did shouldn't be possible using Halkegenian magic. It suggests she doesn't actually know what magic can and can't do.
You're close to putting it all together. Just one more hint, slip-up, or clue- and you think you can guess Sheffield's origins with confidence. Then you'll have to decide whether you should confront her about it.
You're back to your daily life. You need things to do.
Polishing your skills:
[ ] Improve your body arts.
[ ] Expand the Wire Menagerie.
[ ] Experiment with forging materials.
[ ] Research a particular topic at the library.
- [ ] What? (Write-in.)
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
Social:
[ ] Attend court, improve political skill.
[ ] You haven't seen much of your mother lately.
[ ] You have something to talk about with Sheffield.
- [ ] "..." (Write-in.)
[ ] Play with your cats, invite that maid that you've already forgotten the name of.
[ ] Observe the knights in the practice yard.
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
[X] Buisiness as usual. "Whew. Thanks, Sheffield."
--[X] Bring him back from the brink. You have questions.
Honestly, pretending to be shocked here would be too much work for you. You've seen worse. "Whew.. thanks, Sheffield."
You ignore her furrowed brow and kneel down next to the mortally wounded man. You place your hands over the gaping wound and reverse it. It's really grotesque the way his intestines slowly crawl back into his chest cavity. You're very glad you aren't a squeamish person. As soon as you finish, he begins stirring.
Skill improved: Healing and Decay E+
You stand up, and Sheffield takes her stained sword and impales him into the ground. He jerks and twitches, still alive somehow. She must have missed any vital organs. That was probably intentional.
"Ahahaha!" she laughs maliciously. "Do it again! I want to see him beg for death." She looks slyly at you. "By the way, since when can you use healing magic? That's some potent spellcasting."
"But.. I want to find out who sent him and what he was trying to do. I can't do that if he's dead." you say petulantly. It strikes you that this conversation has rapidly migrated to the twilight zone.
She waves a hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. I can already tell you everything relevant. Now, are you going to heal him again? I'd love to keep this going." She grins in anticipation.
You aren't a sadist. At least, you hope you aren't. You're not going to keep healing him just so Sheffield can exercise her predilection for cruelty. "..." Sheffield frowns at you, pouting.
You pretend you can't see it. "Um. If you aren't going to let me ask him anything, can you tell me 'everything relevant'?" you ask.
Sheffield thankfully decides to answer. "He's a member of the famed Gallian black ops squad. Surely you've heard rumors of its existence?"
You have. Consisting mostly of commoners who infiltrate a noble house for the purpose of sabotage and assassination, it is a feared tool. It's probably why the palace requirements for new arrivals are so ridiculously stringent. You didn't know for sure- it might've just been a story to scare you, but Sheffield seems to be affirming its existence as fact.
She tosses her hair back haughtily. "Well, it's an open secret. Gallia was the first to figure out that commoners could be very useful in ending the lives of their rivals." she says.
"Not to mention, they make excellent scapegoats if something goes wrong. The other nations still haven't quite caught on."
You think on what she's saying. "But.. how do they operate? Who is in charge? Who lends out the operatives?"
"I do." she says in a matter-of-fact tone.
That.. wait, what?
You stretch out the words, trying to process the implications. "So you're saying.. you accepted someone's request to kidnap me?"
"Yep." she affirms.
"But.. if you accepted it, why did you help me out?" You shiver, remembering the man leading you by the hand. "You could've just left me."
"I was bored? I don't know. I certainly don't care if you live.. but, I don't care if you die, either. I'm not out to protect the integrity of my little group. One failed contract isn't going to ruin our reputation. We're much bigger than that." she explains.
"Besides, no one actually knows I'm the leader of that organization. I can sabotage my own contracts without fear of repercussions."
"I'm not going to stop, either. If you beg, maybe I'll give you a heads up." She titters into her hand, seemingly in a good mood.
"Besides, assassinations build character. I'm sure you can handle it." she adds cheerfully.
Her attitude shifts, and her gaze sharpens. She pins you in place with her intense stare. "Also, don't tell anyone. Or I'll kill you."
"Let's head back, shall we?" She heads off to the castle, leaving you to your own thoughts as you follow after her.
Your mom is beside herself with worry, and has to seriously restrain herself from snapping at Sheffield as you arrive with her. She demands to know how your dress got stained. You explain that you were attacked, and Sheffield saved you. It's obviously a bit more involved than that, but it's sufficient to placate her. She thanks Sheffield stiffly and leads you back to your room, fretting all the while. You're wrapped up in thoughts of what Sheffield told you, your mother's voice fading into the background. Your sleep is troubled that night.
You keep away from Sheffield.. or rather, you don't seek her out for the next few days- your paths don't cross normally, after all. You're still trying to process what happened that night. She hasn't acted any differently or let anything show of what she thought of your display of healing.
That's another clue. You can't say for sure based off what she said, but you believe she thought you were using willpower to fuel Halkegenian healing magic. Unless there are some water mages with amazing healing powers hidden away, what you did shouldn't be possible using Halkegenian magic. It suggests she doesn't actually know what magic can and can't do.
You're close to putting it all together. Just one more hint, slip-up, or clue- and you think you can guess Sheffield's origins with confidence. Then you'll have to decide whether you should confront her about it.
You're back to your daily life. You need things to do.
Polishing your skills:
[ ] Improve your body arts.
[ ] Expand the Wire Menagerie.
[ ] Experiment with forging materials.
[ ] Research a particular topic at the library.
- [ ] What? (Write-in.)
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
Social:
[ ] Attend court, improve political skill.
[ ] You haven't seen much of your mother lately.
[ ] You have something to talk about with Sheffield.
- [ ] "..." (Write-in.)
[ ] Play with your cats, invite that maid that you've already forgotten the name of.
[ ] Observe the knights in the practice yard.
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
Inara Seraph
Know what you're doing yet?
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- Mar 24, 2013
- Messages
- 187
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- 79
overmind said:
Shorter span of time passing with this update, so no.
Tackyseven
Versed in the lewd.
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2013
- Messages
- 1,119
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- 4,401
[X] Improve your body arts.
-[X] Continue Practicing Reinforcement
[X] Observe the knights in the practice yard.
-[X] Continue Practicing Reinforcement
[X] Observe the knights in the practice yard.
useless101
Doing Nothing, Nothing Doing.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2013
- Messages
- 1,188
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- 10,723
[X] Experiment with forging materials.
[X] Play with your cats, invite that maid that you've already forgotten the name of.
Forging materials. New shiny.
I did enjoy Sheff's threat "Don't tell anyone I occasionally try to have you killed, or I'll kill you."
[X] Play with your cats, invite that maid that you've already forgotten the name of.
Forging materials. New shiny.
I did enjoy Sheff's threat "Don't tell anyone I occasionally try to have you killed, or I'll kill you."
Inara Seraph
Know what you're doing yet?
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- Mar 24, 2013
- Messages
- 187
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- 79
Tied between cats and mom. If the tie still exists an hour from now, I'll choose one randomly.
Undead frog
Getting sticky.
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2013
- Messages
- 70
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- 8
[X] Expand the Wire Menagerie.
--[X] Tiger
[X] Play with your cats, invite that maid that you've already forgotten the name of.
--[X] Tiger
[X] Play with your cats, invite that maid that you've already forgotten the name of.
Inara Seraph
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2013
- Messages
- 187
- Likes received
- 79
Locked, writing~
Inara Seraph
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2013
- Messages
- 187
- Likes received
- 79
I am slow.
BGM Set
[X] Expand the Wire Menagerie.
--[X] Tiger.
[X] Play with your cats, invite that maid that you've already forgotten the name of.
Your wire-pigeon is super lonely. You're going to give him a friend.. although, your choice of companion is a little sketchy- you want to make a tiger. You're not sure if tigers actually exist here, but large felines of their type probably make an appearance somewhere.
It's the first time you've tried anything new with your forging powers- you're not sure how easy or difficult it will be to create. You'll have to stick with conjured bronze to make it for now. You settle yourself in your room at night, making a space in the center for you to experiment. You lock your door to ensure you won't be interrupted.
You fill the air with prana- rapidly shaping your material to the desired shape. The wires criss-cross through each other over and over until there's a leg hovering in the air. Attached to the leg comes the torso, the other limbs, and finally the head. Once you finish, you look over your creation.
It is a horribly deformed creature. This will take a lot longer than one night to create. Still, you aren't discouraged. With every failure you are one step closer to perfecting the basic form. You play it by ear and by feel. This doesn't look right, but if you adjust it this way it feels more natural. This doesn't fit with the whole, so you'll throw that out. Step by step, you create micro-patterns within the whole that mesh with each other to create a masterpiece. It's like remembering how to play an instrument you haven't picked up in years- the muscle memory is there, it just needs to be awakened.
It takes over a month to finish your creation- this was a really ambitious project. You've got nothing but time at the palace, though. And it looks damn cool. Forging from start to finish, you can materialize a wire-tiger in about five seconds flat. It only comes up to your breast, but if it stood on its hind legs it would dwarf you in height. Compared to tigers from Iri's world, it's probably just a touch smaller- but it's still big and imposing nonetheless.
The bronze tiger can hold your own weight since you're very light, but it would probably buckle trying to hold anyone bigger than you. It most likely couldn't even carry your mother without collapsing. It is very fast- even a world-class sprinter wouldn't be able to keep up once you've accelerated to top speed. The claws are its offensive weapons- the raw strength and force behind a swipe is many times greater than a regular tiger. However, they're limited to shredding wood or flesh at the moment- they can't cut through armor. If you obtain better materials you should be able to make a stronger version.
Skill improved: Creation and Forging E
New wire-animal: Tiger
You search your brain for the name of that maid that isn't terrified of you. Sarah, that's right- you call for her to 'attend to you' in your quarters. And by 'attend to you,' you mean 'play with cats.'
They are incredibly pampered cats. You have all the latest in pet technology gracing your room- the ball-tethered-to-scratching-post, the cloth-lined-box, and the mouse-imitation-stuffed-with-catnip. It's not called catnip here, but that's what you're sticking to. You're only missing a laser pointer- someone needs to get to work on that.
They've grown quite large. You've grown a bit- you're on the cusp of puberty, but just one of them will fill both your arms when you pick them up. They've reached their adult size, at least.
They're also a lot more lazy now. A ray of sunshine across the floor filtering in through your window is where all four of them are parked at the moment. You wish you could get them to play with each other on command. It's so adorable watching them bathe or tackle each other, or both. You're still happy with them as they are; you like your pets being mostly independent.
Sarah arrives, knocking on the door hesitantly. For her, you suspect her timidity is natural, and not a mask donned in front of a noble. It's more charming that way. It encourages you to be bolder when she's so reticent. You let her in and walk back over to where your cats are napping, plopping yourself on the ground next to them. You encourage Sarah to join you and share in the love.
Alter dons her 'I-will-murder-you' face when you ambush her and snuggle your face against her soft shiny black coat. You can hear Sarah giggling in the background. She's grabbed a mouse-toy and is playing keep-away with Nero, who is trying to swipe it out of her grasp and failing. You and Sarah bond over cats, letting station fall to the wayside, at least for the afternoon. It goes without saying that what happens in here stays in here, not that you'd really mind if Sarah went telling stories about you. At least they'd be happy stories.
Trait increased: Playful F
Trait decreased: Contact Phobia F+
You say goodnight to Sarah, and have a rest on your bed. You notice something out of the corner of your eye- your desk has something on it. There's a letter resting on top in plain sight. You must have missed it being placed- it had to have been there for a while now. You pick it up and begin reading.
Dear Charlotte,
I am sorry I haven't made time for you recently- I have been very busy with a certain project.
I've penned this letter to tell you what I cannot tell you in person- that I'm leaving Gallia. You won't be able to see me anymore. I can hear you asking 'why' already, so I'll tell you. It has to do with that project I mentioned earlier.
For many months now I've been trying to take care of a certain sect of people who wish us harm. I can say with confidence that I reached my goal, but I made a terrible mistake in being witnessed. While I firmly believe that protecting your family is never a crime- I'm afraid the law won't see it the same way. If I could, I would've accomplished this all in secret without ever having to burden you with the knowledge, but that ship has sailed.
You will likely hear a lot of negative things about me in the near future. Know that I did what I did to protect you. I won't have made things easier for you like this- but at least you'll have a future.
I can't ask for you to forgive me for leaving you alone. I can only hope that you'll have the opportunity to scold me in person one day.
Please burn this after you read it, for your own safety. People can't know that I contacted you. I'll be thinking of you, always.
Love, Mom
You stare at the letter, your thoughts churning. What do you do?
[ ] Leave the palace, try and follow after her.
- [ ] Where do you go? (Write-in.)
[ ] Appeal to the King directly.
- [ ] Show him the letter.
- [ ] Don't show him the letter.
[ ] Stay put, burn the letter.
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
In case anyone asks, this was happening no matter what. If you had chosen 'haven't seen mom lately' all that would have changed is she would've told you in person.
BGM Set
[X] Expand the Wire Menagerie.
--[X] Tiger.
[X] Play with your cats, invite that maid that you've already forgotten the name of.
Your wire-pigeon is super lonely. You're going to give him a friend.. although, your choice of companion is a little sketchy- you want to make a tiger. You're not sure if tigers actually exist here, but large felines of their type probably make an appearance somewhere.
It's the first time you've tried anything new with your forging powers- you're not sure how easy or difficult it will be to create. You'll have to stick with conjured bronze to make it for now. You settle yourself in your room at night, making a space in the center for you to experiment. You lock your door to ensure you won't be interrupted.
You fill the air with prana- rapidly shaping your material to the desired shape. The wires criss-cross through each other over and over until there's a leg hovering in the air. Attached to the leg comes the torso, the other limbs, and finally the head. Once you finish, you look over your creation.
It is a horribly deformed creature. This will take a lot longer than one night to create. Still, you aren't discouraged. With every failure you are one step closer to perfecting the basic form. You play it by ear and by feel. This doesn't look right, but if you adjust it this way it feels more natural. This doesn't fit with the whole, so you'll throw that out. Step by step, you create micro-patterns within the whole that mesh with each other to create a masterpiece. It's like remembering how to play an instrument you haven't picked up in years- the muscle memory is there, it just needs to be awakened.
It takes over a month to finish your creation- this was a really ambitious project. You've got nothing but time at the palace, though. And it looks damn cool. Forging from start to finish, you can materialize a wire-tiger in about five seconds flat. It only comes up to your breast, but if it stood on its hind legs it would dwarf you in height. Compared to tigers from Iri's world, it's probably just a touch smaller- but it's still big and imposing nonetheless.
The bronze tiger can hold your own weight since you're very light, but it would probably buckle trying to hold anyone bigger than you. It most likely couldn't even carry your mother without collapsing. It is very fast- even a world-class sprinter wouldn't be able to keep up once you've accelerated to top speed. The claws are its offensive weapons- the raw strength and force behind a swipe is many times greater than a regular tiger. However, they're limited to shredding wood or flesh at the moment- they can't cut through armor. If you obtain better materials you should be able to make a stronger version.
Skill improved: Creation and Forging E
New wire-animal: Tiger
You search your brain for the name of that maid that isn't terrified of you. Sarah, that's right- you call for her to 'attend to you' in your quarters. And by 'attend to you,' you mean 'play with cats.'
They are incredibly pampered cats. You have all the latest in pet technology gracing your room- the ball-tethered-to-scratching-post, the cloth-lined-box, and the mouse-imitation-stuffed-with-catnip. It's not called catnip here, but that's what you're sticking to. You're only missing a laser pointer- someone needs to get to work on that.
They've grown quite large. You've grown a bit- you're on the cusp of puberty, but just one of them will fill both your arms when you pick them up. They've reached their adult size, at least.
They're also a lot more lazy now. A ray of sunshine across the floor filtering in through your window is where all four of them are parked at the moment. You wish you could get them to play with each other on command. It's so adorable watching them bathe or tackle each other, or both. You're still happy with them as they are; you like your pets being mostly independent.
Sarah arrives, knocking on the door hesitantly. For her, you suspect her timidity is natural, and not a mask donned in front of a noble. It's more charming that way. It encourages you to be bolder when she's so reticent. You let her in and walk back over to where your cats are napping, plopping yourself on the ground next to them. You encourage Sarah to join you and share in the love.
Alter dons her 'I-will-murder-you' face when you ambush her and snuggle your face against her soft shiny black coat. You can hear Sarah giggling in the background. She's grabbed a mouse-toy and is playing keep-away with Nero, who is trying to swipe it out of her grasp and failing. You and Sarah bond over cats, letting station fall to the wayside, at least for the afternoon. It goes without saying that what happens in here stays in here, not that you'd really mind if Sarah went telling stories about you. At least they'd be happy stories.
Trait increased: Playful F
Trait decreased: Contact Phobia F+
You say goodnight to Sarah, and have a rest on your bed. You notice something out of the corner of your eye- your desk has something on it. There's a letter resting on top in plain sight. You must have missed it being placed- it had to have been there for a while now. You pick it up and begin reading.
Dear Charlotte,
I am sorry I haven't made time for you recently- I have been very busy with a certain project.
I've penned this letter to tell you what I cannot tell you in person- that I'm leaving Gallia. You won't be able to see me anymore. I can hear you asking 'why' already, so I'll tell you. It has to do with that project I mentioned earlier.
For many months now I've been trying to take care of a certain sect of people who wish us harm. I can say with confidence that I reached my goal, but I made a terrible mistake in being witnessed. While I firmly believe that protecting your family is never a crime- I'm afraid the law won't see it the same way. If I could, I would've accomplished this all in secret without ever having to burden you with the knowledge, but that ship has sailed.
You will likely hear a lot of negative things about me in the near future. Know that I did what I did to protect you. I won't have made things easier for you like this- but at least you'll have a future.
I can't ask for you to forgive me for leaving you alone. I can only hope that you'll have the opportunity to scold me in person one day.
Please burn this after you read it, for your own safety. People can't know that I contacted you. I'll be thinking of you, always.
Love, Mom
You stare at the letter, your thoughts churning. What do you do?
[ ] Leave the palace, try and follow after her.
- [ ] Where do you go? (Write-in.)
[ ] Appeal to the King directly.
- [ ] Show him the letter.
- [ ] Don't show him the letter.
[ ] Stay put, burn the letter.
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
In case anyone asks, this was happening no matter what. If you had chosen 'haven't seen mom lately' all that would have changed is she would've told you in person.
ShadowAngelBeta
Well worn.
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2013
- Messages
- 7,413
- Likes received
- 49,344
I get the feeling that we (as Charlotte obviously) already lost our childhood, via the False modifier to the Innocence trait, and were pretty much fooling ourselves to enjoy our second childhood. Which honestly is perfectly fine, but now its time to stop fooling ourselves.
[X] Stay put, burn the letter.
We are going to screw everyone over very hard if we actually try.
[X] Stay put, burn the letter.
We are going to screw everyone over very hard if we actually try.
Undead frog
Getting sticky.
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2013
- Messages
- 70
- Likes received
- 8
[X] Stay put, burn the letter.
useless101
Doing Nothing, Nothing Doing.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2013
- Messages
- 1,188
- Likes received
- 10,723
[X] Stay put, burn the letter.
If anyone asks, we know nothing.
The king is a jerk. Sheff might think we're very mildly amusing, assuming Mom's plan wasn't to kill her, but she'll be deliberately vague either way. We have zero in the way of skills needed to set out on our own.
The king will probably pull that Chevalier crap on us eventually, but we do have combat applicable skills.
If anyone asks, we know nothing.
The king is a jerk. Sheff might think we're very mildly amusing, assuming Mom's plan wasn't to kill her, but she'll be deliberately vague either way. We have zero in the way of skills needed to set out on our own.
The king will probably pull that Chevalier crap on us eventually, but we do have combat applicable skills.