Thoringel
Junior Member
Scarlet Pimpernel
They seek him here, they seek him there
Posts: 83
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Post by Thoringel on Sept 8, 2004 14:42:29 GMT -5
*Alethea came to Erebos, wearing an expression of mild distate, a high-born woman forced into a distressing action. She moves as if she is slightly uncertain of where she is going.
After some time, and several offers of help from passers by which she turns aside by giving imaginary names and trades, she finally gets the help she looks for. A man offers to show her the way, guiding her along a few roads and then into an alley "a short cut", taking care no-one saw the way they went.
He was a trifle surprised when raising his hand with the sap in to strike, she stepped forward and twisted. Next thing he knew, she chanted softly and his muscles froze solid - then she cut his throat open with a knife, standing well back so she got no blood on her clothes.
Not long after that, she emerged from the alley looking very different, in the dead man;s clothes. Moving swiftly, she set off. There was no sign of the action on her, except pperhaps a slight clinging odour of fresh blood.
Behind her the dead body, heavily mutilated with no jaw and no eyes, began to attract the scavengers.
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Post by Jingzu Lunaria on Sept 8, 2004 18:30:10 GMT -5
*Telk leads her back to his home and is greated by his children: Sharon and Trevor rushed up and embraced their dad, who happily returned the hug, while Jessica smiled at him and Melian.*
Jessica: "Welcome back, dad. Hey Melian."
"Hi Jessica. Do me a favor and take the runts to the back. Got some business to take care of."
Jessica: "Sure thing. Come on you two!"
*The two giggle and gaggle and come when called. Jessica closes the door and leaves the two alone. Telk offers Melian a seat.*
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Post by Rumerin on Sept 8, 2004 18:33:19 GMT -5
*She sits down and smiles.*
Great kids. Jessica's tough.
*She takes the scarf off her head and shakes her red curls into what can only be described as total chaos.*
Congratulations Telk.
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Post by Jingzu Lunaria on Sept 8, 2004 18:37:56 GMT -5
*Telk glances at the door and smiles with pride.*
"Thanks. Yes, she is. That came from the things we've been through."
*He gets two glasses of water and hands one to her.*
"Thanks again. Thanks for taking care of the brats, too."
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Post by Rumerin on Sept 8, 2004 18:47:21 GMT -5
*She takes the glass, smiles, and sips it.*
Thanks. Hm? You're welcome.
*Absently fiddles with the scarf.*
You made some sideways promotion, by the way. You've got a desk job now in the office in the Bazaar. No more muggings for you.
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Post by Jingzu Lunaria on Sept 8, 2004 18:51:42 GMT -5
"Sure thing, sounds great to me. I think I'm getting to old for the muggings, anyways.
*He downs the glass and sighs. He wanted a drink, but he knew better.*
"Keep forgetting we have an office there. Wasn't that Emperor's territory?"
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Post by Rumerin on Sept 8, 2004 19:00:53 GMT -5
It's not a large office. Just basic imports, exports, mostly legal. You'll be doing a lot of counting.
*Grins*
A lot.
*She puts the empty glass down.*
Anyway. That office is officially Nightshade. So you applied after getting out and they hired you. You're now employed as a clerk with the Nightshade Corporation. Your girlfriend, Melian, was called to a sick relative shortly afterwards. You two kept writing but not for terribly long. A pity, but one of those things really.
*She smiles and gets up.*
It's been fun, Telk. Give Trevor and Shannon a hug for me, and say bye to Jessica. Save some money for that girl or get a loan with the Corporation, she deserves schooling.
*She ties the scarf back over her curls*
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Thoringel
Junior Member
Scarlet Pimpernel
They seek him here, they seek him there
Posts: 83
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Post by Thoringel on Sept 8, 2004 19:12:50 GMT -5
*Alathea slips into a deserted building, unnoticed by people passing by. She quickly changes her clothing and walks out demurely, heading back to the city centre with measured tread.
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Post by Jingzu Lunaria on Sept 8, 2004 19:13:07 GMT -5
*Telk smiles.*
"Sure, no problems there."
*He nods to the instructions and laughs.*
"Ok, not a problem there.
Sure on all three counts. Take care of yourself, Melian."
*He stands and opens the door for her.*
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Post by Rumerin on Sept 8, 2004 19:18:31 GMT -5
*She nods*
You too. I'd say see ya, but I won't. Farewell Telk, and good luck. Oh, Sieg said hi.
*She smiles, then walks out. Without so much as looking back, the woman in white soon disappears into the streets.*
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Thoringel
Junior Member
Scarlet Pimpernel
They seek him here, they seek him there
Posts: 83
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Post by Thoringel on Sept 20, 2004 17:58:27 GMT -5
*Alathea slips through the streets again, ducking down an unobtrusive alleyway and turning incisible to sneak into another of the deserted buildings so commonin this sector. She rapidly changes, recasts the Invisibility spell and leaves, taking care to become visible again only when completely unobserved.
She heads for the city centre.*
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Sebrintai
Full Member
Betwixt a Lady and the 'Loths?
Posts: 101
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Post by Sebrintai on Oct 10, 2004 20:20:18 GMT -5
*On the corner of two rather similar streets in Erebos is a small school. The walls are of grey brick, the roof is flat, the windows are small. But the playground is ever cheerful, painted in many different colours, with a skipping course and a ballfield painted out on the ground. There is some sort of structure for the children to climb on, there are swings and a seesaw. It is play time and the children are running around over the playground, screaming for no apparent reason, though it makes perfect sense to them. The sun is shining on this autumn day, and the teachers that are supposed to keep an eye on them are sitting on the fence in the sun, chatting and sipping coffee. If a child falls they will call out for them anyway.
Not too far from the playground on the streets is a small woman with a tattoo of a lotus flower over one eye. Both eyes are pitch black- it is like looking into an abyss. Other than that, she seems perfectly harmless and friendly. She is standing against the wall, apparently an employee or something, because she is smoking a cigarette with a bored, absent look on her face.
On the playground, in a shadowy corner, is a little human boy, his legs pulled up, his head resting on his knees. He is dressed in poor clothing, a little too small for him- there are pieces of skin visible between his socks and the ends of his trousers, and his sleeves do not make it to his wrists. His brown hair, a bit too long, falls into his brown eyes. He looks whistfully at the other children at play, but he never joins in. The others ignore him. He traces circles over his knees. He doesn't need them. He doesn't want them. He is perfectly happy in his little corner. The others are stupid anyway. His eyes follow every detail of the soccer game.
The teachers are happily chatting away when the Halfling woman drops her cigarette to the pavement and steps on it to put it out. She blows out some last smoke, then she walks up to the playground, taking her time. She walks past the low fence until she reaches the shadowy corner. She leans over the fence.*
Hello there.
*The boy looks up in shock, and stammers.*
Hello- er- ma'am.
Oh, don't ma'am me. I'm Tai. Who are you?
Denwin.
*He looks at her, and she gives him a kind, warm smile. She glances at the other children.*
Why aren't you playing with the others, Denwin?
*He shrugs reluctantly. She gives him a compassionate look, then rolls her eyes at his schoolmates.*
They are little children. They must bore you.
*He nods. Yes, they are little children. He is always faster with his assignments, he reads better than any of them. He never boasts though. He looks at the others. One of them falls and cries about a bleeding knee. He winces. He hates to hear people cry, it hurts him too. The woman smiles.*
I'm sure sitting there by yourself is no fun at all. Want to come for a walk?
*Denwin thinks.*
I'm not supposed to go with strangers.
*Sitting here isn't fun though, she's right about that. He smiles apologetically at her. Too bad, she's nice. She gives him a warm, understanding smile.*
Of course. Yes, I understand. I just wanted to walk around the block, but I know you may not be comfortable with that...
*She seems somewhat saddened all the same. Denwin frowns. He doesn't want to make the nice Halfling lady sad. Of course he trusts her, but his mother said... He looks at the teachers and the other children. They just scored a goal and the teachers are applauding. The Halfling shrugs and smiles at him.*
See you later then, Denwin.
*She starts walking away, and Denwin winces again. He hurt her... He slides off of his spot and runs after her, taking the side exit off the playground.*
I'll come.
*She smiles at him and takes his hand in a comforting way.*
If you're sure.
Sure.
Okay then. Tell me, what is your favourite subject in school?
*They walk away, and turn a corner, leaving the streets empty but for the laughter of the children on the playgound. They score another goal and cheer. One of the teachers binds the bloody knee of a crying boy, unaware that the real fallen child is lost to them by now. Another offers to get a refill of the coffee mugs and this is greeted with great enthusiasm. She walks inside and gets some more coffee. The bright light blinds her when she walks back outside, but she soon grows accustomed to it and hands out the mugs. A bunch of girl are skipping a rope, singing songs their mothers before them and their mothers before them were singing on the same playground on the same sort of sunny days. The wind plays with the leaves of the great chestnut tree growing a while up the empty street.*
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Post by Rinathan on Nov 14, 2004 7:14:32 GMT -5
Ephen Meleander, sitting in his first-floor apartment, looks out over the streets below. Meril's portrait, not quite restored to former glory but close enough, hangs in its old place on the wall. Leaves flutter by and Ephen lets out a dry sob as he remembers how Meril loved Autumn. He growls. That man took his son. His son! He jumps up and turns to the painting.
I'm going to get him back. Our son. Just you wait.
He runs to the coatrack, grabs his coat, runs out, barely giving himself time to lock the door behind him.
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Post by Míriel Ithildin on Nov 14, 2004 16:48:58 GMT -5
She wandered around the neighbourhood, wearing a non-descript cloak with the hood up against the chillnes of the air, until she found the house she had been looking for. Nothing much, like the rest of them here. She examined it as best as she could from the outside, then wandered off again.
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Post by Rinathan on Dec 1, 2004 14:41:43 GMT -5
Ephen passes the school. It looks so desolate in the cold. There are no children playing there now, school is out, the windows are dark. He puts his hands in his pockets and walks on, his eyes on the pavement. His son would have gone to that school. Should have gone. But he brought another child there in his stead. A child who- who is now also gone. He turns the corner into his own street.
He never cared for that boy. But he took care of him. One day, maybe, his own child will come back to him- that's what he thought. That's what he always believed. But- but it's been over a hundred years now. He took care of that child of Meril's, and he saw her in his face, and it hurt. It would have hurt to see her in his own son. But it would be a happy pain. He fishes in his pocket for his keys, and turns them in the lock. His son... He took the child for walks, to the duck pond in the park, to the zoo, to the fair. He carried the child on his shoulders and read to the boy at night. He had loved stories. All children do, of course. Rinathan had liked it too- to read them himself, that is. Ephen never stooped to reading to that- thing. Odd how you can miss something around that you hated.
He closes the door behind him and walks up the stairs. His son was carried down these stairs, over a hundred years ago, in the arms of a man who had left the child's mother dead. Those screams, that despair of pain that she shrieked out with! He can still hear it, her pain when that thing was born. It destroyed her body, it ripped her apart, Ephen had been so sick as he watched her lying there, half naked, bloody, broken eyes staring up at the ceiling... He had been numb, too numb, he should have fought. He couldn't save her, she wouldn't let him, she loved her doom, her death. She had been such a passionate woman. She loved that man. But he could have saved his son. He could have grabbed the child and ran, ran when that man came back. He could have- thrown her out- his Meril, the love of his life... He should have...
He takes his coat off and hangs it on the cloakrack. He should have denied her access to his house, or he should have moved away from her. Left her to him, to that man, he should have taken his son and left. His son... Such a little boy, such a beautiful child. He should have fought, not physically, because he'd have lost, but he should have fought his heart and let her go. He should have made a choice between- her- and the child, he should have let her go, not let her come back... He walks into the living room and looks at her portrait. Her beautiful face. His Meril.
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