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Post by Adalinde Faust on Oct 22, 2017 3:06:34 GMT
Well, it was lucky that I had found a place before the rain had set in. I knew some changelings who were fire-oriented had an version to water in total, so while I wasn't sure whether this girl had something like that, it was better to be safe than sorry. I didn't have an issue with it so long as there wasn't any ash nearby at least, which made things a lot easier. If things started to get bad enough, I could always put up a cloak of fire or just impose a local drought, though that was probably an option of last resort. I'd rather not call attention to the fact I was here when I was just going around looking to deliver a package after all. Coulda sworn I heard a hissing noise every once in a while, but I just dismissed it as some sorta hallucination. After all, that happened sometimes, low clarity means your mind starts mixing fae and reality, and while my true form didn't react with reality all that much yet, rain in fae would cause hissing when it hit my flames. Weird shit was par for the course when you let yourself slip as much as I ended up doing after this, so I just tried to pay it no mind, no matter how annoying it was to think about with it's repetitive hissing noises.
It had taken me a while to find someone willing to let me into the house, probably because I looked like I would light the place on fire or something by accident, but luckily one of the villagers had given me directions to a shop of some sort that probably would take me in. I gave the guy a fruit as a payment for the information, couldn't just let him be without recompense for the kindness after all. Hopefully he'd be able to at least enjoy the flavor, and hopefully not trip as many balls as the girl on my back seemed to be doing right about now. Something about a witch or something was mentioned, but right now I was willing to run the risk of a particularly nosy mage. 'Sides, they might know where to drop this package off since Ajax had just said to bring it to some artifact dealer in Eokia before passing out from being overboozed. Fucking unhelpful, but it was nothing I couldn't just figure out on my own. I had worse jobs I had done in the past with far less information than that after all.
The door swinging open on it's own just elicited a shrug from me, obviously the person knew some sort of magic or some shit. Wasn't too uncommon where I was from so I didn't pay it any heed. Hell, the normies had figured out how to do it with a bit of technology so it was so ubiquitous that most people didn't even pay it any mind anyway. What was a bit more impressive though was the distortion of the space, earning a bit of a whistle from me. "Definitely magic then," I said to myself as I looked around. It didn't elicit much more than that though, because while it was less common where I was from, it still was something I had encountered in the past and wasn't a sign of something that shouldn't be fucked with at least by a knight of my stature. Just meant I had to be more on my guard than with your average being. Nothing else in the shop seemed to stand out to me at first glance though, buncha weird occult shit but that was to be expected with a mage's shop. Seemed like a Goblin Market but with less Faerie shit and more weird mage crap.
The shop owner and so called witch, at least I assumed it was her considering the fact that she was the only person in the place and was behind a counter of some sort, seemingly woke up a bit after I entered. She greeted me with a rather casual shop owner greeting, as I termed it after hearing similar things from a number of people running shit at a market in the hedge, and I smiled at her before responding. "Well, a couple things actually. Needa find a place to let this one sleep off some unforeseen side-effects of some fruits I gathered and I need to figure out where my employer wanted me to deliver a package since he passed out from being a drunk before he could tell me," I said shrugging before continuing, "You appear to at least be in the same business so maybe you could tell me if anyone you know was expecting a package from some guy named Ajax. I could trade you some of those said fruits, they're magical and have healing properties, among other things, if you're interested. Just make sure to preserve them if you plan on letting 'em sit for more than three days."
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Post by Tzuvachyysh on Oct 28, 2017 21:47:51 GMT
As the girl rambled on, Rhukana fumbled for her glasses, finally locating the spectacles further away than she remembered putting them. Maybe she'd bumped them during her rude awakening. No matter; Rhu slipped them on and examined the pair while the storm continued picking up outside.
"That's quite the order, miss," she stated blatantly, wresting with gravity to hoist herself off the stool she had fallen asleep upon. It seemed shaky for a moment, but willpower and physics won out, and Rhu shuffled over to the newcomers to get a better view of them. For a brief moment, her eyes shimmered, passing so swiftly it could be easily missed or mistaken for a trick of the light. No power pushed out from her, but her clouded eyes seemed sharper somehow after the fact.
Her face scrunched up in a scowl. "Drunk, y'say? Ain't never heard of no cinder demon gettin' shitfaced. Not even sure it's possible" About that time Luche was coming to, and she didn't sound well off; as soon as she caught wind of what was coming Rhukana wasted no time and ordered Adalinde "Na'ermind that, over here, quick! Onto the slab," sweeping aside the stuff atop a large sheet of stone -- some of it crashing to the ground. Whirling around, she barely got a bucket up to Luche's mouth before the hapless hellspawn began vomiting rainbows. Literal, actual rainbows.
Well, more like mud-bows, judging by what colors were left.
Once the ditzy demoness settled down to whimpers and the occasional groan, Rhu glanced at the swirling slurry. She then quickly fetched a second bucket, given that the stupid strumpet's stomach stew was eating a hole in the base of the first. "Good gravy. Whaddja say she had again, miss?" her tone quested, straddling the line between mildly irritation and begrudging bemusement. These were her best pails, after all -- would take her a fair while before she found suitable replacements.
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Post by Adalinde Faust on Oct 28, 2017 23:01:07 GMT
I shrugged at what she said, not particularly concerned it was a bit of a tall order, I could pay after all. That was one of the benefits of having the Wyrd and Pledges at my disposal. "I figured, I'm willing to pay though. I know a trick or two that could make what people would normally call fate pay you back for the help you gave me. It's one of the few upshots of ending up like I have," I said with a shrug and a flick of my tail. If it would help get my job done and get this girl some place to rest her head while she slept off the effects of the Goblin Fruits she ate. I had no clue why in the Wyrd she had such an odd reaction to them, but that wasn't really anything that I had any control over, really. Probably something inherent in her nature or something did it, dunno exactly what but I figured that it would work quite well as an explanation. If there was one of those Autumns around or even a Mage, they might be able to tell me more, but that was the best I could do really right about now.
"That what she is? Ain't really from around these parts at all, got dumped in this...place I guess and I ain't got much of a clue what's going on. I do know shitfaced when I see it though," I said with a shrug as I jab a thumb at the drunk demon I was carrying. I quickly hurried to do what she had asked, figuring she could tell something I couldn't and not bothering to question it. She was something like a mage if this shop was anything to go by, and well, I learned that questioning their shit was an endeavor as futile as getting a Winter to grow a pair and fight instead of flee. She rather quickly puked some rather strange shit into a bucket, though on second thought, it wasn't really all that strange considering she had eaten quite a few goblin fruits and it could have been an effect of one of them or something. Hell, could even be normal for them, never seen someone puke after eating one, let alone as many as she had eaten.
"Well, uh. How do I explain it?" I said, pretty much talking to myself for a second as I rummaged in my bag for a couple of the fruits, before holding one out to her and keeping one in my other hand. "Well, see these are fruit from the Hedge which is...well it ain't quite accurate but it's the border between everywhere else and the land of the Gentry called Arcadia. Some of 'em got weird effects, but all these kinds that she ate normally only heal. They're a bit odd in their composition, so that might have something to do with it. They're things of Glamour, which is kinda tightly related to emotion and shit but I ain't too clear on the details. My jobs hitting things, not studying things or explaining them," I said with a shrug before biting into one. The one I held out looked like a banana, but was a color I liked to call purporange and had shifting spots of rellow, another color that I made up to describe these things. It tasted sort of like a temper tantrum mixed with righteous fury, which made it rather delectable for me. The one I held out to her looked like a pomegranate, but was neon blue with strange fractal designs of blood red in it. Probably tasted like a mixture of hypothermia and booze, at least thats what it had tasted like to me when I had one of them before.
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Post by Tzuvachyysh on Nov 1, 2017 7:39:10 GMT
Rhukana listened, continuing to hold the bucket of rainbow-swirled vomit that even now was threatening to chew through the second layer she'd added. Her expression didn't change much, but she did appear to grasp the haphazard explanation given. Delicately she plucked the 'fruit' from Adalinde's fingers when presented, holding it herself for a while as she turned the thing over. Tiny motes danced in her grasp as she did, her face scrunched in concentration until the little lights disappeared.
"How fascinating..." Rhu's tone drifted like chaff in the wind, distracted by the wonder in her hands. "Pure emotion trapped between a physical matrix..." She held it a while longer, feeling the unbidden sensations creeping into her before handing it somewhat reluctantly back. Partially because she wished not to have the temptation to eat it herself -- mostly because she needed her other hand to stifle the coughing fit that cropped up.
"Your friend here, her kind often feed -- literally and figuratively -- off of the emotions from mortals. The why's and how's of that rabbithole are unimportant -- what is, is that your 'fruits' here appear to pack enough thoughts and feelings to feed one of her apparent age and size for a week."
Gesturing with the bucket in her hands, she continued "And from the remains and your account, she seems to have consumed quite a few of them; like a child gobbling up too many sweets she's gone and made herself sick. With the majority of the swill out of her stomach, though, she should be fine by tomorrow morn. Best let her sleep it off and keep an eye on her."
Carefully setting the bucket down in a nearby clay pot, the elderly woman reached beneath her robes to pull out a small flask which she quickly took a swig from. "I am surprised you managed to get her to agree to eating any at all, though. Hellspawn generally being a suspicious and violent lot with little in the way of manners. Nevermind they're not exactly a popular association to have, though that's none of my concern, so long as she don't burn my shop down."
She took another swig from her flask as bells began ringing outside; the sky had grown quite dark and streaks of light occasionally passed by the storefront window, rattling the glass something fierce. "One nasty storm blowin' through. We're safe in here, at least, but I'd not wanna step out any which way til' dawn breaks."
Motioning to the ditzy demoness, she added "I'll go air out the guest room, you make sure that little twit doesn't try to move in the meantime." Without another word (after so many), the proprietor shuffled off towards the back of the shop and a roped-off stairwell.
Luche didn't feel so good as she came around another minute or two after the old hag had left. Her tummy hurt, and she felt dizzy and way too light at the same time. On top of that, her surroundings were completely unfamiliar, though not unlikeable.
At least Adadi-- Adoni-- Ada was still there! And the stone thingy she was laying on felt nice. She could hear something outside, something big and windy and noisy. That much caught her attention.
Without much more than a groan of mild protest, Luche tried to crawl roll hop get off the stone slab.
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Post by Adalinde Faust on Nov 2, 2017 0:10:37 GMT
I shrugged, "Something like that yeah. Other bits and pieces of Fae magic too probably, dunno too much about it though. My job is hitting things normally, not figuring shit like that out." Whatever I was before I went into Arcadia, I definitely was never the most scientifically or academically minded person after I got out. Sure, I could pick shit up pretty quick for the things I needed to do, but pointless facts like that never were anything of a strong suit for me, probably because I could not give a single flying fuck about that sort of thing. I took another bite of the one I was eating as I listened to her explain shit and hand back the fruit, earning a shrug from me before I put it back into the pack that I had kept it in before. If she didn't want it right now, I'd hold on to it just in case she wanted it later. If she didn't, I could probably find a use for it. It was always a rather good source of glamour and made for rather interesting meals. I tended to eat this stuff more often than regular food nowadays, it made getting my glamour fix that much easier I supposed.
"Meh, not too uncommon where I come from. Buncha stuff including myself does, though I can eat normal food too. Need some emotion or other shit that has Glamour in it like those fruits too though, else I pretty much start to starve. Happens when you end up like me and get as in touch with the Wyrd," I said with a shrug. Didn't really seem like too much of a rabbit hole to me as to the why or the how, it just was. Water flows downhill, things fall when dropped, Fae beings need Glamour to survive. She wasn't quite fae but I figured she might be something similar, so it didn't really faze me at all that something like that would be the case. Guess they interacted with it a bit different than beings like Changelings did. After all, while we could trip balls on it if we consumed it too much or ate too many emotions too quick, it wasn't this bad at least.
"She looked hungry so I offered her some, she took me up on it rather quickly. Dunno if it's just her being abnormal or the fruit being that nutritious and shit for them. Didn't really seem all that violent either, buncha dog looking humanoid things were chasing her with sticks and she didn't seem to be willing or able to fight back, so I did it for her right before I gave her the fruit. Seemed scared out of her mind of me for a bit after I killed one, though she calmed down relatively quickly," I said with a shrug as what the woman had said didn't really ring true to the situation I had been in at least. So either this was one odd fucking demon or whatever, or there was more to the story than she seemed to indicate, probably out of ignorance since she didn't seem to be lying or omitting anything at least as far as I could tell.
The storm was seeming to get bad, so I figured I probably ought to get out of it's range by means of the Hedge if I wanted to leave before it was over, either that or just change the climate around here for a while so the storm went away. Didn't want to hurt these people though so I saved that for a last resort. "Sounds fine, will do," was all I said to the proprietor as she moved off and away, probably to make some sort of guest room available. I had hoped she'd stay unconscious, but it seemed there was no such luck and she began to squirm and try to get off the table. "Oi, Luche. Don't get off that stone, a nice lady said she would give us a room here until the storm passes, it's raining hard out there. She did ask that I keep you on there though, probably to keep the store from being affected by your fire or whatever." I'd rather not restrain her, but if she didn't take the hint I would do so. Didn't want to make the store owner mad after all. Was for her own good after all, didn't know how well she could take water. Knew some fire types who had issues with it altogether, even if that wasn't something I had issues with.
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Post by Tzuvachyysh on Nov 10, 2017 1:26:22 GMT
The damaged portions of her skin had healed by the time Luche came to, leaving her with just a thin layer of dusty ashes to remember the rush to relative safety by. The pain was a lingering memory, one she wasn't sure from whence it came, but existed nevertheless.
Which explained why Luche had no idea what happened to her, nor why the nice-angry lady was telling her not to get up. At least until she actually tried to; if there'd been anything left in her stomach it would be all over the stone slab. Instead she just dry-heaved and turned over on her side, facing away from Adalinde, whimpering and shivering. It took a few minutes for the ditzy demoness to calm down, but eventually the whimpers ceased and she rolled back over, her face looking a few shades more ashen than before.
Rhukana returned not long after, barely glancing at the two before shuffling over to the stone slab and handed Adalinde an envelope. "Room's ready, if you want it. And I'll take that package; your 'friend' will want this when you see him next -- no rush on that. I've got another thing up your alley later if you're interested. Would go toward replacin' my pails."
Outside, the streams of ghostly light pressed against the window; otherworldly voices could be heard whispering at the panes, rattling them in their frame as though trying to get in. Etchings around the window glowed, a faint aura of magic radiating from them. "Blasted soulstorms" Rhu muse-murmured as she shuffled to her counter for something, "makin' a racket and rattlin' my wards. Can't even shift exits with them outside or it'll cause... problems."
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Post by Adalinde Faust on Nov 10, 2017 4:11:29 GMT
Poor girl seemed to be still kinda sick, though she did seem to get better after she had a bit of time to adjust now that she was awake. Still didn't seem like she felt like moving, but that was to be expected considering she seemed to have basically overdosed on what she normally ate, a bit like giving a kid too much sugar, but that sugar being laced with some potent hallucinogens. Well, ain't my fault considering I had no clue this shit would happen. You learn new stuff every day I guess, and this seemed to be what I was supposed to learn today. While I waited for the lady of this shop to get back, I popped open my pack and took out another fruit, snacking on it while I waited. Ever since I started to depend on Glamour to live, I'd taken up a habit of eating this stuff whenever I could, especially when I had recently spent some of the stuff. I always wanted to be topped off, it helped keep me feelin' totally alive and shit. Without it, everything felt dull and hazy and I had to deal with the fact that I didn't remember what it was like to be normal, since my damned Keeper had decided to wipe my memory of what life was like in the outside world in an attempt to keep me there. Showed them what for though, and I ran off anyway. Took a while to get to being functional in the real world, but that was fine. I managed to interact somewhat well and keep a decent enough grip on society.
I noticed the other woman getting back and I finished off the fruit I was eating before taking out the package and handing it to her since it turned out I was in the right place. How fortuitous, that meant my end of the pledge was all set and done. I took the letter she had given me and tossed it into my pack where the package had once been. "Sure, one night wouldn't hurt. Wouldn't want to stay here too long and end up turning your bed into some sort of weird cursed item by being in contact with me too long though. How long you think this storm will last?" I asked, trying to get an idea if it was better to ditch the place instead. What she said was a bit ominous about it being a storm of souls or some shit like that, which made me decide I might as well take it as I said I would no matter how long it would take. Didn't want to deal with that shit, sounded too much like something that would happen in Arcadia or if someone pissed off a mage. And neither of those things were things that I wanted, that much was for sure. "Whatcha got for me? I'm always looking for something or another to do, so long as you don't mind me makin' a Pledge out of it. It helps make the pay a bit more worthwhile for me. Gives me a bit of magical energy for doing it, and doesn't cost ya anything so long as you don't intend to rip me off or anything," I said, shrugging as I asked about what she was offering, more than a bit curious about the offer.
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Post by Tzuvachyysh on Nov 14, 2017 0:20:33 GMT
Luche's eyes snapped right to the fruit the moment she saw it, and didn't leave until it disappeared from view. Whether her glare was terrified or transfixed, however, was impossible to determine without asking her directly.
"No need to explain in detail, dear," Rhukana noted in a motherly tone, "You're not the first of your ilk I've had dealings with." She smiled, leaving the meaning to her cryptic words a mystery.
She then went on to explain the job; apparently, the soulstorm was not a natural phenomena, and the being behind it needed to be removed. "If it continues, these storms could worsen past the point of habitability. Track the creature to its lair and eliminate it. Your reward will be waiting for you when you're done; fairly sure I've got a trinket useful for clearin' the mind, but I'll need to dig it up."
Gesturing upstairs she commented "Whenever you want to rest, the room's ready. Her, though," she gestured to Luche, "might be best to have her down here. That's the closest I have to a bed for an ash demon, sadly."
Rhu touched the stone slab first, and it began to heat up; after that, she bent down to touch the floor around the stone slab, and with a whisper a circular barrier arose in a haze of wispy smoke. Luche reached out to poke at the circle, and her hand came up against a 'solid' wall of force. "No worries, lass," Rhukana assured both of them, "'tis only a momentary thing. Ought to disappear by morn'n, but I don't want you wanderin' me shop and mussing the place up."
Luche, in response, let out a dissatisfied huff, rolling over to show her back to the room.
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Post by Adalinde Faust on Nov 14, 2017 5:56:51 GMT
I narrowed my eyes a little bit at the woman in question, suddenly very extremely suspicious of her. I knew my Keeper had dealt with the place that he threw me before, so I wouldn't be surprised if the 'ilk' she was referring to were the Gentry or perhaps some Changelings that he had sent as messengers while keeping them in bondage. It would be quite inappropriate to attack someone in their own home when I was welcomed as a guest, otherwise I would have probably gone for my weapon right here and now and demanded answers out of the old hag about what exactly she meant by that. Instead, I simply gave her a rather suspicious look as the heat around me raised a few degrees in temperature, the fires also seeming to burn a little bit hotter. "What exactly do you mean by that? I would very much rather not be dealing with or staying under the roof of someone who has dealt with the Gentry or their rather unfortunate pawns. Can't be sure if you won't sell me off to them in my sleep, so I would really rather you clarify that little statement of yours," I said, my words carrying more than a little bit of paranoia in them as well as rather high tension. I wasn't about to go back to Arcadia, I would rather die right here and now than be dragged back to that mad realm and be a slave. There were things far worse than death, and being the slave of the Gentry was definitely one of the worst ones I could think of. I wouldn't even sell slavers back to them, it was just that vile.
As for her job offer, well that would have to wait to see what her answer to the next question was. I wasn't about to take a job from someone who collaborated with the Gentry, especially one that seemed as dangerous as this. Anything that could help further their goals was bad, and everything this woman had said now had been thrown into question as suspicion about her ties set in. What didn't help matters was the fact that she was physically penning in the poor girl instead of trying to just impart upon her the need to not do anything, and then resorting to such things as a last resort. That sort of thing was the tactics of the Others, the Gentry, and their allies. And I was not going to be party to that sort of thing, that much was for sure. "I'm against you caging that poor girl before she's done anything wrong. That's what They do, not civilized people," I said, resisting the temptation to spit on the floor after mentioning them again. It left a horrid, pungent taste in my mouth to even think about Them, let alone mention Them out loud. I felt a tickling sensation on the back of my neck and I slapped it, crushing what I thought was a spider sent to spy on me from my Keeper, but really was just a hallucination. "Damned, Gentry, always putting their noses where They don't belong and doing unspeakable things to people who don't deserve it," I muttered, more than a little agitated at the whole situation.
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Post by Tzuvachyysh on Nov 19, 2017 21:11:51 GMT
Rhukana showed considerable tact in withholding the first comment that came to mind, despite having been dealt a most egregious insult. The young woman was clearly under duress at her statement, taken out of context as it was, and appeared to have serious paranoia about whatever she was babbling about. The term 'Gantry' sounded familiar, vaguely, but nothing she had cared to place importance on before.
Her next words she chose with care. "Firstly, I'd ask you kindly not to hurl such outrageous claims around lightly. Rhukana may deal in curios and oddities, but she most certainly does not deal in flesh and blood. Second, whom I deal with is my own business, and such dealings are most certainly confidential. I have, however, had business with fey-kind in the past, dealing with their nigh-incomprehensible system of exchange in the process.
"As for the demon, you obviously have not encountered such creatures; whether or not she remains calm is something I cannot predict as of present, and thus she will remain contained for the night for all of our collective safeties. As well, I'd rather not have her vomiting all over my store, should she become sick again; that bloody stomach stew of hers destroyed two of my pails, and I shall have to replace them. Will need to remember to ward them against extreme heat and acid next time... Nevertheless, there are extra pots around the bench should she need to evacuate, and I doubt she will be hungry again until morning."
With a deep breath, Rhukana visibly relaxed some, stifling a yawn. "Now if you'll excuse me, this body needs its rest. Do what you will; I've made my offer if you still want to assist around here." Without much else, she started to shuffle past the changling to the back of the store, presumably where her own sleeping quarters were.
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Post by Adalinde Faust on Nov 25, 2017 0:43:24 GMT
I snarled at her as she accused me of throwing outrageous claims around, and I didn't believe her one bit about her not dealing in flesh and blood when she deals with the Fae. I wasn't going to believe it one bit that she didn't actually sell people to those hideous monstrosities, it was one of their main things that they wanted from this world after all. They were creatively sterile, they never could make anything truly new or real and that was one of the reasons it was speculated they wanted us. We amused them, they found us to be interesting toys to play with and break. To hell with that bullshit, we were people. And I would not help someone who claimed to be a damned trading partner of Them. "Then count me out of whatever infernal bullshit you have for me to do, if it weren't for the fact that breaking hospitality is worse than dealing with Them I would have struck you down where you stand, even if it meant I would have to die in the process. Dying is frankly better than ending up being dragged back to Arcadia after all," I said, practically spitting those words out as my eyes burned with a fury that made stars look pale. "And to be frank, I don't trust your words one bit about not dealing in flesh and blood if you have traded with Them in the past, so I don't think I will be taking you up on that room. I would again rather not be attacked in my sleep," I said, adding that before plopping myself down right next to the barrier around the demon girl.
"I won't be leaving though, not until this little demon girl is ready to be taken away from you and your grasp. Shes obviously too weak to fight for herself, and I don't want to have her life on my conscience, let alone her ending up in Arcadia," I said, looking absolutely livid at her. Just because I was staying here didn't mean that I liked it, very much the opposite really. As soon as I figured out a way to get her out of here with me safely I would be gone and I would make sure that I kept this place on my list of 'avoid at all costs' list and have to give Ajax an earful about sending me to someone who dealt with Them. He knew how much I despised them and a thing or two about why and what they had done to me. I used to look human, though I didn't even remember what exactly I looked like because of their damned meddling. All I knew was that my mask very much did not reflect who I used to be, and I hadn't found my damned fetch because of that. Hell, I didn't even know where I used to live because of that. I had to make myself a completely new identity and life thanks to Them. And I would die to prevent that from happening to even one more person if I could help it.
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Post by Tzuvachyysh on Nov 26, 2017 3:59:39 GMT
Adalinde's venemous words would fall upon deaf ears, given that Rhukana was studiously ignoring her for the time being; the most reaction she would receive from her spiel was a door slamming somewhere further in the abode. Luche rolled back to face away from the wall, blearily batting her eyes at the rancorous interruption to her slumber, the stone slab glowing a dark cherry red beneath her. Idly her tail poked again at the barrier -- the only response she received was a rubbery rebounding, pushing gently back against her probing. Instead of worrying over it, she simply twisted around and went back to sleep.
True to word, as dawn broke and the storm settled, the barrier surrounding Luche began to waver; by the time the sun was fully over the horizon, it was gone. The stone slab cooled, awakening the demon child as the temperature fell. Idly, she stretched, wings and all extended to their fullest as she tried to shake the weariness from her bones.
One wingtip accidentally brushed a jar on the nearby shelf, knocking it over with a wet crunching sound. The ditzy demoness froze, horror on her face as she stared at the remnants on the floor, as though expecting some retaliation for her actions. When none came, she carefully sat up, returning her wings to their places and perched on the edge of the stone slab, waiting for Ada.
With no storm to threaten its inhabitants, the runes were quiet and dark once more, the door easily opened. However, there was an galling atmosphere to the place now, as though the very abode no longer appreciated Adaline's presence.
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Post by Adalinde Faust on Nov 28, 2017 5:16:46 GMT
The night passed slowly, as I kept myself on guard for any trickery that might try to make me fall asleep so that the damned mage who traded with the Others could sell me off. I wasn't about to be tricked, I knew better than to be unaware in a place like this. That was how they got you, by accepting any bit of hospitality beyond just simply existing there you could be roped into some sort of contract or pledge, or even worse be changed by the very action. Mages did it a bit differently than the Gentry, but who knew what subtle enchantments they could have been hiding here to help their collaborator sell prime merchandise to them. It was definitely not outside the realm of possibility, so I could not let down my guard even if it was unlikely. The Gentry were impossible to truly predict, their minds were too alien, too Other for me to understand. But I was learning, for some reason I could better predict their thoughts and actions, and that was more than a little worrying. I had been told it would happen the more connected to the Wyrd I became, but that didn't make it less worrying that it was happening. Why was it happening? What caused it? I didn't know, but I would definitely beat the everliving snot out of it if I ever found a way to. It was irritating as hell to have that worry going through my mind.
Morning finally came, and the barrier finally broke. I didn't pay too much attention to what the girl broke, and I quickly made my way to pick her up, hopefully doing so without too much trouble. If not, I would just try to lead her out of the shop instead. I could tell that the place didn't want us there anymore, and I didn't particularly care that it did. After all, I didn't want to be there anymore anyway. "Yeah fuck you too shop. We're getting the hell out of here before you use some weird magic on us," I said, resisting the urge to spit on the floor and instead just quickly head out of the building and shepherding the young demon along so that she left as well. I didn't want her getting sold to the Kindly Folk after all, I wasn't about to let another innocent soul end up there, it was far beyond what I was going to allow.
After we made ourselves scarce, I guided her out of the down and near what appeared to be a hedge with a natural path through it, it would serve well enough to get me back to the railroad I had taken to get here rather quickly. "Okay then, I gotta go finish my job Luche. Try to stay safe and not get attacked from now on, okay? Take good care of yourself and try not to get hurt, and definitely never go to that lady's shop ever again. She's fishy and I don't want you to get sold to any bad people, okay?" If she acknowledged that, I would then rattle the bushes and say, "Oi, let me in you shitty dimension," before walking through it and into the Hedge that laid beyond now that I had opened the portal, so that I could make my way back to Ajax and give him a damned earful.
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Post by Tzuvachyysh on Dec 3, 2017 19:39:28 GMT
Luche pretty much went along with things, unsure what even was going on. Nothing the weird old lady had done seemed that bad. The little flamy cage had been strange, but it had kept the ditzy demoness from breaking anything else in the shop. And she'd given the demoness a warm bench to lay on!
But Ada seemed to not like her. Something she'd said had made the nice-scary lady really angry, but Luche had been too preoccupied to figure it out. That aside, she trusted Ada since the psychotic lady had saved her from certain minor pain and suffering, so the little demon made no protests when she was carted out of the shop and back into the woods.
And then she disappeared after screaming obscenities at a bush. Curious, Luche wandered over and poked around, but couldn't find anything of worth. So she sat down and waited...
Time passed. A lot of time passed. Pretty soon, the sky was turning dark again, and Luche's stomach was making growling noises. But she stayed to wait. Maybe the nice-scary lady would come back...
She wasn't coming back. Not by the next morning, anyhow. Hungry and disheartened, Luche toddled off, figuring Ada would be along eventually. It wasn't long before she was completely lost in the woods again, terse but determined to find some place to hide for the night.
By the next day, she couldn't even smell the burning smoke of fireplaces anymore, the entirety of her senses filled with nothing but woods. And of course she was lost, but at least she wasn't wet or being attacked. There were angry things in the woods, though nothing came after her. She kinda wished Ada were here, but all the same she saw so many things that her mind never dwelt on her loneliness for too long.
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