Fantasy A World Untamed

[Kaine]

Serriah - Upolonian Plains


She yanked back on the collar of his tunic like clothing. It was shabby, threadbare and that of a peasant. There had to be some truth. He had not even had the darker colored clothing worn by the so called elite members of this group.


“Ma..ma sista? She’s onla 7 years old, in town were da linen factory is. She an errand girl, keeps da women hydrated and fed so dey can bes more productive! I dun know what you be lookin for,” His hands came up and he kind of shrugged. “But there is a spot about 5 miles away where da plains turn to woods, just within the line dere is a ol’ broken fort, mostly gone but made of stone, from time passed. All his deals would go down there. I know him n udders would camp dere for days, da has to be sometin dere!”


She put her blade back into her sheath and the other hand on his arm before grabbing his wrist and torquing it. The boy winced and shrieked in pain.


“Please! I dun told ya e’erting!”


Her eyes went to her master. Then back to the boy. There were just two things wrong. Even though he was young, punishment would need to be swift. They had no proof of his crimes besides being a member of these dastardly bandits. While the others were wanted criminals, this lad was not.


"If we free you, there is no stopping you from joining bandits again. While I agree with my master that you should die, today, the human side of me feels compassion. Though you must be punished for your crimes of thievery. I will carry out justice as dictated through Upolonian Law. Since there is no proof of your crimes, you may keep your hand." She spoke is a moderate, stern feminine voice. forcing his right hand down onto the table, she could feel him struggling with fear. Though he did not fight much for he knew the consequences of such. Had it been anyone else, he would of likely screamed and begged some more but Lazarus and Serriah were well known across their continent. She would never carry out any orders, unjustly.


"Spread your fingers child." She demanded calmly. The boy listened and Serriah shifted her gaze to Lazarus, who still had axes in hand. "His last two digits only."


The boy bit harshly on his lip and turned away, knowing full well he was about to lose two fingers.

 

[Jays]

Thane Solcier, Aftermath of Graduation

​

Jenna's voice broke the argument in Thane's mind, temporarily. He turned to her with utter suprise, struggling to snap out of the state of self-absorbtion he was in earlier. He looked back at Jenna blankly, wondering what she wanted from him. They were not friend, not by a long shot, and her considering to talk to him was totally unexpected. He had met Jenna before, a brief meeting that gave him no other information than knowing that she existed. It was the same with most of the other students, as Lily knew everyone and she introduced him to them in an attempt to get him a social life. It was futile. Thane? Social life? They can not exist in the same universe, not this universe. Furiously, he kicked his brain back into gear, preparing for the assault of socialsing.


Thane looked down at the book offered to him with utter bewilderment. She had given him a gift. She had given him a GIFT! The mere notion of someone caring about him stunned Thane, and he spent 30 seconds standing there, mouth agape. A painfully pleasant wave of gratitude surged up through him, further freezing him in place. He felt wetness at the corner of his eyes. Fortunately, when his emotional mind was overwhelmed, his rational mind wasn't, which helped him maintaining a few strand of movement left. He accepted the book at last, holding it with shaky fingers. "Tha...Thank you." He croaked. It was the first time he had gotten a gift that meant something. It was a book, Nine Princes of Amber. A familiar name, he had read it before, and understood her message for him. Not a fancy gaming console, or a car, or all those expensive stuffs his parents gave him, all meaningless and frivolous.


Thane stepped forward and gave Jenna a hug, not caring that people turned to look at him. A few tears ran accross his cheeks, but by then his other persona was pissed enough to murder whatever that produce tears and shut down that part of the brain that was being a freaking baby. Thane regained his composure, barely, before Lily appeared out of nowhere. Then he felt a little embarrassed. He had lost it for a moment, and if his parents were their they would probably make very unpleasant decisions regarding his future, something to do with being send off to a far away and deserted office, and getting him an adopted brother. "Sorry about that." Thane mumbled softly to Jenna. He turned to Lily, intending to talk about anything else but that. "How is planning the party going?" He was even desperate enough to try and look enthusiastic, which came out as a twisted face of half-crying half-smiling expression.


(Did I say he was sensitive? Moody? Emotional? Not even close!)





@L u n a

 

[Killigrew]

Spoiler

Meredith Hall


Post Graduation

​

Red was such a lovely color. The dark and deep of it dug into her mind deep, and as the memories flowed out from the burrow, she drew it up in a long breath once more. Flowers were such lovely things. The smell of copper pennies contrasted starkly with the intoxicating perfume of a rose, and Mereth remembered how she'd placed the flowers down into a pool of red. Father had removed the intestines to make room for her, but had left some of the difficulty to her. She'd had to move the skin out of the way, the slidings of flesh had proved difficult to maneuver around, especially with the woman squirming so much. But with time and care, the roses had all been carefully, closely arranged in a light bouquet over the waterfall of blood that pooled all around them.


The resulting scent had been intriguing; an engrossing tang.


Mereth inhaled deep again, her eyes closing as the memory became stark, and a low chuckle snuck out her throat.


She wasn't aware David had come behind her until he'd spoken up, but she did not hesitate in her pace, and listened, twirling the rose in her fingers.


"I do not mind." Mereth said airily. But she arched her brow at his next statement. Mereth drooped her head to the side at first, his words sinking in, and then stopped in her tracks, spinning about to look him in the eyes. "Silly Daniel. I don't need you to be charming." A smile dancing at the edges of her lips, repressed, but only just, she gathered up his wrist in her free hand and pulled him along behind her as she weaved through the crowd to where she had last caught a glimpse of known gathering faces.


It didn't take long to find her.


"Jenna," Mereth sang, releasing Daniel and taking some last steps forward to cut into the group, ghosting past Thane without sparing him a glance. She pat the younger girl once on the shoulder to catch her attention before spouting into soliloquy. "Explain to me this; a pair is as identical as they are inseparable. They share not only the same parents, the same face, but the very hour of their birth. Yet, when you say it to them, 'you must be twins!', they reply with practiced ease, "We are most definitely not twins."





@VainRochester @Syrenrei

 

[Saito]

Kazuto - In his car headbanging the steering wheel outside of the Auditorium

​

Kazuto received the text about the party. He stared at his phone for a few moments before banging his head on the steering wheel of his car a couple of times.


"I'm an idiot! I can't recognize my feelings nor appreciate the ones I do know... Why am I so lost... I'm so unorganized..."


Kazuto stared at the floor of his car, thinking to himself over and over, ' why can't I do it?' The sounds of happy Seniors and teens that were just roaming left and entered the Auditorium. The strange image of the beautiful Meredith appeared into his head. He quickly shook the image out of his head.


"If she doesn't want me, then I don't want her. That's final."


He whispers to himself, the light shine of the old broken Kazuto began to override his body once again. Kaz would ignore a lot of people and not care if things continued this way. But maybe he liked things like that, maybe he appreciated not being noticed nor cared for any longer. Maybe he'd turn evil and like things even in that twisted and disgusting form. Only God, no... Only Hell would know, or nobody at all.

 

[Babel]

Chickadee watched the other girls run off towards their friends and sighed a little bit. She hugged her book again and then ran her hand through her hair. Might as well head home to get ready for the party she supposed. Chickadee got her bike, which was sort of vintagey and mint-colored, and began riding home on it. It was a pretty long ride, but she enjoyed it. It gave her time to reflect on things and just have some quiet-time. Her parents had insisted on getting her a car, but she had told them not to. That bike was pretty much the only thing keeping her in shape since she did not enjoy working out.


Chickadee looked around as she rode home. Maybe her parents would have something set up for her. She didn't expect a giant party, but at least a small cake and some decorations. That would be nice. There didn't even need to be a cake or decorations. A cup-cake or some cookies would even do. Chickadee smiled a little at the thought and hummed softly as she rode on the side-walk.

 

[Sol]

MARC ORWELL, POST GRAD


He had said that he would leave and yet Jenna was the one who left him. He allowed himself a chuckle at that relatively minor switch in roles, she still had to hand over a lot of gifts to her graduating seniors after all. Of course, that was a whole lot of seniors yet the one that really mattered was nowhere to be found.


"Well, Jenna did say Charlie called in sick...wonder what form of stupidity she got herself involved in now..ah well, I'll find other chances soon enough."


A bit of relief mixed with frustration pooled in his chest as he left the premises of the school. On one hand, he was sort of relieved that Charleene wasn't there to reject him. On the other hand, she might actually just return his feelings, the ones he's kept hidden and nursed for quite some time. The pressure of it all threatened to cave in on him yet he had to hold on a little bit longer.


Marc slipped on his Audio Techica headphones and pulled out his smartphone. He set the music player on shuffle and it began playing "Something About Us" the original mix by Daft Punk. He decided to ask Jenna the details of the party, which he had failed to ask earlier. He sent her a text message.


'When and where's the party, Jenna?'


Maybe...just maybe Charleene would be there. He didn't exactly have the guts to ask her out after all.


Sent from my GT-I9295 using Tapatalk

 

[Syrenrei]

Outskirts of Hyr- The Iesti Wonder Twins


Arcden pensively accepted the envelope. The way that his shoulders stayed rigid and straight and his weight subtly shifted from left to right indicated to Greyden he was still lost deep within his own thoughts. The edges of the elder twin's lips twitched slightly upwards but failed to properly reciprocate the smile he was granted. Careful scrutiny revealed to Greyden that the source for the increased contemplation was none other than Zaria's capricious smile. Did Arcden feel guilty that he was unable to return the grin? Was he conflicted about returning to Iesti? Was he upset that he had been unable to finish sharpening the edge of his dagger? "We're partners," Arcden firmly stated.


"Yeah, partners. And we wouldn't want you to look completely lame going back to a dinner party without a date. Really, you're lucky to have us," Greyden noted with a hint of a smile. He wasn't buying what Arcden was selling completely, but it was nice to see that the twins were in agreement about returning to Iesti at least. The details of their respective reasons could be expounded upon at a later date... probably when Arcden was drunk. Neither Arcden or Zaria approved of liquor as an escape to worldly tribulations, but they'd see the merits sooner or later he was convinced. With a roll of his shoulders he watched the letter being passed over and focused more fully on the job at hand. "Oh no, once you rescue a woman things get... complicated. They expect you to keep being heroic." Greyden was sometimes amusing, often deadly, but rarely the sort of 'heroic' you wanted to take home and cuddle. There was blood on his hands more often than not and death had a way to taking the sparkle out of relationships. Very few could tolerate his lifestyle without themselves becoming warped by the mortality and broken bodies left in his wake.


Arcden took out the folded papers and surveyed them studiously. His expression had visibly darkened at the mention of the raping. Greyden tended to be more emotional overall, but Arcden was especially aggressive on the more heinous crimes. His assassinations tended to be quick and efficient rather than sadistic; after all, killing was a job and not an enjoyable hobby. To derive pleasure out of the suffering of another was not something he understood and rape was one of the most cruel things a man could do to a woman. If there was any doubts they would strike into the heart of Hyr hunting this prey, they could rest assured now that Arcden would show no mercy even if their pay was cut. He was incensed.


"Maybe we should get going," Greyden offered, eager to distract his introverted sibling. "The sooner we move, the better the chance we can find the daughter alive." He gave a subtle jab to Arcden's side before he started to saunter in the direction of Hyr. His sense of direction was piss poor, but he could estimate a northern direction pretty well. Do you see mountains? If the answer is yes, that is north! Arcden nodded and handed the papers back to Zaria in the envelope before showing a touch of concern at Zaria's clothing. "Are you sure you do not need something thicker?"


@Auren

 

[minusultra]

Molly, Lesit, Lake's house.


tictoktictoktictoktictok


Molly Wright smiled down at her new creation. She had finally finished him and couldn't be happier!


tictoktictoktictoktictok


Molly got awfully lonely when Lake was away for more then an hour so she decided to do something about it. If she couldn't have him around 24/7 then she could at least have him!


tictoktictoktictoktictok


Head of a goat, body of a lion, a beautiful hawk's wing to the right, to the left the brilliant wing of a crow. The eyes were from a cat, shined until there was no pupil or iris, just a pure aquamarine that turned from blue to purple, to green when the creature turned it's head. The ears were from a bat, the tongue was of a serpent, and the teeth were sharpened to a point. Those she took off a human. Oh and the gills! He creature needed to not only roam the land, but the seas as well.


rrrrriiiIIIINNNNNGGGGGGG!


"Oh!" Molly had almost forgotten that she had set that clock. Time really did get away from her when she was working on a project. "Come Vis," she said to her new pet. The small creature, about a foot in length, hopped from the examining table and followed Molly as she made her way to the kitchen. "Lake will probally be hungry when he returns home, and we want to make sure that that we have a full mean ready." Molly reached into the stove and out the rack of meat she had prepared the night before. She plopped it on the table next to the yams, corn, and greens. Molly whipped her brow. "All finished, I really think he'll love it, don't you Vis?"


The newly made beast stuck out it's tongue and hissed in response.


"You want to try it?" Molly grabbed a carving knife and sliced off a piece of the rack. She tossed it to he pet and Vis snatched it out if the air.


"Yup, I knew it was good," Molly cheered.

 

[Syrenrei]

Graduation Ceremony- Jenna


Jenna was surprised by Thane's outburst of emotion to put it mildly. Several of her 'friends' were fond of hugging, but she had not yet had a boy that wasn't related to her by blood hug her. It was a little strange, but she was glad that he appreciated his gift. As withdrawn as he tended to be she was apprehensive it would be met with silent, stoic disapproval. Instead a few of his errant tears graced her neck and shoulder as she was met with open affection. An even brighter smile formed on her lips as she felt both satisfaction and awe at touching someone so profoundly. This was the best graduation ceremony ever!


"I'm glad you like it," she beamed at Thane once he withdrew. She was not upset nor embarrassed by the expression of feelings that had just possessed her peer. Her cheery mood was amplified, not lessened, by the gracious words and actions of those about her. It was a shame that some of her best moments were coming at the end of a year that signaled the departure of many of their lives from hers completely. She would soon be absorbed in the race to finish high school and they would be stumbling under the chaos and pressure of their first year at college. "No, it's not his birthday... I think. I wanted to give my favorite seniors graduation gifts, but I'm afraid books are the only thing I'm good at picking out." Her 'favorite seniors' included a great number of the class above her, but it was significant enough to see who she was rushing to see first after the conclusion of the ceremony. "Oh, I have something for you too, Lily!"


The bag was started to look slightly less dangerous and pathetic than before. A tiny rip at the upper edge was started to stretch downward, but it was no longer taxed by the three books that had already been gifted. Chickadee's book in particular had been heavy and bulky in such a small carrying parcel. Jenna rummaged around, pulling out a tome wrapped in bright yellow paper that had golden embossed stars of various sizes. The tag for Lily's gift had somehow been lost- but Jenna had purposefully chosen different wrappings just in case this occurred.


Lily was a strong woman above all other things, and so Jenna had taken care to find something with a strong female protagonist. The Mists of Avalon was her gift and it was a thick novel that followed the viewpoint of Morgaine through the tales of King Arthur. In this retelling Morgaine was a sympathetic character full of bravery and strength that Jenna thought Lily might relate to better than something featuring a male lead. While a tragic tale, Jenna was relatively confident that nothing could keep down Lily's optimism and exuberant outlook.


No sooner had Jenna handed over Lily's gift than Meredith was upon her with Owens trailing behind like a faithful puppy. The riddle caught her off-guard not because it was abnormal for their conversations, but because moving between so many varied people meant shifts in her thoughts and words. Blinking a couple of times, she grinned as she realized what had been spoken over the din of laughing, yelling, and happy sobs all around them. "Triplets! Or maybe more. I remember reading about identical quadruplets that were raised separately from the rest of their family and put on display for the world to see. My parents are always saying that three of us is more than enough!" The world could barely handle just one Jenna. The thought of more of her was no doubt staggering to anyone that gave it consideration.


"Oh oh, I got you a book too!" She proudly pulled out and presented to Meredith a gift wrapped in a metallic silver striped with purple that matched her eyes. The tag on this gift was still attached, though badly mangled by the jostling it had undergone while trapped by the almost destroyed means of transport. Contained within was not just one book, but three smaller ones. It had seemed a little too much to give either Red or Thane all the books in their more lengthy series, but Meredith's was but a simple trilogy titled Mistborn. Like Lily's book, it followed a female protagonist. The heroine of this literature was a young woman named Vin who knew little of herself or the truth of the world around her. It featured a mysterious world, a determined and resourceful woman, a dash of romance, friendship, moral questions, saving the world, and a climactic battle of creation and destruction. Oh. hopefully she'd read it all.


"I hope you all come to the party! I've never really gotten the chance to be at one before and..." Her phone vibrated with Sol's text message and she bashfully realized that her invitation early had lacked any important and relevant information. "Lily, I hope you don't mind- I invited Marcus too. He wants to know when and where it will be."


@Jason Rorstiel , @L u n a , @Sol

 

[VainRochester]

The Mercenary


Somewhere in Upolo

​

Take a step forwards, right to the opponent, give him no space to attack, take his arm, pull, elbow aimed at neck, discard and disengage, meet adjacent opponent. He's going for a horizontal slash, duck, grapple. He's on the ground, commence beatdown.


She stood up and rubbed her knuckles. It was too easy. Simply too easy. In fact, she should be given a medal for this. The sound of footsteps behind her, the sound of a reckless charge. She took a step back and spun on her heels, and swung her fist in a crescent. The cracking sound as she shattered something in the skull of the next highwayman was oddly satisfying. With a yelp, he crashed onto the dirt, face first, splotching the brown dirt black with the blood from his nose. Why was she even helping Upolo like this? They should get rid of their own problems better. Then again, these bandits would probably go ahead and make Sernn their stomping ground too, if left alone. She shrugged to no one in particular. She was actually showing them a lot of mercy by putting them in their place now. Yes, that was her image. A good hearted mercenary showing these guys mercy from the hands of the Sernnites AND helping Upolo with their bandit problem! She gave a laugh before taking a step to the side. A sword passed through the air where she was a few seconds ago. Her opponent left wide open, she grasped the arm, and slammed her elbow into the gut of her target. She shifted her foot again and with a grunt, lifted the man off his feet, threw him over her shoulder and slammed him onto the ground. She turned again and brought her foot down on his face.


She dusted her hands and grinned that annoying shit-eating grin she had before encountering these poor bastards. Bagged six of them. That'll make good coin. That is, if she could bring them all back to the town. As she started to pace, she found a dagger in her side. She frowned. Where had that come from? She folded her arms and tapped her feet and slowly turned around.


A face caked with dirt and grime. Orphan, probably. And a little shit as well. The mercenary pointed at the knife at her side and shifted her finger towards him. "Did you do this?"


The boy grew pale. Usually, they stopped moving and crumpled from the pain. He didn't miss. He certainly didn't miss in his stab. She was bleeding all right, but she was still standing, unfazed. The mercenary rolled her eyes, before moving towards him. The boy could not react before the back of her hand connected with his face.


"You little scum-sucking bugger. If you were brave enough to stick it in, you'd be brave enough to admit it! It's the general rule of having a relationship!" The mercenary rubbed her temples with her knuckles. "Ach, what am I supposed to do with you?" She paced about, ignoring the whimpering. "Ugh, this is why I don't want to get married, what with the responsibilities of childbirth and children. And does Upolo even have any childbirth policies? They should start some. All these kids. Tch." She clicked her tongue and then spun around, kicking up dirt, and strode towards the boy. "See, this is why you should have been born in Sernn!" The mercenary suddenly yelled at the boy, as if his birth in Upolo or where ever was entirely his fault. It only sent the boy into more convulsions of fear. A moist stink filled the air and the mercenary realised that the boy had just pissed his pants. She gave a disgusted look and folded her arms again, looking elsewhere as the trousers of the youth began to darken.


"I swear, sometimes, I wonder if the Sernnites are too hard or the Outsiders are just too soft." She thought for a moment, then gave a chuckle. "Heh heh. Bedroom jokes." She took a look at the small group of bandits, a number of ten in total, not including Mr. Pisspants. It was going to take a whole lot of effort to clean them up. And honestly, she didn't want to have any Upolonian blood on her hands, figuratively speaking. Literally speaking she had way too much blood on her hands. Maybe she should just leave them here. After all that she had done for them, they won't be back in business for a long time.


"Who...are you?"


The voice spoke from behind her. The boy had mustered enough courage to utter his first words. She clapped her hands together and gave an odd squeal of delight. "He speaks!"


"You're wounded all over, and you do not fall. What kind of monster are you? Even Sernnites cannot stand after all that."


He must be talking about the swords, axes and daggers buried all over her back, all where they were stuck and their owners dispatched of at that moment of contact. The mercenary gave a huff. So many questions, so little time. He had to be shut up. She neared, clearing her throat.


"I am known by lots of names. Ellen, for instance, Ellen Edgar Poe. Or maybe Josephine-Katherine Rowling. Depends on who's calling. But the name I am most known by is," she raised her foot, poised above the boy's face, and a smile came upon her lips, "The Mercenary." She brought the armored foot down.


(Note: Yes, I was deliberately referencing authors.)


----------------


Ugh. Upolo lands are so vast. Why did it have to be so huge. "Oh, Sir Lazarus just went out, gone to the plains, ma'am." She mimicked in a mocking high-pitched voice. "At least tell me that it needed walking! Damn you, Aldric! Damn you and your stupid lateness! A pox on you! A pox on your whole family and your dog! When he comes back, I'm gonna- okay, that hurt." She winced as pain shot through her abdomen. That kid really got her good. She still wasn't used to light armor, and would much prefer her regular one. All this pain business was making her more annoyed than hurt. She rolled her shoulders and shrugged off the pain. After all, a lady of her birthline shouldn't be put down by such a little thing such as bleeding out. She didn't have time to bleed. She just needed to talk to Lazarus. Just one short talk. She could only hope it didn't come to fists, otherwise Sernn would be in a bad position, politically.


Her worries of finding Lazarus soon faded, replaced by the gnawing of dread at what news she would find, as she soon found a couple of people at the distance. She could recognise one of them as Lazarus. She checked her blonde wig which hid her natural hair and drew the hood over her head, casting a shadow over her eyes and part of her nose. Only her lips and few bangs of her blonde hair could be seen clearly. She raised one hand to the sky and waved from afar.


"Excuse me!" she called. "Hey, you're Lazarus of Upolo, right?" She broke into long strides across the plain, stepping over and on the bodies without care. Blatantly ignoring the young bandit at their mercy she grinned cheerily. "I was looking for you. Boy, it's a real honor meeting you." She held out a hand. She paused, then looked at the prisoner, then turned her eyes back to the Golem. "Sorry, am I interrupting? Carry on. I'll just talk to you in a bit later." She withdrew her hand and waited patiently at the side.


Two child bandits in one day. Really, they should start having some child-bearing plan or something. She'd have to get much more messier if they didn't address the problem of a rising population soon.


@Sol @Kaine


[On a side note: The Mercenary's origins will be posted later. If i feel like it. Though most of you would have worked out who she is by now.]

 

[Jays]

Thane, After Graduation

​

Suddenly, before he even realised what was going on, there was a cluster of people surrounding him, most of which he only vaguely knew, and so of course most of them ignored him. Thane was just a paint brush in the background, no one important, and that's exactly how he liked it. It wasn't always like that. It had been nothing like that. Once upon a time, Thane had been the famous kid, the rich brat with an army of students trailing behind him, willing to do everything he ordered. It was a time when he didn't know better, and a brat was exactly what he was. Throwing money around, crushing and destroying anyone's life whom he wished to, bullying the nerds and the normal kids who didn't even come close to be a challenge for his level of intelligence. He had had it all, wealth, status both among the students of his school and national popularity, a genius with the flawless background, surrounded by lesser pricks and a sea of school girls ready to jump onto his lap at a muttered word. Thane was the big gun, top of the food chain.


Until he broke through the limit and found what was beyond. He was in a league of his own, with no one else to compete against, no other to pose a challenge. What is there left in life when you've got it all? He figured out soon enough. Boredom. Endless boredom, the boredom of waking up every morning knowing that there is nothing left for you to achieve, no dream to pursue, no record to break.


So he did the only thing he could. He made himself a challenge. Or rather, he made himself into a challenge. Thane's mind broke into two, where two opposite personas emerged. It was the point where he let go of the real world. His social life slipped away, and he let it go as it no longer held any interest for him. Thane withdrew into himself, throwing everything else away, fighting the battle that was the only thing he could use to hold on to his sanity. Funny how one escape insanity with something remarkably resemble insanity. His personas went on with the inner war, day after day, every moment he was awake, keeping him anchored to life. Thane supposed he was still waiting for a real challenge to come forth, all the while feeling the battle getting less and less interesting, his fingers slipping on the tie it provided.


And the scene in front of him was definitely not interesting. He silently withdrew from it, unnoticed, and head outside to his car. Party or not, Thane was not keen of the idea of hanging out with the others as long as he can avoid it.

 

[Killigrew]

Meredith Hall


Poastie Graduation

​

She hadn't been expecting a present. And though the sentiment was not unwelcome, Mereth went numb with the receiving.


Quaint, that's what it was. A cute little gesture. Nothing in Jenna's eyes demanded an exchange. She didn't even desire the self-satisfaction of seeing a smile. While Mereth found such a trait diverting, even amusing, her father had often voiced his displeasure, for he saw such persons as squanderers of resource, bleeding hearts with superficial masks to hide their own depravity.


Everyone was depraved, after all. Good was an illusion, but a pretty one nonetheless. And it was because it was pretty that Mereth's red lips had since curled into an enticing smile.


"My..." Mereth took the book in hand, the thick weight of the wrapped mystery surprising her. Insistently, she handed Jenna the rose that had been so attached to Mereth's nose. Jenna may not desire an exchange, but for Mereth it was needed. She must be without debts.


Her hand thusly freed, Mereth tore into the wrapping with withheld ferocity. Upon the revealing of an array of three softcover, illustrated collections of bound paper, she raised her head, and said, grinning lopside, "What manner of creatures are these? They have a spine but no bones; a face but no head; words, but their sound by human ears cannot be heard."


Funny little thing, books. She knew Jenna had a fastinated adoration for them, but had never seen the appeal. Too many words all gathered in one space, and Mereth had never found one interesting enough to spare the time or attention. A little thoughtlessly, Mereth gave them over to Daniel to hold for her.


"Yes, the 'party'." Mereth turned her gaze to the one Jenna addressed. It was a small blonde girl whose face Mereth found utterly unfamiliar, but by the robes she'd graduated along with the others. From what Jenna said, Mereth gathered it was she that would host. Out of the goodness of her heart, Mereth gave the girl some helpful advice. "You would do well to give us a game to play. My favorite's the knife one. With the blood. And the cutting."


"Oh. And Daniel's coming." Mereth added, motioning vaguely at the tall fellow with glasses behind her.

 

[Sol]

CAMORI, ITURO, STREET MARKET.


Between preparing for invitable war with Sernn and keeping himself sane with Valesti's antics, Camori had much to keep him busy. The song of the sea birds, the cool sea breeze, the generally lax tempo of life in Ituro, all of these did not matter one bit to towering Avis Vir. Eruso had departed to carry out Camori's wishes. Ituro had much to prepare for and he hadn't the slightest clue where to really begin turning this all around.


He felt something very insignificant hit his leg. Camori looked down to see Kronos's sibling lookinh back up at him.


"Greetings young one, how goes your errand? Did your mentor allow you an early leave?"


Sent from my GT-I9295 using Tapatalk

 

[minusultra]

("insignificant" xD )


Iso, Ituro, Street Market


"Uh-huh, I finished all my studies for the day." Iso lied not taking into account that the day had just started. "Did you finish your meeting?" Iso asked knowing that Kronos left earlier for that exact reason. He didn't expect to see any of the of the three governors outside this early. Iso wondered if this would be a good time to hard back home...? Naw, Iso was going to enjoy his time away from home as long as he could.

 

[Sythril]

"Ooooooooooh." Lily mumbled, slightly feeling displeased with the company of the circular piece of candy in her mouth. Before answering Thane's question, she paused there and attempted to bite the lollipop off its little stick. For a few seconds, she simply looked like a pug trying to savor its bone. "Rawrgrruugh..." She bit and bit the candy with passion, and soon enough, it broke into at least three pieces. "The party's going... great." Her voice trailed off as she watched Thane move away from them.


"Welp." She mumbled, and gratefully stared at the gift that Jenna just gave her. "Thanks, Jenna!" She stared at the stars and the brightness of the yellow paper, which somehow reminded herself of her hair... and her mother's hair... and her father's hair...


Clay's was an exception, because he already dyed it brown. Him and his preferences.





"It's pretty!" Lily exclaimed so much that if she typed that down, it may have consisted of several to countless smiley faces. Truth be told, she thought that the wrapper was the gift already. She stared at every star for several minutes each, before looking back at Jenna with gleaming eyes. "Marcus?" She thought deeply, which was not really her thing, but still did it all the time, anyway. She knew about four people named Marcus, if she'd include that television show mascot, some kind of NPC from a game she played, and her cousin. But she decided not to question whoever that Marcus was. Either was fine. "That's a-ok!"


"Where it'll be..." Instead of mumbling random words and risking the directions twisted and turned around, Lily just muttered "Log! cabin!" and swiftly clicked on her phone until it showed a virtual map. There was a small indicator on the school's coordinates, the area where they were, and with a few swipes, Lily clicked on the area where their nearest log cabin was. "Here." She showed her phone's screen at Jenna (and anyone who wanted to see it, actually) with the signature smile on her expression.


A little after that, Lily faced Meredith. Yes, her name was Meredith. It seemed that she didn't know even Lily's name, but for that she couldn't blame anyone. "The knife one..." She mumbled before going in a state of thinking deeply even though it hurt her mind so deeply as well. All she could think of was either cake, or games. Like, all those where there are knives, blood, and cutting. "It's okay, Daniel can come too!," she said nonetheless.

 

[Auren]

xBoldan - Just Outside Hyr - Zaria L’instxxxxxxx

Zaria raised an eyebrow at Arcden.

”Regardless, I realize that Iesti does not hold fond memories for you. I don’t want you to feel obligated to go just because we are a team,”

she said before turning to Greyden. She gave him a lopsided smile. Yes, she was lucky indeed. Though her smile went down a little at the mention of the rescued woman. He would likely still flirt and entangle himself with the damsel, heroics or not.


Taking the papers from Arcden, she met his gaze.

”I’ll be alright. This cloak will be enough unless we start to go farther North than I estimate. If we do, I can just pick up a cloak from a merchant. The more northern tribes have cloaks better suited for their winter, anyhow,”

she said. She followed after Greyden as he lead the way to the road that lead into Hyr. She would correct him if his direction was off. She knew that the target would have headed in somewhat of the same route. She would have to just keep her eye out for clues along the way, as she always did. She walked next to Arcden for a bit, watching Greyden skip ahead. It was nice to be with the two of them. She knew that she could contribute some of her survival outside of Iesti thanks to these two. They saved her more times than she cared to admit.


She wasn’t poor in combat, but she would avoid it if she could. She’s acquired a few scars thanks to the few scrambles as captain of her district’s guard, and a few more because of a few bad occasions on the road. She blinked away the memory after a few moments before glancing back at Arcden. Hisac shoulders were tense, and she recalled Greyden mentioning that he was worried or upset. She clasped his shoulder firmly, giving her support to him soundlessly. If he wanted to talk about it, he would. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t. Such was Arcden. She just wanted him to know that she hoped him to feel better soon.


Zaria released his shoulder before quickening her pace to walk between the two of them, taking her usual spot with Greyden leading the way. She glanced to the mountains after a few miles from the town. Her skin goosebumped in anticipation of the chill.






https://www.rpnation.com/profile/5169-syrenrei/@Syrenrei

https://www.rpnation.com/profile/5169-syrenrei/

[[OOC: Sorry bout this being so late. I'll reply as much as I can. This is hell week for me right now >.< ]]

 

[Syrenrei]

Post-Graduation Social Hour- Jenna


"Lily, the gift's inside!" Jenna laughed and ripped a little of the edge to reveal a bright white hardcover hidden beneath. It did not matter to the teenager if her present was opened now or later, just so long as her friend realized was it was at some point. A moment later and Meredith- beautiful and enigmatic as she was- had handed her a crimson rose. Only someone with a vivid imagination might be able to envision how Jenna could look more awkward as she clasped the flower. From her experience in dating simulations, she was very aware of the meaning of the red rose and how ill-suited she was to receive it. It was a bloom given with affection that the brunette had yet to receive in 'real life' (not that she was looking) and she certainly wasn't deserving. A glance to Owens and it was a little more apparent that this had been something Meredith herself had been given, no doubt in congratulations of her achievement this wondrous day.


"Mereth, I... uh..." Jenna started to say. As a comical look of discomfort spread across her pale complexion until it bestowed an unpleasant ruddy tinge on her cheeks. Owens looked generally apathetic, but how could he not secretly scorn the bestowing of such a lovely token on her? It was too late to hand it back; Meredith had already turned to Lily and was making a suggestion about a game that Jenna didn't quite hear. On impulse she broke the stem to make it significantly shorter and put it in Meredith's hair. Much better. Relief washed over her and she gave the impassive Owens an apologetic smile for even touching the sign of adoration.


"Oh, I... think I know where that is," Jenna stated, typing it into her own phone quickly and texting the address to Marcus. In actuality she had never been anywhere near where the lake house was and it would be by the grace of Google Maps that would show up at all. Not getting out much meant that she knew very few roads but constantly mistook them for myriad of those untraveled. "Text me the time- I gotta go pick up my sister from her friend's house before I can go anywhere." With a wave of the hand she was already jogging through the crowd, handing out a few books along the way to the few graduates remaining on her list, before she made her way to her car. A party! It was hard to tell if her parents would be proud or worried- perhaps a mix of both. Jenna was responsible enough they'd let her go regardless.


What was the worse that could happen? ((A giant storm that blasts her to a foreign land never to be seen again, that's what.))


@L u n a, @Killigrew , @VainRochester

 

[Killigrew]

Ludovic of Hyr


North-Western Upolo Border

​

"You know, you tied it up real nice and tight but... the blood... I hate to say it... but I feel it. It won't stop coming out."


Seurn was slumped over Ludo's shoulder. His breath came out shallow and quick. His chin against Ludo's neck felt cold as ice, even as warmth pooled from the wound. Ludo grunted. The bandage hadn't done its job. He shifted Seurn on his back and quickened his pace. They'd been walking for a good few hours, and throughout it all, Seurn had drifted in and out of consciousness, his slurs half stupor, half actual. But now a strange awareness had spread over the man. He had raised up on Ludo's back; his voice was clear; his words dreamless.


"We're almost there." Ludo said firmly. "We're close."


After this next rise, they'd be able to see the border town; a small cluster of houses and townsfolk. A good stop for the night, and with any luck, they'd find a healer there. With a lack thereof, Ludo would find a way. Seurn would live.


The three other mercs and the bound bandit took up the rear, trailing behind Ludo with some hesitation. They'd voiced on a few occasions the want to drop Seurn for the crows, but Ludo had promised a swift kick in the gonads if he heard another breath of such nonsense.


These other mercs were fools and cutthroats that found a way to make gold from the coffers of society and sate at least part of their conscience. They had the bloodlust in them, Ludo had seen it. They served their purpose but they weren't worth the dust in the field to him.


But Seurn was different. He was a man of valor and strength. He was Ludo's only friend. He'd remained steadfast in the face of gold, power, and pleasure. Ludo trusted no other, and knew no other so just or so true as he, even from his time among the tribe of Khodynt.


"I don't know if I told you..." Seurn's voice began to slur. It was a near-whisper. "...why."


They were over the rise. The path stretched out in front of them, the town only yards away. Ludo saw the group of travellers -- elves, by the look of them. And unnaturally pale, like corpses. An ill omen. He shuddered.


"Why what?"


Seurn stirred. His head raised a quarter of an inch. A half-breath. A drawn silence. And then he went limp.


Ludo stopped. "Seurn." He turned his head to look at the man, but Seurn began to fall back, space rapidly opening up between them.


The barbarian staggered. Hands grabbing behind him, he twisted to catch the falling mercenary, but too late. Seurn slammed into the dirt-trodden ground, but his eyes shot open, and he gaped as though he were trying to breathe. Ludo had never seen him so pale.


"Go! Run for a healer!" He roared, grabbing the nearest merc by the throat and throwing him towards the village ahead. The man staggered, and, at Ludo's threatening snarl, eventually began to hasten down the path.


Ludovic dropped to one knee, putting his ear to Seurn's mouth and feeling a puff of breath, slight, but existent. Seurn breathed.

 

[Syrenrei]

The Road Barely Outside that Shitty Upolo Town- Arcden and Greyden


"You have got to be kidding me," Greyden groaned as he saw an obstruction on their path to Hyr. A mercenary with fear in his eyes whizzed by their party with little care from the twins. It was the muscular man leaning over some long-haired beauty (regrettably also a man) that caught their attention. The Iesti half-elves did not look forward to this encounter for multiple reasons, but most of them centered on the two obvious hired men and some shifty looking fellow bound by rope. By the gods they had awful luck! None of the trio were particularly adept at melee combat when the target was squarely in front. Granted these mercenaries weren't exactly the who's who of the swordsmanship world, but Greyden disliked meddling in something that would cause him physical harm without a payout. Did the hired steel imply that there was gold to be had if they stopped and were virtuous citizens full of assistance and kind words?


"We're helping," Arcden asserted and passed by Zaria and his brother before either had the sense to object. This elicited a loud sigh for Greyden but it would only create a more painful delay if he were to attempt to argue with Arcden. The way that the elder twin positioned himself, squarely between his two companions and the new group, was indicative of his desire to protect them. With all six swords sheathed on his person and his hands clearly visible, he approached Ludovic with his brother still complaining under his breath about the time that was going to waste. Arcden pretended not to hear as he stared at what was a man as pale as they were and obviously bleeding out.


Greyden was more of the medic of the pair. As Arcden managed to twist himself into the line of fire more often, that meant that Greyden had ample practice in properly caring for his wounds. When properly focused and willing to concentrate on tasks, the younger twin was eerily similar in the detached, impassive coldness that made assassins such as they infamous. "Did you sew up the wound?" Greyden asked, peering around the barbarian and completely unwilling to come closer unless requested. "Properly douse a needle in alcohol and sew it shut and the skin will knit together faster and allow more movement without spilling out. Just a thought." Poor fellow looked like he also needed some food and water, but he sure as hell wasn't volunteering to do mouth-to-mouth. That was exclusively for those that bribed the dickens out of Greyden and almost always had him so drunk he couldn't tell the men from the women. Not that it really mattered all that much- so long as they weren't particularly hairy.


There they were, lingering on the sidelines. People often got emotional when a loved one (be it familial, purely friendship, or romantic) was dying. It was on the precipice of death that they became desperate and unstable, prone to fits of aimless rage and senseless courses of action. Passing by might just as well incite these fellows as stopping would. It was best not to approach and provoke anything more than they already had by existing in the wrong spot at the wrong time. On the plus side, a man of Hyr should theoretically not harbor ill will towards the Iesti natives.


@Auren , @Killigrew

 

[VainRochester]

Daniel Owens




​

Owens wasn't exactly really thrilled with the idea of having Meredith be surrounded by all these people. While he did know that none of them would actually bring any harm to her, he was extremely uncomfortable with the pure volume of the student population. He was only slightly relieved by the fact that most of them are recognised...'friends' of Meredith. Whether or not they would stay her friends if her skeletons in her closet were shown... Owens clenched his fists. That was why he was here for her. In case they know. He would not, under any circumstances, hesitate to show them a one-way trip to a hotel six feet under. Or a nice permanent vacation under the sea. He touched the side of his glasses and folded his arms, standing behind Meredith.


Owens was just about to protest when Meredith handed the rose over to Jenna as a gift, then pursed his lips and sighed. He wouldn't do it. After all, she was just trying to be normal. Friendly. The Meredith that everyone knew and loved. 'It was difficult, wasn't it, to not love such a beautiful creature?' he wanted to ask. A wry, lopsided smile crawled onto his lips. He removed his glasses and wiped them with his shirt, enough a reason to hide his face until the smile faded away back to nothing. Who was he to her, anyway? He knew everything about her; he knew everything about everyone. He just didn't know who her heart favoured. Him? Jenna? The other girls and guys that flocked about her? He replaced his glasses, and the calm coldness resettled back on him. Whomever it was, there was no doubt about it: he would be by her side until she found someone. Even then, he would remain to protect her, to be there for her. He promised her that he would be there for her, any day, any hour, any time.


He dipped his head to the other students who acknowledged his presence. He knew some of them, but wasn't terribly close to any of them. "It's nice of you to allow me to come, Ms. Lily." He gave a small, formal bow. He gave a look around, and caught a small glimpse of one of his older acquaintances, Marcus, but did not move to greet him. Instead, he placed a hand on Meredith's shoulder. "Do you think you should go get ready for the party? We will see them in a few hour's time, anyway, right?" Owens tucked his other hand in his pocket. After this whole thing, everything will go back to normal. It would just be her and her normal night activities, and him with the body bag, in the night. Just the two of them.


@Killigrew @Reallyanyoneelsegeezidontevenwantotageveryonehere

 

[DoomyMcDoomferdstein]

Aldric Emmanuel Voss, Unknown location.


One month prior.





Your highness, the time is almost upon us.


By the time you have read this, I will likely have reached my destination, where I ride to as I write this. The previous leads I had mentioned in my previous letters all proved to be dead ends and decoys, meant to deliberately complicate their spy network and throw pursuers off. Those two half-elf assassin twins I mentioned as well proved to be red herrings too, but I think they should be marked down as potential threats, and be watched in the future.


The final damning piece of evidence I discovered recently, was a courier I intercepted coming from Ituro a week back. The bulk of his deliveries were standard letters, but among them I found several envelopes emblazoned with the same enigmatic insignia as the one I saw on the very first letter. Each contained reports of various illegal activities, ranging from black market smuggling, all the way to assassinations.


The fact that these mail was transported by a regular courier, and not through other, more discreet methods proves the mastermind behind this entire conspiracy is one of considerable power and status. From the sheer size of the sums of money being thrown around, it is likely whoever had a hand in the affair is of royalty. And if the rumours floating around Ituro are to be believed, only one person could bear such hatred of Sernn.


Hilde Valesti, The Matriarch herself.


At dusk, I will meet with an informant in Ituro, where I will hopefully uncover the truth. After, that I plan to return to Sernn at once, with confirmations of my findings. If I do not return within the next month, on the day of the new moon, then do not attempt to search for me. My absence itself will be proof of the Valesti family's guilt.


As with all previous letters, DO NOT allow a single person, even the most trusted of servants, to lay eyes upon its contents. Burn it as soon as you have finished reading it, and await subsequent replies.


I beseech you not to take action, despite how close we are. Sernn will wilt like the desert ferns on a hot day without a ruler. You, your highness, are the only thing keeping our people, our nation together.


Rest assured, once all has been cleared up, Hilde Valesti will burn for her sins.


Aldric Emmanuel Voss

 

[JellyFish]

Lake - Iesti, Raven Tether To Home

​

Lake stepped out of the tether irritated beyond all belief. Rubbing his eyes with his forefinger and thumb, he stepped into the wet pavement that clicked beneath his heel.


That doctor was one of the most disagreeable men he had ever met. Not only had he accused him of cheating in the bet but also tried to escape paying Lake, with a series of more angered accusations that caused some of his customers to look at each other in question. He was certain that he was going to loose crystals out of this. Sighing, he walked down a brick path breathing in the smell of wet dirt and dripping rain. It was always raining down here and the only light around was the glowing crystals shaped in lampposts.


Brushing his blonde hair form his face, he pulled the collared cape up around his neck. Damp and miserable was he who walked alone down a dark path. But this was something he hand grown used to over the passing years. It bothered him that he was so welcoming to loneliness. He was social person not a hermit!


Ocean blue eyes glanced up at this underground world where he lived, the sounds of passing strangers and distant cried of some poor soul. Such a dangerous world but his home all the same. The only home he knew. Faces would come and go, some to be seen at a uncalled moment some never to be heard of again. But life went on, goes the saying.


His long legs carried him gracefully from street to street, until he found his own quaint, humble abode. He walked up the gray steps, swinging a golden key that opened the black door. With a click of his wist, he was inside. The smell of food assaulted his nose and for amount he realized, he wasn't alone.


Molly always seemed to be there, like a shadow.


Carefully as to not make a sound, he searched the house for the girl and found her preparing his dinner. His eyes spotted a odd creature beside her.


"Newly sewn flesh", he thought lightly.


The creature in his eyes was a disgusting little beast that he would have killed in a instant, but he would spoil the girl's fun. Perhaps it would have a minor accident soon enough.


Tiptoeing


behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist and he pressed his face in her air.


Fruits. Some kind of assortment of fruit. She always had this same scent.


Irritating.


Moving slowly from her head to her ear, he rested his chin upon her shoulder and blew warm breath against her skin. "Hello, love," he purred.


@minusultra

​

 

[Sol]

Lazarus, Upolonian Plains.


Of course, as much as Serriah was his greatest creation, she still didn't seem to completely understand the concept of authority and respect for it. He was sure he had passed that trait on to her when he created her all those centuries back. However, he could never be completely sure and he welcomed the fact that she had more free will on her. It was free thinking that had taken the most out of him, so it stood to reason that it would be a prominent feature.


Still though, the bandit had mostly everything right. The linen factory had gone out of commission several decades past, which meant that The Rats had another nest up and running. As if bandits weren't enough of a problem and the looming threat of Sernn, The Rats had to go and exist, The most well known syndicate operating on Upolonian soil. He would have to deal with that problem as well since he was already out in the field.


Some would say they are making headway into Sernn, a few small nests that blend in perfectly with the environment. But the rumor mill has always been fueled by half truths, there may be a plan to expand into Sernn but it will not be while the queen regent reigns or the current king, despite the claims that one of them seems to have connection with the Stenhardt clan. It would be Franca's problem if the Rats were to infest her lands, not his.


Hopefully none of the other councilors would do anything rash and provoke Sernn into all out war while he was away. Escha may be respected but even the Talon Commander does not hold complete control of the opportunists that resided in the council. Everyone was out for themselves and it was only ever him, Serriah and Escha stopping the infighting before it became a problem. He wondered if he had dumped too much responsibility on her lap.


"Very well...the last two digits. Be thankful for this, young one, I was about ready to lop your head off. Actually, I have a proposition for you, if you can tell me who runs the linen factory now I will let you go with just a severe bruising..."


Before anyone could even talk a young blonde, completely oblivious to the situation around her came rushing over to them. She began talking but then realized just what was happening and then moved over to the side. He let his axe blade hover over the fingers of the boy and turned his full attention on him.


"You have until gravity brings my axe blade down on your fingers to answer."


He then turned to the young woman on the side.


"This will be over quickly, citizen, then you may share your grievance and the council will do what we can to address the issue. No doubt this has something to do with The Rats or does it concern Sernn? If it is the latter you may go to Upolo City and inform Talon Commander Escha of developments on that front, we will do what we can to keep you and your lands and families safe from their raiders."


All the while his hand slowly dropped until the blade of his axe rested on the bandit's fingers he turned to the boy once more.


"Last chance, boy."

 

[Sythril]

"...Okay." Lily waved off to Jenna, who was gone in a flash. Or at least, that's how she saw it. She really teleports. She concluded in her thoughts, the admiration in her expression so abundant it was legitimate enough to have a sign on her head, indicating; The awe is strong in this one.





"It's all right.. um.. agh..." Her voice trailed off, slightly panicking with the fact that she already forgot the name of who just called her a with the word 'miss'. Was that even legitimate? She did not know. "Ugh... yes, it... it is okay." After a serious of stuttering and failing to say any remarks, she just nodded swiftly and burst out of the hall. While walking in strides, Lily pushed buttons on her phone, attaching the location of the party--the address, map and all that--and sent them to everyone whom she knew was invited. There were a few whose numbers she didn't know, but she'd give that up to those who did.


Luckily enough, the car which she got out of earlier was still there, in front of the school, the driver waiting patiently. No matter how much she wanted to try driving, every family member would always deny. They must've taken other cars, Lily thought, and got in the car. "To ze log cabin!" She exclaimed, receiving a curt nod from the driver in reply.


When she got there, she eagerly waved at Rialda, one of the family's housemaids, and looked around. Surprisingly, there were already decorations everywhere that made the cabin enticing, and simply, decorated. "This is perfect!" She declared, walking in small, brisk paces, and pretty much, unconsciously helping in setting up the party.


Several minutes to hours later...





"Food, check. Places to sit on, check. Comfy seats, check. Great temperature and atmosphere, check. Everything, check! The party is now perfe--"


"Um, except for the people, miss." Rialda silently commented.


"Oh." Lily mumbled. "Right."

 

[Babel]

ChIckadee got home, and what did she find? A hastily written card tossed onto the kitchen table. She sighed and opened it. A little chocolate fell out. Well, at least they had put something sweet in there. Chickadee ate the chocolate (it was good chocolate too, so she guessed she couldn't complain too much) then shs rushed upstair and began getting ready for the party. Only, the card said to not go to any parties since she aunt and her kids were coming over. Wait, let's repest that correctly. Her boring aunt and her bratty kids. Nope! She wasn't dealing with that! Not on what was supposed to be a happy day! And what were her parents going to do to her anyways? Ground her? Please.


Chickadee slipped on a pair of white shorts, a comfortable lavender top, and black tights before putting what seemed to be black combat boots. Then the text came. Okay, she knew where that was...she hoped. Chickadee got a bag and put her new book in it before heading out back onto her bike and to the location of the party. She brouggt the book since she was usually very bad at socializing at parties and usually endwd up sitting in a sort-of quiet place. Chickadee might as well have a book for if that ended up being the case again.

​