[PT-PP-F04] - ꞨħȺȾȾɆꞦɆĐ HOME -

[Raidou 1]

As memory razed past in an endless stream eventually the music would stop, causing Raidou to breathe out in and still his mind. The motes of blue that trail off his arms and neck begin to subside. A few moments pass and his eyes blink open, revealing a rich blue that fades back to his normal amber. The guy tilts and presses his hand onto the ice and slides his feet beneath him. A whisk of his frame sends him gliding toward the stone, and he reaches down to pluck it up. The sense of self, of serenity and of calm stilled the waters of his mind and instead of leaving the man would remove his robe. Into the pocket for another before he'd begin to rip around the smooth surface, leaving his feet planted and functioning as makeshift skates. Experienced movements in pivots and turns, slides and bounds. Insert his weapon into his hands, and it would entirely mimic his movements on a battlefield. This was his training ground, and was his first training ground. His weapon was still ungodly heavy, provided it was his tanking blade. Maxed out his encumbrance and disabled other heavy equipment as a result. But what it lacked there it more then made up in spades at his ability to stop incoming blows that that bit of steel like a makeshift shield. Hours would fly by as song after song would find itself started and the man exercised and honed his stance and athletics in an unorthodox way. One taught to him years ago by one Nikki Styx.

Eventually the sun would set, and he'd find himself back in Aradennia due to a flash of blue from his pendant. The nigh perfect sun elven city sat asleep and dark, the elves having already retired and leaving little to walk its streets. The looming and blooming blue moon held fast across the horizon amongst a network of stars, the dotted specs of silver light upon an inky black tapestry. Through the pathways of the city to the southern district long dead due to a lack of occupants, the man would seek out the home he had purchased. A huge gaudy thing that he only used a small percentage of, yet the sole reason for its purchase was to provide his land tax to the cities coffers. For the NPC would hardly take it directly given the code seemed to prevent it. Into the home with a turn of silver key, he'd enjoy a meal with his fiancée that he himself prepares. A simple pork loin and a dash of risotto, quick to make but proof his culinary prowess was starting to catch up to him. Albeit it was still about as plain as one would expect from a recipe book with little deviation. A fruitful day met with the calm night, the man had learned to relax.

---

The bright morning greeted the man after what would have been one of his most stressful. Although the man offered little idea of the tension that he under given the prior days events. A turn of his body sees his legs off the side of the bed, seeking out the somewhat cold white marble floor. Lifting to his feet, he'd move for the white curtains and open them to reveal a hi rise overlook of the city taking full view of the slightly silver gilded trim on red tile as the waters breathed streaks of color across the bridge to the left in the distance. Reaching for the gold latch, he unhooks it from the peg and he clasps the handles and pulls those inward to allow access to the balcony. Down in the street below the once barren streets of the city were now populated with the thinnest amount of foot traffic. A familiar top of red pigtails attached to one of the smallest and youngest elves as she wanders away from the building, despite the fact she claims she was 127 years old. "Rhyllae!" The man beckons toward her, offering her a smile and a wave.

The girl ends up startled, looking around for a bit before turning up and returning a hesitant greeting back. Still unbelievably nervous around humans, and some of the sights she'd witnessed made an already weak level of comfort far smaller. Raidou closes up the window and moves for his dresser, collecting his glasses and unfolding the black metal rims. Onto his brow before he heads down to greet his fiancée again. To her side of the white colored table that matched the floors beneath them both, he leans down and gives the blonde a peck on the cheek. "Good morning." he whispers under his breath, drinking in the scent of morning tea and the smell of freshly delivered elven bread. Picking up a piece of china, and pouring himself out a bit of that morning brew he'd grab a pair of sliced elven bread and settle for this as his breakfast. Pulling out a chair to a soft rubbing, the click of the cup each time its raised as he'd eat with a bit of haste in his actions.

"I'll be off to snowfrost for a short bit today." Raidou offered to his soon to be wife, allowing her to know what the days plans were to be for the beginning. A few minutes roll past and the cup is finished, and one and a half slices of bread are pocketed. To the right door he begins to slip on his black boots and starts to tug at the strings by sitting on the floor, tighter then tight to prevent any haphazard incidents like the last pair when he'd ended up almost beaning an NPC with them. From the standing coat rack he slides off his robe and helps the thing onto his shoulders, snugging it around his shoulders and neck so it settles into place. The final point is to press his index into the bar attaching the lenses on his glasses, before paying his a future wife a kiss goodbye. A flash of blue and he finds the snow of the frigid tundra.

---

The crunch of snow with every footfall as the short distance from his arrival point and his destination are closed. The goal for the day was to begin to create snares for Mari and her love interest formally known as 1st finger. With the side tangent of repairing the door that he had nuked the day prior. The man's detection fires off, actively seeking in a trailing blue line like sonar both through his sight and as a ring on his minimap. The result shows that two players were still inside the building, shown as blue dots. No others save himself, which means that there wasn't any other prying eyes. Raidou would move for the various pine trees scratched to all hell by what almost looked like a bears claws, but upon closer inspection the scratch pattern not being uniform confirmed that it was likely a blade struck against it multiple times. Running his fingers along the given seam, the man at them stares briefly. Assuming they had something to do with Mari, but the context of course was going to be lacking. The man could merely speculate.

Hoisting himself up with a wrap of his left arm, Raidou finds a small break in the trunk and reaches into his pocket. A small white stone not unlike a glowstone, but clearly the same composition as a performance crystal is neatly tucked inside. The wanderer begins to beat a trail around the woman's abode, every so often stopping to do the same in one of the many trees. Once he was convinced that enough of a perimeter was made, he'd take the linked black stone in hand and move to her home. A tilt sees him scan the inside, looking to see if there was a 'body' naked or not within purview. Confirming the coast was clear, Raidou would help himself inside and place that stone in his hands on the table. Lifting his arms he scans the doorframe, as he tallies up the dimensions of the threshold. Flicking open his HUD, he'd begin to order parts from one of Simmone's assistant duo.

A few more quiet minutes roll by as Raidou starts to clean up the mess made and the old food from the dining room table just to waste a bit of time, placing them gently in the sink every so often. The pink haired short stack known as Maru wanders up, sporting a linen wrap far too big for her that should easily send her toppling. Like a little pink colored eskimo with a giant santa bag. The man offers his finger to his lips to keep her quiet, before mimicking out a salute which the 4 foot nothing reciprocates. The moment the bag is dropped, Raidou reaches down and grabs the bundle. But it doesn't budge, far too damn heavy. Instead he pulls the bit of rope and lets it unfurl in the yard, starting to bring planks up along with a set of nails crammed in his mouth and a little black mallet. In her living room, the light tapping as he starts to repair what was lost during the other days debacle. The possibility of repairing the other was absolute zero, given it was now a fine black powder somewhere beneath Mari's floorboards.

Raidou would continue to tap away, driving nails into boards and slowly constructing a rather decently made attempt to replace it. The creek of a set of stairs sees the man turn, locking eyes with a woman that looked rather rough. Which given the number of states he'd seen her in, that was saying a lot. "Good morning." he spoke to Mari inside of her groggy and froggyless stupor. His attention would spin back to his work, but his conversation wouldn't end. "Noticed the necklace the other day, turns out you took that recipe to heart." The man remarks as he'd slide another plank into place and begin tapping the final few inches in. "Looks like you had quite a bit of foresight in your own right. Figured since I played a part in breaking it..." The man waves his hand over the door before continuing to work. "That I should at least set it right. Oh, before I forget...." 

The red wanderer moves for the dining table, tossing the little black stone underhanded toward her. "Its a resonator. Should alert you if anyone tries to sneak up on the place. Careful though, dogs can hear them trigger. If that stone ever glows bright red its time to leave." Spinning the hammer in his hand and starting to tap in another nail.

[Mari 1]

After a minute's silence between the two Raidou simply offered her a nod, going straight back to his work.

"Good morning.”
 

Mari hadn’t expected to see him so soon - She rubbed her eyes. Groggy. “M-Mornin…” Somehow. Mari seemed more human in these moments. Hair a mess, tired, drained - a single hand on the stairs balustrade. “What’r you doin’?” Another sleepy mumble followed by a yawn.

Tired cerulean eyes shifted over his shoulders, peering out into the snowy expanse behind him. No Freyd? Right. No. Freyd was probably resting, and spending some much needed time with Elora. Mari wanted to reach out to him, to make sure he was okay. Make sure he knew she still considered him a brother - after all - most people would probably assume the worst after brandishing a weapon at their sister's fiance. He was not in the best of sorts when he had left. None of them were. Except maybe the man who seemed a little too awake and a little too chipper banging away at a new door.

Mari continued down the stairs and with each cold step she wished she had her slippers. Mari didn’t have any kind of convenient replacement. 

"Noticed the necklace the other day, turns out you took that recipe to heart." 

Ah. Mari’s hand reached out to wrap around the small pendant. He had seen it yesterday? “That…” She paused now at the bottom of the stairs, watching him hammer the last few nails into place with deadened thunks. Mari hoped Lancaster wouldn’t be woken by it, but she doubted he’d stir - it seemed that Raidou had been at this for a while now, and even she hadn’t heard him.

“My last gambit.” Mari admitted. If Freyd had tried to strike down Lancaster, and her fiance survived - she planned to have whisked him away. A small courtyard in Taft. It wouldn’t have been the safest place, but it would have been good enough for them to recuperate. That was the plan at least. “I…” Her eyes shifted down to the ground, a painted toe sliding across floorboards stained with ash and scorchmarks. Her words filled with uncertainty.  “I’m not sure I would have used it though. Not with the both of you…insisting on-.” A swallow as she pieced together the confidence to say the next words. “On his death.”

“Foresight had little to do with it. I wasn’t expecting him to leave so soon, for as he put it - the faceless lord to have him attack Freyd. I wasn’t expecting him to reach out to my brother - or for any of it to happen.” Mari rubbed her feet together, trying to bring them some kind of warmth. The lower floor was freezing  “But yeh. I haven’t tested it yet but it should work.”

“-Oh, before I forget...."

Raidou moved toward the dining table and Mari noticed that most of the debris had been cleaned up. Ash swept to the side, plates in the sink. The woman shot him an inquisitive glance as if to ask him why, and how long he had been here. The sun was only just cresting over the horizon. It couldn’t have been any later than 9am. Raidou picked up a black stone and tossed it to her, Mari tried to catch it and fumbled. Dropping it right onto her foot.

“Ahh..Fuck.” She hissed as she picked it back up. She listened to Raidou explain what the stone does. A sound that only dogs can hear mi amore…

Mari snorted in amusement as she turned the stone over and over in her hand. “Would it work if I cracked it in half? Embedded pieces in jewllery?” She asked If Lancaster were to be staying here, it would be good for him to have one too. “If not, I’ll need another…let me know how much it’d cost.”  Mari didn’t have any pockets to put it in so she placed it back on the dining table and turned to the kitchen.

“I need caffeine. What is your preference?” A pause as she started to fix a pot of Coffee, knowing Lancaster preferred it over tea.

“Hey….” her voice soft now.

“About yesterday…”

There was so much she wanted to say. So much she needed to ask him. Mari had to pause to collect her thoughts.

Would you really have made me forget?
  Would you have let him die?
    What would you have done if he did? Would I be next?

“You’ve…put a lot of trust in me. So thanks.” Was all she could manage. “He’s sleeping upstairs. So try not to break any more windows right now.”

[Raidou 1]

Raidou notices as Mari shoots him an obtuse look in regards to the cleaning of her house "Sorry, force of habit. Don't like sitting idle too long. I'm fixing your door given I broke it. Least I could do after everything that's happened." Sliding in the final slant of lumber and pushing the last few steps in by tapping the butt of the piece. It wasn't exactly the highest quality or construction but it would suffice. Quite a number of times of blowing the doors off his little alchemist hobble in the forest of wavering mist had turned the nomad into a rather capable handyman but not exactly some world renowned craftsman. Pressing his toes into the base of the door, he'd grab the top and tilt back. The mans weight starts to allow it to give way, slowly creeping up as he folds his knees. Grabbing at the knob the man uses it as leverage and starts to waddle toward the frame with it teetering on his toes, eventually finding the frame to prop it up and begin salvaging the remaining hinges that survived the flash fire. The slow twists of a screwdriver slowly pulling out the screws.

"I'd like to think I wasn't insisting on his death." Raidou would pause glancing over his shoulder before pressing one of the fittings into his mouth. "As he was, Lancaster couldn't be left alive." The man murmured beneath a mumbled speech. "But circumstances, shift, objectives change. I stand by my statement, I had no intention of killing Lancaster. Trust me when I say I will not lie to you." The man slips out as he puts another screw in his mouth and takes both hinges and starts screwing them into the freshly cooked up door. "What Lancaster knows...What you know." The wanderer spoke gesturing somewhat at her with the butt end of the tool in the shape of a red handle "Is very dangerous information, the less you know...." Raidou grunts sliding the door into socket and sliding down the pins. "...The better." Wiggling it by holding the door knob to confirm its free of any grinding or scraping. "The whole point was to remove reasons for Laughing Coffin to want to come after you. Show the current lord that you were no threat to them. I didn't want to force any of it on you, but I wanted to give you an out."

Tapping both hands together to clear what little dust and smudges on them, he leans down to pick up the little hammer. "He left? Of his own volition?" The statement was news to Raidou spoken with a sense of intrigue, assuming that his exit from Laughing Coffin was due in part to some convincing on Mari's part. "Well I can assure you, if the current Faceless Lord or Lancaster ever tried to go after Freyd there would be hell to pay. Freyd would win out in the end. He always does." His thoughts raced to Freyd after their little debacle unfolded, and how much pressure the man was likely under. The sheer volume of his expectations and obligations were nearly strangling, and his temper mirrored his own under such conditions. With it a sense of unexpected brevity in their departure left Raidou just a bit unsettled. But likewise Raidou trusted his composure.

"Whatever works, Coffee is fine although I'm not an avid coffee drinker. So I'll lean on your expertise." Raidou spoke pushing the tools back in the leather bound case and rolling it back up, glancing back in her direction long enough to find the broken window. "Son of a bitch." He spoke in tongues that most never heard him speak in subtle irritation, flicking his little HUD open and beginning to order glass panes and some wooden dowel. "You could probably break them up and set them in whatever you'd like to. They are stones from Tomoika that glow based on an attuned sound. The locals call them chittering eggs. Long story. Don't need a history lesson or a lore dump." For some reason those that knew him would find this side of Raidou so much more, liberal with his words. Far more then any encounter with him. 

[Mari 1]

“Its fine.” Mari said as she watched the pot of coffee begin to percolate, she shifted to fill up a kettle with water and placed it on the stove, with a flick of a switch it too was beginning to boil. Sure, she could whip these things out of her inventory, but the small actions felt real. Grounded her. “It just…reminded me of Freyd, yanno he literally broke in to clean? He laundered all my sheets, dusted everything. Left me a note that….” Mari paused.

The note

Her gaze shifted to the empty fireplace. Nothing more than a few charred logs and a pile of ash. A single hand written note, the most precious thing he could have ever given her and it was gone. It hurt. Mari thought she had fireproofed it, but it still had been burnt. Lost. That almost broke her.

Both coffee and tea brewed Mari began to place it all on the dining table. Milk, coffee, a bowl of sugar cubes, a jar of honey. Spoons - butter, bread, an assortment of jams. Despite the frigid cold winds that whipped around the room - the setting was very warm and inviting. Only two of the six chairs remained unbroken. Mari sat on one of them. “You really did a number on the house.” She reached out to pour herself a cup of tea. Earl Grey, Mari added milk and a single cube of sugar. “I went through so much effort fireproofing the place. I didn’t think I needed to Raidou-proof it too.” Mari slowly began to perk up. She cupped the tea in her hands as though it were her lifeline. She wished Lancaster were awake, his presence alone would warm the entire room. 

 "As he was, Lancaster couldn't be left alive." 

Her grip tightened on her mug at those words. Mari didn’t agree, but Raidou knew that. Her saying it would just be wasted words.

"What Lancaster knows...What you know Is very dangerous information, the less you know....The better." 

“I know.” She paused to take a long sip of her drink. Then reached out to grab a piece of bread, baked fresh yesterday, and began to slather apricot jam onto it. “I appreciate your ‘out’ Raidou. It would have been easier. But - it robs him the chance of truly proving himself. I don’t want to forget the things you’ve shown me, told me. The experiences we’ve shared. I don’t know who the current lord is.” Mari paused, letting out a heavy sigh. “I have my suspicions…” They flicked to Raidou, then to the space that Freyd had stood. Raidou was astute, he’d understand where she was going. “The current lord can remove my protection if needs must, it might even be better if they did. Me having that protection after Lancaster left would lead to too many questions. I’m prepared for that.”

"He left? Of his own volition?" 

Mari had a mouthful of bread and jam when he asked his question. Mari wasn’t able to answer so simply gestured for him to take anything he wanted from the small breakfast spread before them. She coughed, then swallowed. “Oh. You weren’t there during that part. Yeh uhm…The current faceless lord pretty much told Lancaster to either sever ties with me, or kill Freyd. Lancaster pre’ much said fuck you to the lord and messaged Freyd for help. He left Raidou. I didn't even say anything to him before he left. I wanted to, but he threw me off with his proposal. Then...next thing I know Freyd is the one telling me that Lan reached out to him.” 

 "Well I can assure you, if the current Faceless Lord or Lancaster ever tried to go after Freyd there would be hell to pay. Freyd would win out in the end. He always does." 

Mari took another bite of her breakfast and chewed thoughtfully. It would be hard to orchestrate a battle with yourself…but for someone like Freyd, it was entirely possible. Another dot to connect, another piece to the puzzle. But still nothing confirmed.

She swallowed. “He wouldn’t. You heard him yesterday, to abide by my wishes, or listen to the faceless lord. He chose. He left. He wouldn’t attack Freyd because he knows I’d place myself in front of him. Just like I did yesterday. I trust him not to, unless he were defending himself.” She placed her half eaten slice on her plate. The following feeling placed a pit in her stomach when Raidou said Freyd would win. She knew he would. That was the type of person he was.

“I know…” 

 "Son of a bitch." 

“Pfft…hahah..” Mari couldn’t help but laugh at Raidous exclamation, then his following ramble about the stones. Waving off the heavy explanations in lieu of a simpler one. It felt so incredibly human, and yet so unlike him.

“You should react that way more often.”

Edited August 7 by Mari

[Raidou 1]

Waiting on the next delivery of supplies from the guild merchant, the man would set the tools down on the edge of the table. Lifting the other only remaining chair off of its side and bringing it toward the table, he dusts a small bit of sawdust off his pant legs before taking a seat. "Hope you got a broom, I can help if you'd like?" Normally in this case Raidou would cheat and just let Juiblex play liquid roomba and scrub the place by eating the refuse all over the place, but the thought that Mari had seen just about enough of it for a good week passed his mind. Best to do it more manually and save her the return to yesterday. "It must have been important. Things always get so chaotic and hard to control once... We'll you know by now." The brown haired guy broke the train of thought off not allowing himself to taste his own foot or discover how broken of a record he could be. "I'm here because I wanted to check in, and fix some of the mess I had a hand in making."

Lifting the kettle and seeing the lighter and thinner earl grey into a cup, adding a spoon of sugar and then scooping another. The man would pause, his attentions linking to the spoon noticing there was just the smallest bit too much. The light twist, twice for good measure until every grain above expectation found itself back into the jar it came from. Excessive, meticulous and precise down to even the single grain of sugar. "I'm sure of it. Mari. Always been a smart one. Sometimes dangerously so." The man linked eyes with her before they obviously trailed where Freyd once stood. "But of course, its important that we don't jump to conclusions or make assumptions. Moreover we don't act upon them. I don't need any more heat falling on you two" Tapping the spoon twice to prevent it from dripping, he places it onto a napkin directly in the center intentionally. Like a diagram. "However you'll find that your protection remains, and it now extends to Lancaster. As far as I am aware, but just in case..." As he lifts the cup to his lips and lowers it after a sip, pointing directly at the black rock he'd brought. "With your newly formed pendant, you should have ample time to escape if anyone gets a wild hair up their ass and somehow figures out where to pay you both a visit."

Raidou would return the cup to his lips and draw a bit more in. Earl grey wasn't usually his go to, more of a breakfast blend or a green tea sort of guy. But it was a warm, and the woman made it for him exclusively given she was drinking coffee and Lancaster didn't drink it either. "Well that's rather fortunate that he came to this decision on his own, given I believed he would be far too deep to ever consider fleeing. Wonder why he messaged Freyd directly, but I can only guess or speculate. Seems an odd choice." The front door opens to show a bright pink loli npc carrying a stack of glass panes and a bundle of wood sticks on her head. Turning in his seat, his arm drapes over the back and he points to a space for her to set them. The NPC offers a military salute and marches, dropping them off with quite the gusto and exiting just as quick.

"I imagine you have a lot of questions. Ask them and I will do my best to answer them. Or don't and I'll fix your windows and be on my way. I just...." The man exhales, scratching the back of his head as he chooses his words carefully. "Want to give you best chance I can at doing this. Its not easy being in Lancaster's predicament and getting out unscathed, the most I can do is try my damned to help you. Also how the fuck did I break your windows?" The break of his seriousness quite readily as the question that had been nagging him for a good portion of the explanation finally drove him nuts enough to ask.

[Mari 1]

Raidou asked if she had a broom. Still nursing her cup Mari would gesture to the basement door with a tilt of her head. “There’s one in there. I can get it after.” Mari was used to ash and dust lingering in the air. “You can help if you want, but you’re already doing enough.” Mari shifted her gaze to the top of the stairs. Wondering how Lancaster would feel waking up to seeing Raidou back again. He’d have to deal with the people in Mari’s life, especially people like Rai and Freyd. “Although you might be dealing with a hungover Lancaster at some point.” Mari said with a small laugh into her cup as she downed the last of the amber liquid.

 "I'm here because I wanted to check in, and fix some of the mess I had a hand in making."

“I appreciate it, especially with how cold this floor seems to be without…well, windows and doors to stifle the cold air from leaking through.” This…was nice, having a conversation like this with Raidou. It almost felt like the trials and tribulations of the day before hadn’t happened. Mari waited for Raidou to fix himself his own cup of tea before she poured herself another, mimicking most of his motions, aside from granting herself a single spoon of sugar, rather than two. Her preferring things less sweet. 

"I'm sure of it. Mari. Always been a smart one. Sometimes dangerously so." 

“You think?” Mari asked as she absently let her spoon clink against the sides of her cup. “I think…a certain salt and pepper man would call it being attracted to danger.” Mari laughed at that, feeling a little relieved. “I’ll take the compliment though.” Acceptance rather than deflection. Allowing the praise to go without fighting it. Her brother would be proud.

"But of course, its important that we don't jump to conclusions or make assumptions. “

A coy smile followed as she shrugged her shoulders, “Why Raidou - I haven’t the faintest idea. I’d never jump to such things - and any musing I have are for naught but my inner thoughts.” She knew. Its why she hadn’t said anything yet, beyond a slight glance that only Raidou would understand. Even if it were true, and the woman had some kind of confirmation she’d never speak to them about it. It was best no one knew, even those who held such a title.  It was safer that way. 

"However you'll find that your protection remains, and it now extends to Lancaster. As far as I am aware, but just in case..." 

That surprised her.

“What? It does?” She sighed. Not expecting that, especially after yesterday. “Well, as far as either of us know..thanks.” It was best not to question it. Mari wasn’t sure she even agreed with herself keeping the protection. She’d much rather it be given to Lancaster - and have the target planted on her back. She had the allies, the strength, and the tools to counter it. He did not. Mari took another several sips, downing half the cup before placing it back against her table. “Although, if the option were between me or him, It’d be nice if it were just him to have it. Not that anyone here could do anything bout it. Speculation and all.” 

"With your newly formed pendant, you should have ample time to escape if anyone gets a wild hair up their ass and somehow figures out where to pay you both a visit."

“I have all manner of things crafted to aid in an escape without death. You’ve seen but a small fraction of it. Tranquilizers, garrote wires, smoke, gases…uh…” She cleared her throat. “Wasps…” Best not go into too much detail on that one right now. “I wouldn’t give him something like this yet. I love him. I trust him. But until you extend that to him - I’d respect your wishes. So my pendant is more of a last resort. Best let others think it as nothing more than a keepsake.”

 

“Wonder why he messaged Freyd directly, but I can only guess or speculate. Seems an odd choice." 

“Not really. Think about it. It’s the one person the big cheese as he’d put it - was focused on eliminating, at least to my understanding. He’s someone I told Lan is off limits. If he tried to hurt Freyd, I’d intervene, he knows I consider the man my brother. So its not out of the realm of possibility for him to come ot the conclusion to message him. Besides-”

The front door opens to show a bright pink loli npc carrying a stack of glass panes and a bundle of wood sticks on her head. “What the-” Mari sighed in frustration. Muttering under her breath ‘fucking npcs…’

Mari waited for the NPC to leave, then several minutes after. Enough time for her to finish her meager meal.

“I do.” She had many questions. “I’ll ask them all now, take your time.” She leaned back in her chair. “My schedule is clear today.” repeating the words he had said yesterday.

“Would you…really have made me forget using that concoction of yours?”

“If he died- what would you have done? Would I be next?”

“What if he does kill again? OUt of necessity, much like I had to do the day you were attacked? Is judgement going to be crueler because of his past? Or would reasons be heard?”

Mari tapped a ringed finger against the table. Her eyes watching the sun glint off the silver metal - it wasn’t a perfect circle- bits of it were jagged, and bit into her skin. Still…it brought a smile to her face.

“Its not easy being in Lancaster's predicament and getting out unscathed, the most I can do is try my damned to help you.” 

“Nothing in this world is easy. Especially the things worth fighting for.”

Her line of questioning suddenly changed, dropping something the man would never expect, it wasn’t even directed at him. Thoughts spoken aloud by Mari.

“I wonder what kind of cake he’d like…”

 

 

[Lancaster 1]

Pegging the ring, the wanderer cannot help but look down and back up to Mari. Pressing a finger to his lips, he begins to weigh the gravity of what that band meant with a solidly clear idea where it stemmed from. "Hmm. Nope, I'd suggest something with rum. Should make for a fine cake for y...." The questions are snapped off with the sounds of a commotion upstairs that causes the guy to move to silence. His expectation was that something darker was occurring and skills were already firing off to pick up any odd red flags. Yet it would provide little beside the three players in blue, and the walking NPC some distance out in a yellow dot.

---

Snapping awake to the bitter reminder in the form of a bad dream, clutching his chest as he could feel the void closing around him like teeth. Dreary eyes seek out visibility to an obscured blurry film drawn over his eyes. Scrunching up his face the man rolls toward the edge of the bed with his legs and lifts his hand to block out the bright white light screaming at him through the window. Blinking twice for good measure as his head was pounding from all the alcohol he'd nursed himself to sleep last night with, his eyes still ached and Mari was nowhere to be found. "Amari!?" The man yelped, lifting the blankets and the pillow before dropping down to his chest to look under the bed. Flames ripped from his left hand in a ball before searing a path to his other hand and igniting them both.

Thoughts raced through the mans head, one boot missing from his left leg and no shirt as he starts rushing down the stairs as fast as he could hobble in his compromised slightly drunkard state. "MI AMORE?" the man screams about half way down the case clutching the banister for support. Locking eyes with the duo drinking away peacefully with almost shocked and wide eyes. "Pardon, I did not.... grazie a dio." He exhales with his alcohol ridden heart pounding in his chest threatening to burst out his ribcage

*pbth*

His pants fall down around his ankles as the loosened belt provided him little modesty. The flames go out as he quickly snaps down and grabs his drawers in a bundle. His package was delivered with much greater haste then he intended, and the participants of such a delivery was essentially the wrong house.

Raidou without even the slightest flinch or hesitation raises the tea to his mouth and takes a sip, twisted in his chair. "Huh, thought it be redder." He'd lean back around and stir the teacup again.

---

Thread Closure:
Mari | [Word Count: 37476/5 = 7495.2] * [True Tier: 11] * [Group Factor: 1]* [Final Exp Modifier: 1] = 82447 EXP, Laurel Wreath: 12367 col, 1*Mon
Freyd | [Word Count: 37476/5 = 7495.2] * [True Tier: 20] * [Group Factor: 1]* [Final Exp Modifier: 1.05] = 157399 EXP, Laurel Wreath: 23609 col, 1*Mon
Lancaster | [Word Count: 37476/5 = 7495.2] * [True Tier: 3] * [Group Factor: 1]* [Final Exp Modifier: 1] = 22486 EXP, 1*Mon
Raidou | [Word Count: 37476/5 = 7495.2] * [True Tier: 17] * [Group Factor: 1]* [Final Exp Modifier: 1.05] = 133789 EXP, Laurel Wreath: 20068 col, 1*Mon

Guild Treasurer (Firm Anima/Simmone) -> 2*Guild Tokens