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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 14, 2017 12:35:51 GMT -5
Damien made a scoffing sound, though the small smile playing on his lips revealed his amusement. "Well," he said as they reached the inn again. "Regardless of your weapon of choice, you'll need to grasp combat first. We agreed on throwing knives for you, so it's not as important, but I'd still like to go through it. We need to see how well you do so we know whether considering a more contact-based weapon might work for you. You seemed torn before, so I'd like to see just in case. How would you feel about a quick lesson in self-defense?"
He pushed the door open for them both, considering why he was going so far as to see which she'd prefer and which she was built for. It didn't take long for him to realise that he was still trying to apologise. No matter how much he justified his previous actions, he couldn't help but feel like he was supposed to. And self-defense was becoming relevant now that he wasn't the only threat to her. He didn't see it affecting his ability to fight him (he'd trained for longer than most knights, and beaten several in combat, a princess with some knowledge of self-defense wasn't going to be a problem) but for one of his father's less trained men, it very well might.
He ascended the stairs, laying her clothes down on the bed as he entered his room. "You should change. If you're still wearing jewellery, take it off. The washroom is through there if you want privacy." He pointed to a door that would lead into a small room set aside for baths, and then turned to the wardrobe to go through the small collection of weapons he'd stored there to uncover those he might need. "Don't be long," he said, not turning back to look at her.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 14:50:44 GMT -5
Alice had a small victory moment when Damien smiled despite the scoff. Perhaps he just didn't want to be taken as anything other than serious. She could understand that, in his career field, they weren't exactly made to be comedians. Alice nodded her thanks as he held the door open for her, which was a first. Alice followed Damien up the stairs, wanting to keep the same pace as him.
When they arrived and she took the clothes in her arms she responded, "Yes sir." Alice also gave a little bow before heading into the washroom to change. Unlike her other outfits, this one had less layers and therefore was easier to get changed into. She was done in what she considered to be good time, but was unsure what that would be to Damien.
Alice stepped out, feeling the same as she went in. Except, these clothes fit her better than her brother's which she was grateful for. "Did I take too long?" She asked as she started to fix her hair a little when a few strands had decided to part to the other side.
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 14, 2017 15:36:45 GMT -5
Damien was still sorting through his things when she came back out, and though he didn't know if that was because he was taking her time or if she'd been quick, it really didn't matter as he hadn't had to wait. "No, you didn't," he replied, turning to nod at her.
A small assortment of about half a dozen blades lay on the bed, and he'd tucked several away into his boots, belt and sleeves. Going to meet with the messenger, he'd only carried three, as any more was a sign of bad will, but now there were no such expectations to meet. He felt more at ease with the usual amount of weapons on him. He always felt vulnerable without them.
"Okay," he said, closing the door to the wardrobe again as he hid one last dagger away in his left sleeve. "We'll take these with us, though we'll have to see if we end up using them." He scooped them up but didn't hide them anywhere, mostly because he had nowhere left to put them. Instead, he put them into his bag, returning his gaze to Alice. "Do you have anything you'd like to grab before we go?"
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 16:03:11 GMT -5
Alice had not noticed all of the weapons Damien carried on him before today, but as she saw him hide the last few in his clothing she was very surprised. Even if she shouldn't be, because he was an assassin, it just wasn't what she normally saw. But there was a first time for everything. "I don't know what I would take for this sort of thing so I suppose I'm ready."
Well, she was sort of ready. She had no clue if his agenda was different than the one she had in mind. Alice assumed it probably was, but she had no idea what to expect. Damien was clearly the master here and would know how she would start off her training.
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 14, 2017 16:15:56 GMT -5
Damien nodded. "Good." He turned on his heel and walked back towards the door, propping it open with his foot and stopping in the hallway to wait for her. When she joined him, he started to walk again, still thinking about the invitation lying unopened in his pocket. Did he tell her about it before or after they'd trained? He had no idea how she'd react, so after seemed the safer bet. But he wanted to get it out of the way, and maybe the training would be a distraction from the questions this would raise.
Instead of walking into town, he turned to walk back towards the forest. "We can't go throwing knives where someone can see us," was his only explanation as they headed into it, continuing for another two or three minutes until he could no longer hear the sounds coming from the town.
"This should be far enough," he said as he stopped to put his bag down to rest against a nearby rock. He sat down on it a moment later, wondering if he should start with the throwing or the punches. He'd never taught someone anything before, so he had to think back to his own lessons, a decade ago. He realised that throwing knives while you were sore probably wasn't a good idea, so he picked two out and offered one to her. "We start with these."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 21:31:39 GMT -5
Alice took it carefully and hesitantly like it would break if she dropped it. She was more afraid of cutting herself or do something stupid like hurt Damien in a freak accident. She held it with one hand on the sharp edge and one on the handle, making sure there was no possible way she can stab her eye out. Alice studied it though, moving it a little but not too much. The only knives she has ever held were the kind she used for dining.
Alice looked down at Damien (a first) and then back to the knife in her hands. "So uh...what am I supposed to do with this?" She asked, very unsure of herself. Alice moved her fingers along the handle, feeling the grooves and dents within the pattern and design that was carved in it.
"The only kind of combat I've gotten into was me fighting to cut steak. So, obviously we are starting from square 0...or less." Alice gave an awkward smile, feeling slightly embarrassed about being absolutely clueless about what she was doing.
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 14, 2017 21:45:45 GMT -5
Damien let his hand close into a comfortable grip around the handle of the other knife, chuckling to himself when he looked up to see how Alice was holding hers. They were, indeed, starting from square zero. "It's not alive," he commented, raising his hand slightly to see what a loose grip he had on his own. "Start by just hold it. You can't throw it until you can hold it."
He wasn't holding his knife like he would a piece of cutlery, because just as a horse and a pony looked very similar yet were not the same, this wasn't intended for the same purpose. Instead, he held it like he would a dart, holding close to the blade and letting the handle rest against the back of his hand. He wasn't gripping it, either, he was simply letting it rest in his hand.
"The knife is only as dangerous as the person wielding it, and I guarantee that being anxious won't help. Cautious, maybe, but the only thing that promises safety is learning to use it," he said, spinning the knife between his fingers now. "So, hold it. Properly. Without looking at it like it's going to kill you."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 22:02:16 GMT -5
Alice could tell Damien found what she did to be humorous, he just didn't want to be any fun. She raised an eyebrow and gave him a slightly sarcastic reply, "Well, if we're being technical here, it could kill me. You didn't hand me throwing spoons you know." She had a hard time saying that with a straight face. Alice had a tendency to get a little defensive at times, and was going to try hard not to be rude since she asked for him to teach her all of this anyway.
Alice was looking at the way Damien held the knife, but when he started twirling it in his hands she pursed her lips. How was she supposed to hold it when he wouldn't keep the stupid thing still? "What exactly is the 'right way' to hold it?" She asked with honest curiosity.
She gave up fumbling with it after a little while when she figured she wouldn't have an idea on what to do until Damien gave her some pointers. Or every pointer he could possibly give her. She would need it if she was going to try and advance to square one. Or zero depending where she was at now.
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 14, 2017 22:19:08 GMT -5
"If you decide to drive it into your stomach, yeah. But you'd have to be a whole other level of clumsy to kill yourself with a knife accidentally. If anyone's in danger here, it's me," Damien said. This was true. The chances of her seriously wounding herself with such a small blade were small, as long as she kept it angled away from herself. The chances of him receiving a serious cut were far larger, even if they, too, were small.
He sighed and stood, taking the few steps it took to stand next to her. "You don't hold it so much as you support it," he tried to explain, showing her slowly how he'd take a hold of it. "Since you're not cutting through anything, there's no need to be firm with it. Try holding it like a quill, but without gripping it. Just hold it in place."
He showed her again, slowing his movements down as much as he could. He didn't know if she understood what he meant by any of this. It was something that came so naturally to him that he never stopped to think about it, and putting words to what he was doing proved more difficult than he'd expected.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 22:46:20 GMT -5
Alice watched and listened as he instructed her on how to hold the knife. It took her a while...a long while, but she got it eventually. She probably won't remember how to hold it correctly every time for some time but as of right now, she had it down. Probably just for this one time though.
Alice was focused on her hand and how she held it probably more than she should be. "I think I got it..." Alice told him with uncertainty. It look mostly similar to how Damien held it, but Alice couldn't help but feel a bit stupid at the fact that she couldn't hold a simple knife. She tried not to let her self consciousness show through though, that would make her even more embarrassed if Damien could pick up on it.
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 14, 2017 22:57:26 GMT -5
Damien looked down at her hands. She'd taken long enough for him to start getting distracted, so he actually had to bring himself back to the situation at hand when she spoke again. He studied her hold carefully and nodded.
It wasn't perfect, but it was far better than it had been. "Almost. Here," he said, reaching out to readjust her hand around the handle of the knife. "Better," he commented as he drew his hand back and picked up his own knife again, finding his grip on it quickly. "Now, you just throw it. Don't hurl it, just let your movement transfer to it. It should be thrown in a way that just allows it to continue your movement."
With that, he threw his knife. It sailed neatly through the air and embedded itself into a nearby tree trunk with a satisfying 'thunk'. Damien nodded to himself, turning to Alice expectantly. "Aim for the tree I hit. See if you can hit it - and get it to stick."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 23:10:30 GMT -5
Damien made it look so easy, she was going to have to catch on quick or he could dismiss her as a lost cause and cease her training. Hopefully she wasn't that hopeless and had some potential. She hesitantly raised the knife to throw it, like a dart, and released it at what she assumed was the right time. Even it was a little earlier than when Damien did. It landed lower down on the tree trunk (more like the base to be exact). But she held her breath for a moment as she waited to see if it would stick. It was hanging on barely by the tip of the knife, and with the help of gravity, the hilt titled downward, but it stuck. And that was something for her to celebrate.
Alice had the largest grin on her face that she has used since her last joke she played on her brother. She started jumping up and down as well and squealed in excitement. "Yes! I did it! Kind of!" She was about to hug Damien out of her excitement but when she was just about to she pulled back and calmed down again. "I mean, it was pretty pathetic compared to your throw..."
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 14, 2017 23:23:48 GMT -5
Damien looked impressed despite himself. For someone with no training (or the ability to hold a knife properly) the throw was more than decent, and he was sure that with practice she'd be able to hit something other than the base of her target. "Good job," he said with a faint smile, walking to retrieve the knives. "Now see if you can do it again." He handed her both knives this time, taking a few steps back to better see what she was doing.
This was relaxing him. The movements were familiar to him, familiar enough to be soothing and to put him at ease, as shown by his congratulatory words. His guard came down as far as it would go when he did these kinds of things, even, it seemed, if someone was there with him.
He thought back to his own training. Throwing knives had been the first weapons he'd gotten to handle, too. He wouldn't have been more than 10 at the time, and it was before the bomb had been dropped. It had been a good time for him. A time where he understood who his father was, but before he'd learned of what he was supposed to be. Not even this managed to raise his guard again, though, because he refused to go further ahead. He stayed in a happy period, which only served to make him even more relaxed than he already was.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 23:38:01 GMT -5
Alice nodded eagerly and took the knives again. She took a while to hold them correctly again, but not as long as the first time. She threw the second one around the same area as the first, but it was a smidge further into the tree than the previous one. The third knife however did not stick in the tree, and instead hit it with a dull sounding thump before landing on the ground.
She gave a slightly disappointed look at the third one, but was more pleased at the fact that she got two out of three into the bark. And Damien congratulated her on her skill that she hardly possessed. "Was that okay?" She asked with uncertainty. Mainly because one knife didn't make it.
Alice looked up at Damien expectantly and was studying his facial features, trying to determine what he was thinking. However, she soon gave up, seeing as that all she was going to find was a somewhat relaxed Damien.
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 14, 2017 23:48:11 GMT -5
Damien shrugged. "It wasn't bad," he said as some kind of vague yes but no. There was the obvious issue of the knives not sticking as well as they should, the blades only went through bark and not the harder wood beneath. One would think that you should put more force behind the throw, but that was incorrect. That just threw your aim off. It was timing you had to work on.
He walked back to the tree and pulled the knives out and weighed them carefully in his palm. "You need to get them to stick, and you need to land them higher. Solving the first actually solves the second, to some degree, as well, because when it hits at a downward angle like it does when it's falling into the tree, it loses momentum and power."
He threw the knives in quick succession, making sure to pay attention to his throws this time so that he could offer some actual advice. They landed side by side and he nodded. "Imagine that the knife isn't separate, but attached to your arm by a string just long enough to reach your target. You need the string to be pulled taut just as it lands, not before, because as soon as it's taut the knife falls. Throw further, but not harder." He pulled the knives out again and gave them back to Alice, nodding. "And don't expect to get it right this time either. It takes longer than you think to become good at this."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 12:44:00 GMT -5
Alice looked up at Damien curiously. She was more or less listening to what he was saying, as she was also thinking of her dresses during the middle of his lesson. "Uh...got it?" She said it like it was a question. But nonetheless, she would give it her all. Which may not be much compared to her instructor, but as long as she was trying it shouldn't matter too much.
"How long have you been doing this anyway?" Alice asked him as she turned her attention to the tree again, with one knife poised to throw. She bit her lip, hoping this one would land towards the middle, or in the general area, and stick. She took a few moments before actually throwing the knife, and once she did, she could tell this one would land a bit better than the previous ones.
The knife landed a few inches above her best throw and appeared to be deeper into the tree than the first. She would have patted herself on the back for that, but she would rather have Damien do that for her. Not literally of course, but metaphorically speaking. If that was the right word for it.
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 16, 2017 13:17:51 GMT -5
"Eleven years," Damien said absent-mindedly, drawing out his usual knife so he had something to fiddle with. He let it spin on his finger, just lightly enough to not pierce the skin. He watched it with some kind of facination, though he was still aware enough of his surroundings to look up at the familiar thunk of the knives hitting wood.
He nodded, impressed. These sat much better that her previous attempts, and though he doubted she'd be able to strike a smaller target, and certainly not a moving one, he had to say that she was doing better than expected. "Much better," he said with another nod, walking to pull them out once more. "Give it one more go," he said, handing them to her. "There's something we need to discuss."
The way he said it made it sound scary, and it was, at least to him. He wasn't sure how much he'd end up giving away. He hoped that he'd be able to keep most of it under wraps. The council and the way it controlled half a nation would have to be revealed sooner rather than later if they were really headed south again, but he didn't have to bring up his father's position. At least, he hoped not.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 13:35:20 GMT -5
Alice smiled in satisfaction of his praise, it made her proud of herself that she was doing something right besides following someone around like she already does. Alice took the knives from him eagerly, almost too eagerly, but was relieved to find that she did not cut herself as she did so. She readied her arm and released the first knife. It landed a few inches to the left of the last set. The next one landed almost directly underneath it, and the third one hit the opposite side. They were decent throws, of course, it would be a while before she could hit the middle.
Alice straightened up again and turned her head to Damien. He sounded like he was bearing bad news, although she wasn't sure what was considered bad news to Damien. "You make it sound like someone died...did someone die?" Alice knit her brows together as she pondered the thought of what he wanted to say.
He wouldn't get upset over someone dying though would he? Except maybe if it was Helen. But Damien killed for a living, he shouldn't be concerned about someone's passing.
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 16, 2017 13:48:23 GMT -5
"Oh, almost definitely," Damien said. He didn't sound too bothered by it, though. He sounded like she'd asked what they'd have for dinner and not if someone had passed. "That's not what I want to talk about, though I'm sure it will be relavent as some point."
He sat back down on his rock and pulled out the still sealed envelope. He wondered whether his father had sent it personally, but he doubted it. He'd have to feel some level of compassion for his son to go to the trouble. "Here," he said, handing it to her, confident that there would not be a sentimental message inside. "Read it. You'll find it's an invitation to come back to Yurriom for a banquet, or maybe it's a tournament this time. That's not the point. It's the cover by which I'll arrive and the excuse for the higher ups to speak to me. It's where I get my next assignment."
Hands now free, he leant back. "They'll have given me two weeks to get there," he continued. "That means we'll need to leave tomorrow morning. I'm telling you this because these are the men that trained me and placed me in my profession. They're the nastiest people you'll ever meet, and you need to be prepared. I'd like more than two weeks to do that, but there it is. Life's not what you want it to be."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 18:52:18 GMT -5
{Sorry for poofing, it's been a stressful and busy day. And my phone died lol I'll try to reply soon}
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 16, 2017 19:05:52 GMT -5
( haha, it's quite alright! glad to see you back though c: )
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 19:41:59 GMT -5
{So should she tell him it's a ball or is that what he meant when he said banquet?}
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 16, 2017 19:59:46 GMT -5
( she can tell him! that wasn't what he meant, but he does know it's a possibility. )
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 20:52:48 GMT -5
Alice studied the letter in her hands when Damien gave it to her. There was a family crest on the front, an intricate one that she assumed belonged to nobles. She assumed that it may have been from his guild, but when Alice opened the letter, it seemed to be from much higher up. She tried to dismiss that thought, as apparently assassins were supposed to be sophisticated in a dark way.
The letter however, did not read anything about a banquet or tournament. Instead, it spoke about a ball, a very elegant one by the sound of it. "It's a ball." She said her statement as if it was both a question and a declaration. Alice was confused as to whether be excited that she gets to wear her dress or slightly awkward because she was Damien 'date' apparently.
{Sorry, replies will probably be short}
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 17, 2017 6:01:50 GMT -5
Damien nodded. "They do like those," he commented, sounding not at all surprised. This was true. The Council was wealthy and it was powerful, and they loved showing it off. The easiest way to do that was by throwing huge parties and a ball was the best kind. He'd been to few balls outside of the Council's home, but he'd been to enough within it to last a lifetime.
"These people value me like an heir," he said, forcing his tone into a level one void of any emotion. When he thought about it, he supposed he was an heir. The Council wasn't elected, the men within it assigned seats to others in the event of their passing. He was almost certain that his father had him put down, the old man was proud enough to do that. And if not, one of the others might have. He was well-liked by them all, even if it wasn't reciprocated. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to turn it down. They were in control of occupation already, was this any different?
"Bringing you will have the same effect on them as a prince taking someone to a ball thrown in his own ballroom. Assumptions will be made. Rumours will spread. More importantly, people will ask you to dance, and dancing often leads to violence there," he continued, deciding that becoming a Council member was an issue for another day. "I don't like the idea of letting someone go untrained into that pack of wolves, so to get to the point I've been trying to make since I gave you that point, you need some basic self-defense training."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2017 21:10:24 GMT -5
Damien must do his job well if he is being recognized as practically an heir, and putting him taking a woman to 'his' ball in perspective, did make it sound logical as to why gossip would spread. But Alice never liked gossip. Especially about herself. She was self concious about certain things already, she did not need other people to make it worse. Even if to some it may be good that Damien is 'with' her.
But the sound of these people practically being beasts didn't sound very nice for a ball at all. She would merely like to dance in peace, whether it be with Damien or a stranger. "I guess self defense sounds very tempting if the situation is as dangerous as it sounds." She shrugged, and passed Damien the letter back. "Would they attack me if I did something wrong? And what kind of etiquette would I preform there? It is a different country after all."
This was already making Alice stressed. She really had no clue what she was getting herself into by following Damien out the window. And now Alice was beginning to regret it.
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 20, 2017 2:10:10 GMT -5
Damien shook his head. "No, I don't think they'd attack you, if only because they usually don't go after guests. But they will probably attack each other once they've had a drink or two, and people inevitably get caught up in those things." If the ball was thrown for guests, they'd have some self-control. But when it was just for them, just a way to cover up arrivals and departures, there was no need for that.
"Most of them are decent people forced into less decent lives," he explained. "I make them sound like awful people, but most of them aren't. What's different there is that there aren't really any rules. Criminality is encouraged, even. That means that you can get away with not bothering to respect people, but you can also get away with murder if you try hard enough."
"I believe etiquette at balls are the same both here and there," he said, tracing the seal of the letter he'd been handed. "It would make sense since they're international affairs most of the time. The only thing that really differs, I think, is that you're not to be alone. That's not me saying that, but just the general rules of the place. If you get tired of dancing, I can take you to a seat along the edges of the room, but the floor is not meant to be traversed by people who aren't dancing, and especially not women."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2017 9:10:06 GMT -5
{Sorry, in class so I may not be able to type up a decent reply until about 11:00}
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 20, 2017 9:35:32 GMT -5
( not to worry, I totally get it! )
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2017 13:49:29 GMT -5
It didn't matter that Damien said that they weren't as bad as he made them seem, Alice was just afraid at the mere thought of being in a room with them. Quite frankly, she didn't believe him all too much about their morals. They were criminals, and that's it. Damien wasn't much different. She still feared him at times, but she can't be expecting to be killed every waking moment while they traveled. If she wanted him to have trust in her, then she needed trust in him. Which, she has already given.
"If this is a question I'm allowed to ask, how did they end up becoming criminals anyway?" Alice asked and tilted her head as she pondered about the thought herself. How could someone be forced into a job besides something like slavery? Is it slavery? She didn't know, and didn't want to either.
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