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Post by mintedstar/fur on Aug 12, 2021 20:23:48 GMT -5
There was little denying that Sam was hungry. But his body almost literally rebelled at the idea, the sharp taste of Hades' blood bubbling up in his mouth, almost choking him. It felt bad. It felt a bit like he was drowning in the feeling. He wasn't sure what to do for a second other then clutch at Nico's hand. Which was exactly what he did for a while, holding onto it with the sense that he was slipping just as much as Sam was. Maybe more. He could hear Nico's heart (it was almost stronger in his ears than Sam's own headache) and he didn't like how it sounded. "I ..." he choked on his own word, struggling to get his tongue to work. "Can't walk," he finally said to Kelsier, roughly swallowing. It tasted bad. It felt worse. He felt like he was constantly tipping over and the edge of his vision was still dark. Haunted, almost. He swallowed again. The rough, single word, "Blood" did indeed escape his lips. He found himself half tumbling over Nico to try and bite Kelsier. |
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Aug 12, 2021 20:48:28 GMT -5
This seemed to get exactly the reaction that Sherlock was (hopefully) looking for. Very slowly, the small boy peaked out from his little curled up space and looked at Sherlock from between his fingers. There was mistrust there. Mistrust, confusion, and the high possibility that he was about to be betrayed. But, eventually, the small boy squeaked out, "Amico." It meant 'friend' but he didn't know that. It was the name he'd been given and it was the one which he wanted to use, if only so that he might feel a bit safer. Even still, there were long moments where Amico just stared at Sherlock. Quiet, carefully trying to measure him with his eyes, almost. Then he dropped his hands. Waiting. Either to see if there were repercussions or for Sherlock's name. Or maybe both! |
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Post by --cato phoenix on Aug 12, 2021 22:15:20 GMT -5
Fifteen days. That was how long it had been since Mordecai had last visited the Paradox House. He’d finally started keeping track after the last time he’d been there and met Nico. He still wasn’t sure if it was real or not, but regardless, he wanted to try to learn more about it. He’d been starting to question whether or not it would happen again when the dull cobblestone street was suddenly replaced with a room that was just as empty and just as badly lit. Automatically, the shade reached up to check his hood and mask. No one was there yet, well, aside from the House itself, but that probably wouldn’t last long. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 12, 2021 22:50:23 GMT -5
A young man appeared; his features hidden by an owl-shaped mask. He straightened up, staff in hand as he looked around. He immediately shifted into a fighting pose, looking for whoever had attacked him. Or rather… whoever had brought him here. What was this? The human realm? Uncertainty flooded him, but he didn’t move. It wasn’t until he noticed Amity that he began to relax. He recognized her, of course, though he doubted she would recognize him. The youngest Blight, one of Hexide’s brightest student. Lillian had taken her on as her protégé, hadn’t she? Slowly, Hunter eased himself back into a standing position, his staff held at his side. He would use it, if he had to. His immediate assumption was that the other person in the room was one of Amity’s friends. Hopefully one of them would have an explanation. |
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Asexual
Lark
Hello, its just, me, and 1567396558397583479 larks
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Post by Lark on Aug 12, 2021 22:50:32 GMT -5
Steve | Blender room Steve watched on in silent terror as he attempted to stood up, he could not figure out how he was at his home and then here again. Hawkins lab was still running but they promised to keep their freak accident under wraps so why was he here? Standing up was more difficult than usual up until he understood why once he looked down at the weird ground. Beneath him sat a few pieces of fruit that were way bigger than he ever remembered seeing, his hands that helped him get back up stuck to the pristine glass. “Is this the Paradox? The Paradox Hotel?” He winced in disbelief at the oddness of the all, turning to speak to the guy in white armor. The guy with no indoor voice was losing his head, the other screamer was yammering on her own head off, and there was a literal, talking animal. Unfortunately for Rex, the young teen looked at him for guidance in these trying times. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 12, 2021 22:58:33 GMT -5
Nico was having a hard time keeping track of the situation. His heart was pounding in his chest, desperately trying to get blood to a body that didn’t exist. He could feel Sam’s hand clutching his own, but he kept feeling as though his hand was falling through Sam’s. He had to turn enough to see it to let himself believe that it wasn’t. He was halfway to shadow already, and he didn’t know how to feel about it. He wanted to stay human. He wanted to stay alive, he didn’t want to disintegrate… a choked sob left him, but he wasn’t aware the sound was audible to everyone else. It was hard, distinguishing between reality and the place his mind wanted to drift into. “Sam… shouldn’t haveta walk,” Nico mumbled, tilting his head so he could see Kelsier. “He drank dad blood.” His brow furrowed as he considered that sentence, then shook his head as vigorously as he could manage. “ Bad blood. Bad… dad… both. Dad… dead.” He fell silent after that, eyes glazing a little as he stared at the ceiling. He had held onto Hades’ soul. He had plunged it into the abyss. He had nearly plunged Sam in with him… Nico barely registered Sam’s sudden movement, the way he nearly attacked Kelsier. No… not attacked… the blood had been offered. It was okay. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 12, 2021 23:16:57 GMT -5
Kelsier just nodded. He hadn’t expected Sam to be able to walk, but he knew Nico couldn’t. He could still feel the god’s hand on his throat, and his voice still rasped, but he only had himself to blame for that, so it didn’t matter. He knew they were both still in danger. Nico could still fade into shadow, and Sam…well. Whatever ran through Hades’ veins, he couldn’t imagine it was good for a vampire. When Sam moved, Kelsier was ready. He silently held out an arm, wrist exposed. He assumed that would be the easiest place to bite, anyway. He needed to get them out of here, before the House decided to throw something else at them. But Sam needed blood, and he didn’t think he could carry them both while he was still drinking. And he did have every intention of carrying them both out. |
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Post by --cato phoenix on Aug 12, 2021 23:44:00 GMT -5
Mordecai flinched as someone appeared on the floor in front of him. He’d figured the room wouldn’t stay empty for long but that had been fast. He watched silently, still not used to interacting with people, as she realized her surroundings had changed and started to get up. From her energy and pointed ears he could tell she was ra’Seirri, an elf or half elf probably… could she be from Xaphorda? One of the blinkers he’d met before had mentioned that could happen sometimes. The shade tensed as the green haired girl’s gaze met his. “I, uh-” he started, stopping abruptly as yet another person appeared- another ra’Seirri, this one armed, though he seemed to relax a bit when he noticed the first one. “I… I take it this is your first time coming here?” Mordecai said, cautiously glancing from one to the other. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 12, 2021 23:52:09 GMT -5
Nico could hear every noise Kelsier was making. He knew the sorts of monsters Kelsier was facing. He knew the horrors Tartarus brought to light. Kelsier had to face it alone, just as Nico had. At least Nico had Mare, here. There was no familiarity between them. They weren’t comfortable with each other, but he supposed that was how Kelsier had felt when he was here, too. Kelsier thought Mare had betrayed him. What would Mare say, if Nico asked? He wouldn’t – not yet, at least – but maybe he would, eventually. Once he’d gotten to know her for more than one conversation. Kelsier was doing his best to make sure Nico didn’t worry about him. Nico could tell from the way he kept his voice light, as though he was just sitting in the living room rather than fighting for his life. Hopefully he would get a reprieve, soon. Hopefully he’d be able to find somewhere that the monsters wouldn’t find him. “Follow the river,” Nico muttered under his breath, hoping Kelsier would understand. Hoping that Mare wouldn’t think him insane. Even if she did… maybe she wouldn’t mind. Hathsin wasn’t exactly an easy place to keep your sanity. “I’m a friend,” Nico confirmed, his voice just a little louder so Mare would know he was talking to her. “Funny story, I guess… we weren’t friends, at first. I introduced myself as the Ghost King, and I bet you can guess how well that turned out…” a dark smile appeared on Nico’s face before it faded and he shrunk in on himself just a little bit. He wanted to meet Mare, but not like this… was she even real? What would happen if he saved her? If he made sure she was the one to survive this time? “You know… he really loves you.” |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 13, 2021 0:15:05 GMT -5
Kelsier and Mare | Switcharoom | striderKelsier ripped off the strip of mistcloak. It had been a good thought, and if the worst threat was insanity, he might have kept it. But he had bigger things to worry about. He cut down another one, his muscles getting the hang of the motion necessary to end them. It was a little different from his usual style, but he was used to being wildly outnumbered, so he did at least know how to handle that much. He looked at the river, eyeing the flames. He needed to drink more…he cut down another monster and ran for it, kneeling at the edge and swallowing more flames as fast as he could. Then he straightened up and began to move. He didn’t speak. He could hear every word Nico said, but he didn’t interrupt. He just…wished he could have heard her voice on the other side. Would it have been that hard to rig a better system? Mare tilted her head as he muttered something, clearly not meant for her. Probably the same person he’d been muttering too before he’d caught up to her. She didn’t want to assume he was hearing voices, but then, it wouldn’t really have surprised her…she couldn’t blame anyone for their coping mechanisms. Her own weren’t exactly the best, either, though she liked to think she was doing pretty well, all things considered. “Ghost King?” She repeated, raising an eyebrow at him. That…might explain his muttering habit, actually. “No, I can’t imagine he liked that much. Although…” She studied him. She had been tempted to say she couldn’t imagine him being all that upset if a tiny scrawny kid claimed to be the Ghost King, but it felt a little insulting to Nico, so she didn’t. She hesitated, a shadow passing over her face as he continued, something deep flickering in her dark eyes as she looked at him. She swallowed back the bitter words her mind supplied. Yeah. I thought so too. Whoever Nico was, he did not need her to dump her relationship problems on him. “He tell you that before or after he ended up here?” She managed finally, forcing a small smile to hopefully make the words seem lighter. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 13, 2021 0:22:15 GMT -5
Hunter’s eyes narrowed, though the motion was imperceptible behind his mask. Was this some sort of test? Was Belos trying to see how he would handle being throw into a situation he didn’t understand? What was the best way to respond? No… what was the right way to respond? There was always either a right or a wrong, and Hunter had learned to pick the right way. He didn’t know what that was here. Did he believe that the stranger knew what this was? He had never seen him around the Emperor’s Coven, but that didn’t mean much. Belos had all sorts of secrets, and even Hunter didn’t know most of them. He took a breath in, forcing himself to stand a little straighter. At least Amity seemed to recognize him as some sort of authority figure. He may not have been the highest ranking within the Coven, but he had the status of actually being part of the coven, which was more than most witches his age could say. Of course, most witches his age actually had magic. He was trying not to be bitter about that. He was failing. “They call me the Golden Guard,” Hunter told Amity, trying to sound as official as possible. He turned back to Mordecai, eyes narrowing as he took the stranger in. Lying didn’t seem like the best way to go here, but he hated seeming like he was out of his depth. “Who are you?” Hunter demanded, deciding to start with the easy part. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 13, 2021 0:43:19 GMT -5
Guilt squirmed in the pit of Nico’s stomach. He knew he should have been talking to Kelsier instead of Mare. He knew he should have been keeping Kelsier company, telling him how he had survived Tartarus, advising him… he had left him alone to listen to half a conversation instead. It probably wasn’t even the half he wanted to hear. It had been too long since Kelsier had heard Mare’s voice. If Nico could give him that gift one more time… he looked away, biting his lip. He wanted to ask Kelsier what he should say to Mare, but he wasn’t sure she was ready for him to reveal he was talking to Kelsier. Then she might think he really was insane, and not the innocent kind of insane. Not the kind that people used as a coping mechanism. “Although what?” Nico asked, doing his best to keep his tone light. “I can be pretty scary if I want to be,” he added, doing his best to give a smile. It was difficult to force even at the best of times, and there was no doubt that this wasn’t the best of times. He crossed his arms, doing his best to come up with the right things to say. He didn’t want to ruin this. He didn’t want to make a bad impression. It didn’t technically matter, but… Kelsier cared about Mare. Nico wanted her to like him. He didn’t know if he would ever be able to see her as his mom, but… there was a part of him that wanted to. There was a part of him that wanted to believe that there was a world where Kelsier and Mare had raised him. A world where they had never ended up in Hathsin and he had never ended up in Tartarus. A world where none of them had to risk their lives just to do the right thing. “I didn’t know him before Hathsin,” Nico returned honestly, lifting his gaze to fully meet Mare’s. “He loves you. It’s possible he hasn’t said it enough.” |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 13, 2021 1:10:46 GMT -5
Kelsier and Mare | Switcharoom | striderKelsier was actually glad Nico was meeting Mare, even if he wished the circumstances could have been different. He’d liked to have been there, for one. And he have liked it to happen outside Hathsin. It was odd, that Mare had never met the version of Kelsier that has come from the shattered pieces he’d carried out of that place. It was odd, that Nico had never met the version of Kelsier that had never shattered in the first place. They both knew him. They both really knew him, but was it the same him? He knew it wasn’t. He wished there had been a time when he’d had them both in his life. That would have been the happiest time he could imagine. For the moment, he’d have settled for hearing her voice again. But he was glad Nico at least got to hear it. He was following the river. For the moment…he seemed to be alone. A wry smile tugged at his lips as he heard Nico’s reply to whatever she’d said. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d denied him loving her…if she’d thought he didn’t, when she’d died for him. As if he could have ever stopped. “I’m trembling in my prison uniform,” Mare replied, her voice deadpan. A small smile crossed her features a moment later, proving it had been an attempt at humor. She shook her head a little. “You’re alive, aren’t you? You won’t see me underestimating anyone still breathing in this place. I don’t know how long you’ve been here, but you’re definitely not new.” She wished she knew how Nico knew Kelsier. She wished she knew what sort of relationship they had, and how they’d met, but she wasn’t going to pry. “You met him here?” She asked, surprise lighting her tone. That, she hadn’t seen coming. She didn’t know how to respond. Kelsier talking to people without mentioning them to her here, that made sense. Him talking to people about her? About loving her? That felt just a little bit like a slap in the face. She had to swallow a few more bitter words before she could respond. “Did he tell you how he got here?” She asked finally, her voice steady in the sort of way that meant it wasn’t. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 13, 2021 1:20:24 GMT -5
Hold on, Dad, Nico thought fiercely, hoping that thinking at him might be translated by the Houses. He doubted it would be. He had a feeling he was going to have to leave Kelsier alone for a bit if he truly wanted to talk to Mare. He wasn’t sure if approaching her had been a bad idea or not, but it was too late to take it back now. The whole thing was more complicated than he knew how to explain, but… he had to tell her the truth. Even if hurt. Even if he didn’t want to tell her that she was dead. She wasn’t dead yet. This was a different version of Hathsin. This was a version she might survive, if Nico did everything right. “You’re going to find this hard to believe, but this is actually my first day here,” Nico replied after a long moment, not quite managing to meet Mare’s eyes. “It’s… complicated. I know I sound like I’m insane, but… I’m not from Scadrial. I met Kelsier somewhere else… it’s complicated to explain, but he’s from after all of this. Or maybe he’s from a different version of this… he’s not here anymore, probably.” So much for not sounding insane. “I know you betrayed him,” Nico said instead, letting that hang in the air for a long time. “Or at least… Kelsier thinks you betrayed him. He knows it’s not that simple, he just… doesn’t have another explanation. I don’t suppose that you… do?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 13, 2021 1:35:57 GMT -5
Mare didn’t look away as he spoke. She didn’t interrupt, though she couldn’t quite tell what he was trying to say. He seemed serious to her. Like he really knew what he was talking about…but it didn’t make any sense. After this? A different version? Off Scadrial? “What?” She asked, searching his eyes. She didn’t think he was lying. Which meant he was actually crazy, probably. She just…didn’t know why Kelsier would have told an obviously insane kid his life story. Nico knew what had happened. Or at least, Kelsier’s version of it. Nico knew her name, and that Kelsier supposedly loved her, though he could have come and said it to her himself if he’d been that bothered about it. She hesitated. But really…if she was going to make a habit of staying away from insane people, she was going to have to start with Kel. “I didn’t betray him,” she said finally, and there was a bit of an edge to her voice, though it wasn’t directed at Nico. “I…don’t know what happened, or why the Lord Ruler said that. I don’t know how we were caught. But I didn’t betray him. I never betrayed him, not even when…” She closed her mouth quickly, but it was too late, and she released the words a second later. “Not even when he betrayed me. And still is betraying me, every day we’re in this hole. I’m sorry, I don’t know what he said to you, but I am right here. If he loves me…” |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 13, 2021 1:54:35 GMT -5
Nico could see it in her eyes. She thought he was crazy. He definitely seemed crazy. If he were in her place, he would definitely assume the kid in front of him was off his rocker. Nico had seen a lot of insanity in his life, and if he didn’t know about the House… he was basically textbook. He needed a way to prove that he wasn’t as nuts as he seemed. And hearing Mare talk about Kelsier like that… it hurt. They loved each other, that much was clear, but… how long had they lived like this, barely talking to each other, constantly on edge because the Lord Ruler had decided to throw a wedge between them? It was cruel. It was one more reason to hate the Lord Ruler. One more reason to want to bring him down. If Nico could get to Kelsier’s world to help him kill the Lord Ruler, he would. No questions asked. “I believe you,” Nico whispered after a long moment. “There’s a lot about Allomancy that nobody knows. It probably had something to do with that, right? Kelsier knows that it’s not what it seems, now…” he trailed off, realizing that it wouldn’t make sense to Mare that Kelsier knew much about Allomancy at all. He wasn’t Mistborn. Not yet. “He’s not here anymore,” Nico repeated, glancing back in the direction he had come from. “We should probably… be looking for geodes while we talk,” he added quietly, swallowing hard as he moved to step over another body. “You’ve seen me talking to someone who’s not here,” Nico said abruptly, glancing at Mare to see her reaction. “I can prove I’m not insane. I’m talking to Kelsier. He’s experiencing something in my world right now. Something… well, I guess my world’s version of Hathsin. Only… he’s alone, because I was alone. I’m not alone here, because he always had you. Even if he didn’t tell you he was grateful not to be alone.” Nico swallowed, uncertain what Kelsier was dealing with on the other end of the connection. “Dad,” Nico murmured, biting his lip and purposefully not looking at Mare as he said the words. “I need you to prove I’m not insane. You can talk to Mare, if you want. I’ll just… translate, ‘cause you can’t hear each other.” |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 13, 2021 2:13:21 GMT -5
Kelsier and Mare | Switcharoom | striderThis was getting harder to deal with by the second. Mare wanted to give the kid the benefit of the doubt. She wanted to think he’d just been here a lot longer than she’d assumed. It was pretty easy to imagine it. The kid who grew up in the Pits. The one thing that didn’t fit was that Nico knew her, and he knew how she and Kel had ended up here. She couldn’t imagine a world where Kelsier would have just told that to a random insane kid. Which meant… He might have been a spy. She didn’t want to think it. But she knew how young the worst of the noblemen could be. Maybe they’d sent Nico to… To what? There was no motive. She didn’t get it. She didn’t… “Oh,” she said quietly as it clicked. She scanned Nico carefully, searching his face. But she thought she understood, now. So much for doing pretty well. She was hallucinating a kid she’d never even met. Just to have him tell her that Kelsier loved her, that she was believed, that there was an explanation, even if no one knew it. She caught the title and squeezed her eyes shut. Right…this was supposed to be Kelsier’s son. Not hers, though. It probably said something about her subconscious, but she didn’t try to guess what. Kelsier lowered himself down to sit by the river, giving in to the urge to rest. The monsters weren’t attacking, now. He had a moment. He wished he knew what Mare was saying. He wished he could hear her say it herself. He’d already taken someone else’s word for what she’d done once, after all, and look how it had turned out. But he trusted Nico. These would be her words. “Hey, Mare,” he managed, keeping his voice as light as he could. It came out strained, but it wasn’t like she could know that. What was he supposed to say? “It’s…been a while. For me, anyway. I’m sure it’s been, what, a few hours for you? I don’t know what time it is. But for me…” He put his head in his hands. No one could see him. He was allowed to break, just not vocally. “My son isn’t insane, by the way. No more than I am.” |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 13, 2021 2:31:45 GMT -5
Nico had a feeling he was just messing this up more and more every time he tried to fix it. He saw something shift in Mare’s expression, something important. He didn’t know what the shift meant, but he had a feeling it probably wasn’t going to be a good thing. She didn’t believe him. That didn’t mean he was just going to give up. He heard something in Kelsier’s voice, but he didn’t give voice to it. This had to be hard, to have to talk to Mare through Nico instead of being able to talk to her on his own. “Hey, Mare,” Nico said, doing his best to mimic Kelsier’s tone. It wasn’t the best approximation, but he was trying. “It’s… been a while. For me, anyway. I’m sure it’s been, what, a few hours for you? I don’t know what time it is. But for me… My son isn’t insane, by the way. No more than I am.” Kelsier had a completely different cadence to his words than Nico did, but he managed to get Kelsier’s cadence down almost perfectly. It was just the tone and pitch that was a little bit more difficult. “You don’t have to believe me,” Nico managed, his voice quiet as he looked across at Mare. He hesitated for a long moment, then reached a hand into one of the holes in the cavern, feeling around for a geode. Nothing. He cursed, wincing as he pulled his hand back out, tears springing to his eyes. He didn’t let them fall. “Even if you don’t,” he whispered, shaking his arm off in an attempt to stop the blood from falling onto the bodies below, “why not take an opportunity to have a conversation with Kelsier? If I’m lying, or he’s not real, then it’s not like you’ve lost anything by trying.” |
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Post by --cato phoenix on Aug 13, 2021 2:35:57 GMT -5
Before Mordecai could try to answer her question the girl’s attention shifted to the other masked blinker. The Emperor’s Coven? He’d never heard of an organization by that name before. A new name for an old group maybe..? That being said, he’d been living in the ruins for quite awhile and had only recently ventured into a functional city, so it was entirely possible he just hadn’t heard of them yet… or that they just weren’t from the same world, which was preferable. He watched the two, glad they were distracted from him for the moment, and listened as they exchanged names- or titles. He’d never heard of anyone called the “Golden Guard” but it sounded pretty official so he figured the other blinker was fairly high ranking in the group they’d been talking about, which didn’t make Mordecai particularly comfortable. As for guards in general… well he’d had one run in with a city guard a few days ago who’d thought he seemed suspicious. He’d been lucky to get away without being outed as a shade… Unfortunately their attention didn’t stay off him for long. The Golden Guard’s question was simple enough, or at least it would have been if he didn’t already know what had happened the last time someone had questioned him in that tone. He glanced to the doorway then back, though it was most likely unnoticeable thanks to the shadow of his hood. Was there some way out of this? If he gave a title instead of the name he usually used could he pass for someone else of importance and therefore avoid questioning? No that was a ridiculous idea, even if it did work, what then? How would he- “I am called the Shadow of Kirro.” His voice was quiet but firm. Damn. This was going to be worse than when he’d told another blinker that he was an elf who used light magic. |
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Bisexual
Iceclaw
You can kill me, but you will never destroy me.
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Post by Iceclaw on Aug 13, 2021 12:28:40 GMT -5
Rex | Blender | Sol, Victoria, Ronan
Rex barely reacted to Ronan's quip. He did see where they were, though he couldn't bring himself to be as concerned as he might have been. He watched the kid fumble around, stacking the fruit before trying fruitlessly (lol I'm so funny) to jump out. Couldn't she see that she wasn't anywhere near the top? Realization suddenly flickered through him as she turned on him and cursed him out. She actually couldn't see. Lifting a hand, he rubbed his eyes, under which dark circles resided.
"You can't get out," he said gruffly. "We're in a blender and there's a lid. The sides are smooth and slightly opaque. And we're standing on a bunch of fruit." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked to Ronan as he started pounding on the side of the blender and shouting at whoever was out there.
"Yes, this is the Paradox House," Rex replied, hardly sparing a glance toward Steve.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 13, 2021 14:02:56 GMT -5
Kelsier and Mare | Switcharoom | strider Mare kept her eyes closed as Nico spoke. As Nico spoke like he was Kelsier, only Kel wouldn’t be saying those things, because Kel was in here with her, and if he had something to say, he could say it whenever he wanted. She had to hand it to him. He knew how Kel talked. It was almost possible to hear it in his voice. Which made sense, if he really was a hallucination. “I don’t believe you,” she said quietly, shaking her head a little. “I’m sorry, Nico. I don’t think you're lying, but it's not much of a stretch to think one of our minds are playing tricks, and I’m the one seeing Kel’s son, and…hearing the things I want to hear.” She watched him reach into a hole. He was right about them needing to search for geodes, of course, but they had a little time, and for once, Mare allowed herself to feel exhausted. She couldn’t afford to let herself think too much. Maybe it wasn’t the best coping mechanism, but as long as she didn’t let herself feel it, she could survive. “Sorry,” she murmured, and turned to head deeper in. She didn’t believe Nico. Kelsier wasn’t surprised by that - why would she? - but he did wish he had some sort of way to convince her. Something she’d recognize could only be from Kelsier, but that didn’t come from inside her head, too. New information, but only the sort he’d have. He was half tempted to keep walking, but he didn’t. Not yet. He didn’t know if it was better to stay on the move or to try and keep his head down… He needed Mare to believe him. Not just for his own sake, but for Nico’s, too. Going through Hathsin had been hell. Going through it if she refused to help…that would be much, much worse. “I tried to draw your flower,” He said, hoping he wasn’t interrupting her. He couldn’t tell whether Nico was silent because he was waiting for Kelsier to speak, or because Mare already was. “I must have tried it over a hundred times before I had anything I was satisfied with. The original picture was destroyed. But I couldn’t accept that.” |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 13, 2021 23:55:31 GMT -5
Hunter was supposed to know everyone important within the Emperor’s Coven. He was supposed to know about everyone who joined, and he was supposed to be kept apprised of all the important goings-on. Whatever this was… someone had neglected to mention it to Hunter. He might have known of Amity Blight (she hadn’t officially been invited to join the Coven, but there was little to no question that she would when she was ready), but he had never even heard of the Shadow of Kirro. His eyes narrowed a little bit as he looked at Mordecai. Was it supposed to be some sort of intimidating title, or was that really what he went by? Hunter had introduced himself as the Golden Guard because there were really only a handful of people who knew his real name. Amity would surely know him as the Golden Guard. In all fairness, he didn’t actually know her first name, either. He just knew her as the youngest Blight. It was her family that had caught the Emperor’s attention. It was just that Amity was impressive enough on her own that she had been notable even without her family’s influence. She was, without a doubt, the most qualified on the Abomination track at Hexide. “Shadow of Kirro,” Hunter repeated, voice quiet. “Do you know what this place is? Can you explain it?” He wanted to ask if the other witch knew who Emperor Belos was, but… that would show that he was completely clueless. He didn’t want Amity to know just how out of his depth he was. It was better to pretend he had at least an idea of what he was doing. Hunter shifted so he was mostly in front of Amity. He knew her magic was powerful, but she wasn’t yet part of the Coven. She was the future. He knew Belos would be upset if he didn’t even try to protect her. |
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Post by --cato phoenix on Aug 14, 2021 3:19:34 GMT -5
Test
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 14, 2021 18:22:22 GMT -5
Nico may have understood why Mare didn’t believe him, but it didn’t make it any easier to stomach. He had wanted to make a good impression. He had wanted, more than almost anything else, for Mare to like him. Nico knew that Mare was the person Kelsier loved more than anyone else in any world… was it really so wrong of him to want to make a good first impression? But he just… kept failing. He took in a soft breath, stepping over another body and forcing himself not to gasp as he reached into another crevice to see if there might be a geode there. He hadn’t practiced how to find them… maybe if he found one he would prove to Mare that he was real? Or maybe she would make an excuse for how he had found it. Human minds were structured to be able to do that, no matter how frustrating it was right now. It was an amazing adaptation. It just wasn’t going to help Nico here. “I tried to draw your flower,” Nico repeated, keeping Kelsier’s tone intact. “I must have tried it over a hundred times before I had anything I was satisfied with. The original picture was destroyed. But I couldn’t accept that.” Nico glanced at Mare, unable to stop the quiet whimper as he pulled his arm back out of the crevice. It would only get worse as time went on, but… the shock of the pain was still new. And Nico didn’t have any ambrosia. Ambrosia.“Dad?” Nico asked, voice quiet as he spoke directly to him instead of facilitating a conversation between Kelsier and Mare, “Did the House give you any ambrosia? I had some when I was there… it didn’t do me much good, but it helped a little… and if you have pomegranate seeds, guard them with your life. They’re the only reason I’m still alive.” |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 14, 2021 19:35:12 GMT -5
Kelsier and Mare | Switcharoom | striderMare hesitated at the words, everything in her telling her to just walk away. She could ignore this. She didn’t have to let herself break. She could just look for a geode and pretend it had never happened. She even wanted to. But she had stopped getting what she wanted a while ago, and it was hard to walk away from something she didn’t really understand. It had to be in her head, but at the same time, she didn’t want to believe she was insane. It wasn’t so much that she didn’t think it was possible, as that if she admitted to herself that she was losing her mind she was never going to be able to trust herself again. And she was the last person she actually did trust. If she had lost her mind… She turned and looked at Nico. If she assumed she wasn’t insane…it wasn’t possible. It wasn’t possible for him to be right. “Where is he?” She said quietly, eyes focused as she looked at him. “You said he’s going through something like Hathsin. You think he’s in trouble, don’t you?” Did she believe him? No. But maybe that wasn’t the most important question. Besides…it wouldn’t really be that hard to check. Kelsier wasn’t speaking to her, but that didn’t mean he’d abandoned her completely. She knew where to find him, if he was really still here. If he wasn’t… Then she was going to have a lot of questions. “Oh, right, the stuff that would kill me instantly if I licked it,” Kelsier looked up. Something was moving. Something was following him. He didn’t think it was a normal monster, or it would just attack him, but he was sure he wasn’t wrong. He couldn’t see what it was, but he knew it was there, and he had no intention of relaxing until…well, until this room was over. “And would kill you if you ever ate too much of it. That ambrosia?” He checked his pockets, pulling out a small bag of ambrosia a second later. So he did have some. He eyed it, half tempted to see if he could bring it back to his world and have it on hand in case Nico blinked in and needed some, but that wasn’t going to happen if he died in here. He’d have to ask Nico to give him some extra after this. Since he still had the butterfly magnet, he knew that at least sometimes, that worked. “You know,” he said finally, pushing himself to his feet. “I always wanted to try this stuff. You said it tastes different to different people, right? I can’t imagine what it’ll taste like to me. I mean, cake isn’t bad. Pasta is good, too.” He began to walk again, opening the bad as he moved and breaking off a tiny bit of ambrosia. He knew he was probably distracting Nico, but talking made him feel a little bit better, and as far as he could tell, neither Nico nor Mare were in immediate danger. He nibbled the ambrosia, half expecting it to taste like nothing at all. And stopped. Because aside from the unexpected warmth flooding through him, it tasted exactly like hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. |
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Aug 14, 2021 20:35:53 GMT -5
Nico looked around, noting the temperature of the room. It was… relatively warm, not that Sam would notice. “I think you’re probably right,” he said after a moment. “It’s too warm in here for penguins, I think. Except… aren’t there penguins that live in California or something?” Nico didn’t actually know that much about penguins. He just thought they were neat, and he’d seen them in clips of films… he had never seen them in person, though. He had never seen most of these creatures in person. Perhaps that was the point of having a zoo. Nico glanced down at their clasped hands, a private smile touching his lips for just a moment before his attention was pulled towards a bird with an interesting crest. He moved towards the bird, gently tugging Sam along with him. “I’ve never seen anything like that,” he admitted after a moment, awe touching his voice as he looked at the rather majestic looking creature. In another situation, it might have seemed rather ridiculous. “Flamboyant little bird, there. I wonder if they have peacocks… I’ve heard they just wander around in some zoos, but I can’t imagine that’s very safe…” "I'm not sure," admitted Sam. "It's probably okay if it is a small zoo." He wasn't sure if this was a small zoo. All he knew was that he hoped it did have peacocks. "It's a cute bird though," Sam admitted, looking over the creature again. It was ignoring him, from what it looked like. Sam just assumed that it was having a good time exploring the branches that looked like they'd been placed in its enclosure. "Very cool," he admitted happily. Then he moved along, off to look at more enclosures and more places for birds. He was hoping to see more cool birds as he moved along, still holding Nico's hand and trying not to move too quickly, so that he wouldn't end up leaving the other boy behind. "Do you see the one in here?" he asked, stopping at an enclosure a couple ones down. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 15, 2021 0:37:31 GMT -5
Nico relaxed just a little bit as Mare replied to him. She wasn’t going through the motions of replying to Kelsier, which… meant she either didn’t believe Nico still or she didn’t really want to talk to Kelsier. Nico tried not to let the second option sting, but it did regardless. He had never stopped to consider how Mare felt about Kelsier after he started believing that she betrayed him. The world was too complicated. He wanted to believe that things could have worked themselves out between Mare and Kelsier, but given the way she was looking at him… he shifted uncomfortably, not quite sure what to say. “I think I almost died when I went through there,” Nico replied quietly. “I think it’s the sort of place you’re lucky to survive, let alone survive with your mind intact. I know what kinds of monsters are down there. Monsters you couldn’t even imagine, monsters that don’t exist here.” He shifted, shoving his hands in his pockets in spite of the blood streaming down his arms. He would do his best to bandage that when they got out of the Pits. He realized now he should have asked Kelsier how long that usually took, but… he would find out. And he wasn’t alone. It didn’t matter if Mare believed him or not, she was another living person that could, in theory, help him stay alive. “I highly doubt it’s going to kill you if you lick it,” Nico told Kelsier, a bit of an edge to his voice. “At least right now. Please don’t lick it when you’re human. Congrats, your father’s the Lord of the Underworld now. Few perks, but being able to stomach ambrosia is one of them.” He crossed his arms, doing his best to keep the fear out of his voice. It slithered through anyway, his voice thin even as he lightly poked fun at Kelsier. And then Kelsier went silent and Nico froze, waiting to hear something else. Waiting for some sort of confirmation he was still alive. “Please tell me I didn’t kill you. If… if I did, I’m pretty sure Mare would kill me, and that’s not the impression I want to make.” His voice was high and reedy, like he couldn’t quite force it back down to his normal tone. At least it didn’t break. |
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