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[Rebonack]

[Richard's Residence]

"Oh! Well, that's fascinating," Geneva says, perking up a bit and immediately displaying curiosity. "I wonder what aspect of that endeavor he's attuned to. If my understanding is correct, you're aligned with certitude. Is that right, Jace? And Khannie is aligned with-?"

"Death of corruption. But it's not just smooshing oogie stuff. It's being around people doing things that are, like, the opposite of corruption. Innocent things," Khannie clarifies, her tail flipping back and forth behind her. Gilda decides that it would be a good idea to bat at the pomph on the end of Khannie's tail.

What else are pomphs for, anyway?

"Are you finding a particular aspect of my inquiry notably more invigorating than another? OH! Wait just a moment, let me get a note-pad."

Aaaand there she goes.

What a nerd.

Khannie makes a snort of a laugh. "I guess we're gunna find out exactly what your deal is, Kit."

One way or the other.

Now that Geneva's fixed her attention on that subject she likely won't rest until her curiosity is slacked.

[Keeper]

Richards' Residence

"I'm Purpose, yes." Jace confirms, finding a cushion to sit back down on. Kit immediately plops down on top of him.
Uuuh I dunno? I just feel pretty nice. Kit is kind of a minute old so he's probably not developed a super refined palette right now.

[Arkhosia]

► SHOW SPOILER

[Flats and Cats]

On instinct, Elizabeth opens her mouth to decline the offer. No, no way, She was not about to go crash with her actual soldier of a half sister she barely knew!

But she hesitates. Yeah, okay, it was almost certainly going to be horrifying awkward. She and Blanche probably did not have a lot of common interests, or shared life habits, or any compatibility as roommates in the slightest- other than a shared hatred of the Ascendancy. But it's not like she has a choice. This was a room! A place to stay! And she didn't even have to pay rent, which was huge! What idiot would pass that up?

Plus, she was maybe being too harsh on Blanche. She had let her off the hook before for a serious crime, got her coffee, and now was offering her a free room. That was... a genuinely kind gesture, even if the medic seemed to struggle with putting on a nice face and offering comforting words.

"Really? You'd do that for me? I mean, uh... yeah. Yeah, I'll take that. Uh, thanks, really! You're actually a lifesaver." Elizabeth lets out one hell of a sigh of relief, a large weight now suddenly and visibly lifted off her shoulders.

[Flats and Cats]

"Yeah - I mean, I'd be an asshole not to," Blanche deflects, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. "And besides... we didn't grow up together, but you're still my sister. People like us are supposed to look out for each other." At least, as far as she vaguely understands. Blanche had only ever known of herself as an only child before meeting her father, and she'd never really gotten to connect with the complex web of half-siblings she found herself a newfound part of. This was all unfamiliar ground, and chances were it showed. "I uh, gotta admit though, It'll be a new experience. I've never had a roommate before. Y'know, aside from, like, shared quarters I guess."

[Aftermaths and Futures]

Familiar as she is with the feelings of her partner, it's hard for Dulcinea to miss the weight building onto Reilana's shoulders. Briefly, she tries to get to her feet, then winces at a jolt of pain. How she missed the liberating utility of a cane. "Kahu?" Soft to gain her focus, she gestures for her, then reaches to clasp their hands together if she draws close.

"We have time," Dulcinea assures. "We have time, and now, we have a path. Zhareen and Vax are resources. They're people we can work with, and whatever complications the spirit binding might have, they may be able to guide us onto solving them more perfectly than working with Jostan or flying solo ever could." She squeezes her fingers. "We just need to meet with them and see if they're worth our time."

[Gullara]

[Aftermaths and Futures]

There's a moment where Reilana is captured by Dulcinea's eyes. It's almost difficult to actually respond to her words. "Ah-" She blinks. "You're right. Even if there's a problem, we can figure it out." She agrees. If she's honest with herself, Jostan would be the best resource for that. Spirit magic was his specialty after all. But the prospect of admitting that she'd made a mistake after already committing such a grave taboo... "We could start with these Fourth Tower people."

[Rebonack]

[Richard's Residence]

"Well, in that case I believe the most reasonable course of action will be to begin dinner and to move on to the designated movie for the evening," Geneva says as she moves towards the dining room.

Thankfully the unicorns can in fact eat physical food. Generally. Khannie sure does at the very least.

[Keeper]

Richards' Residence

"Please make sure Kit's is cut into small pieces. I imagine there is going to be a mess."
Jace 'calls'.
Kit, meanwhile is busy staring widely at basically everything. Gabriel slinks into the room to sit down at his designated seat.
"...happy birthday." he says quietly.

[Arkhosia]

► SHOW SPOILER

[Aftermaths and Futures]

There's a moment where Reilana is captured by Dulcinea's eyes. It's almost difficult to actually respond to her words. "Ah-" She blinks. "You're right. Even if there's a problem, we can figure it out." She agrees. If she's honest with herself, Jostan would be the best resource for that. Spirit magic was his specialty after all. But the prospect of admitting that she'd made a mistake after already committing such a grave taboo... "We could start with these Fourth Tower people."

[Aftermaths and Futures]

"Good. It's settled then." Dulcinea smiles. "We'll speak with them and see how it plays out." She lets Reilana's hand fall to her lap but doesn't let go entirely, keeping their fingers interlaced as she turns and digs into her pocket for a pack of cigarettes. "I'll schedule a meeting, and then we can find a way to sneak you out of here."

[Meowmai]

[Flats and Cats]

"Yeah - I mean, I'd be an asshole not to," Blanche deflects, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. "And besides... we didn't grow up together, but you're still my sister. People like us are supposed to look out for each other." At least, as far as she vaguely understands. Blanche had only ever known of herself as an only child before meeting her father, and she'd never really gotten to connect with the complex web of half-siblings she found herself a newfound part of. This was all unfamiliar ground, and chances were it showed. "I uh, gotta admit though, It'll be a new experience. I've never had a roommate before. Y'know, aside from, like, shared quarters I guess."

[Flats and Cats]

Blanche is definitely not a people person, huh. Elizabeth can't really blame her. For all she champions mutual cooperation, Elizabeth herself spends a lot of her time bundled away in her room alone.

The catgirl tactfully avoids making the first comment that comes to mind in response (that she didn't expect this from Blanche, her default asumption is that soldiers are assholes). Instead, she replies, "Yeah... Yeah I guess so." This was going to be weird for her too. She had known she had half-siblings, but this too was her first time actually meeting them.

Elizabeth's eyebrow raises. Look at miss lucky girl over her, not ever sharing a run down rental apartment with 3 other people! "Well, uh, it's not so bad really. You get used to it. It'll be less privacy and space than you have now, but definitely going to be a lot nicer than barracks I assume, unless your place is tiny. No one forcing you up at 6am, at least." She gives an awkward chuckle.

[quillpleasant]

Chateau Interview

The Chateau Xilo has been busy as of late. Ever since Atya's ill-planned but daring New Year's raid on the Skyside Slaver's Guild, she's been busy helping the escapees figure out what to do with their newfound freedom. While most have moved on, heading back to their own homes or putting even more distance between them and Skyside, others have gained employment at the Chateau. It's a big place, and there's more than enough jobs to go around what with cleaning, cooking, and tending to the grounds. Atya is a generous employer, and the work is quite easy- a good starting place to save up without having to pay rent.

A couple have found more permanent positions. In fact, one of the argonians, Vejert, has shown great aptitude for handling Atya's affairs and schedule and now works as an aide for her mayoral campaign. But there are still others who have not figured out what they want, which is why Atya has asked to meet with one in particular.

Sitting at her large walnut desk, Atya scans over her notes, multicolored light streaming down from the stained glass window set in the wall behind her. The design depicts a hummindbird flying through a passage of vines and flowers.

A half elf, picked up outside the guild. Rescued personally by Daisy. Chained by her own kind. Atya bites her lip. That story isn't too far off from her own. Well, hopefully she'll be able to do something to help. Be the kind of person she wished for back when she was living off the street.

And it looks like her guest is arriving now. Atya beckons the half elf inside. "Hey, hi. Sit down, make yourself comfortable. Nin car na- cín car." It's an elvish phrase that roughly translates to 'my house is your house.'

[Earl of Purple]

Chateau Interview

The half-elf in question has brown hair and eyes, and quite pale skin dusted with freckles. She's avoided the medical check-ups that were offered, and seems a bit of a loner- she's not associating much with the other ex-slaves. She's wearing a pair of jeans and a brown cardigan over a pale blue blouse. She sits down with a nervous smile, and looks a bit confused at the Elvish. "Sorry, I... I don't speak Elvish. My mother, she... didn't have a tongue." And whilst she wasn't chained, strictly speaking, by her own kind- the holder of her chain was a full-blooded human- their jackaly scents are similar enough to suggest half-siblings.

[Gullara]

[Aftermaths and Futures]

"Good. It's settled then." Dulcinea smiles. "We'll speak with them and see how it plays out." She lets Reilana's hand fall to her lap but doesn't let go entirely, keeping their fingers interlaced as she turns and digs into her pocket for a pack of cigarettes. "I'll schedule a meeting, and then we can find a way to sneak you out of here."

[Aftermaths and Futures]

It takes a moment for Reilana to register what she's seeing. Her eyes are ideally drawn to Dulci's hands, and all she can do is stare with confusion for a moment. It's only when the cigarette is out and between her fingers that Reilana reacts audibly. "Dulcinea, what the fuck is that?" Now her eyes turn up to meet Dulci's, a look of incredulity forming.

[quillpleasant]

Chateau Interview

Atya gives her a sympathetic smile. "You certainly don't need to apologize for that. Or for anything, truly." An elf not knowing Elvish makes her heart ache- maybe she can provide her some lessons. But of course, one step at a time.

"So, I realize I haven't actually introduced myself! I'm Atya Xilo. What would you like to be called?" she says conversationally, leaning forward slightly in a gesture of interest. "If you can, I'd love to hear a little about your story- but if parts are too painful, you don't have to share them. You'll receive no judgement from me." In truth, Atya isn't expecting much- judging from the way she's been keeping to herself, this elf is clearly traumatized.

[Arkhosia]

[Aftermaths and Futures]

It takes a moment for Reilana to register what she's seeing. Her eyes are ideally drawn to Dulci's hands, and all she can do is stare with confusion for a moment. It's only when the cigarette is out and between her fingers that Reilana reacts audibly. "Dulcinea, what the fuck is that?" Now her eyes turn up to meet Dulci's, a look of incredulity forming.

[Aftermaths and Futures]

Reilana’s words catch Dulcinea just as she starts to dip down, leaving the cigarette to dangle a couple inches away between her fingers. For the briefest moment her expression is something akin to a cat caught with a mouse between its teeth before her lips curl into a pout. ”’Ugh, you’re gonna make a big deal out of this now aren’t you?”

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment
"I didn't think you were that old," Mary comments. She's soon to turn 16 herself.
But then she just stops in her tracks. "What?" How does Asami not know what a month is? How does he keep track of his schedule? "It's a unit of time. There are 12 in a year."

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

"Mary is correct," Skye says with a nod, "As for how to tell what unit type they are, it's written on the top of each of the pieces."

Skye is correct there, of course. The problem is that each piece's unit type is written in Old Realm, a pictographic language that doesn't work very well at translating into the Nexus's other languages

[[brackets lover]]

[Skye's Apartment]

Asami scratches the back of his neck, awkwardly smiling. "Right, right, the writing..."

Gulping, Asami creates a speed-clone of herself out of sight of Skye and Mary, discretely making moogle searches on each of the words. Should this actually work, she would make an army composed primarily of ranged pieces.

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment
Mary looks through the pieces, squinting at the pictograms.
She's able to figure them out though, and constructs her army out of mostly cavalry with a few archers.

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

Skye, meanwhile, constructs her army out of a balanced array of infantry, cavalry, ranged, and artillery...

... And then lays them all extremely close on the board to Mary's area. Uh oh.

[[brackets lover]]

[Skye's Apartment]

Noticing the way Skye has arranged her pieces, Asami scans the board and feigns trepidation. The goal is to look they're afraid of a direct conflict, so as to be writen off as a liable threat. They'll utilize flighty behavior, focusing on keeping her units as far away from the other ones as possible, at a seemingly detriment that limits her ability to really attack at all.

In reality, though, Asami was lining up her trebuchets and catapults to form an army-destroying wall of death, making her area incredibly dangerous without utilizing one's full forces.

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment
Well that's threatening. Mary arranges her units in a loose formation near the corner of all 3 domains. Originally she intended to use hit and run tactics, but that seems less advisable now.

Fortunately she has a backup plan. She sweeps her cavalry around into Asami's territory, aiming to close with the catapults before they can fire, while her archers hang in the hills and cliffs at the border of her and Asami's territories using the terrain to their advantage to fight a holding action against Skye.
It's a risky play, since it means she has to fight both armies at once, but Mary rarely plays these things safe and she's hoping her individual tactical advantages will carry her through.

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

Skye, for her part, ends up maintaining a group of cavalry that flank Mary's forces from the rear, harrying them without ever really engaging on the backline, but otherwise chooses to disengage once it's clear Mary is going after Asami. At which point she decided to hold back her forces and let the pair of them duke it out, and sends her infantry around the other side to box Asami's forces in, keeping the much younger player from fleeing and escaping the engagement.

The result is that, for most of the match, Skye will essentially control the pace of play and where Asami and Mary can move to. Unless they do something either creative or reckless - the rules allow for both - chances are Skye will be winning this match by virtue of board control rather than any specific strength.

[Gullara]

[Aftermaths and Futures]

Reilana’s words catch Dulcinea just as she starts to dip down, leaving the cigarette to dangle a couple inches away between her fingers. For the briefest moment her expression is something akin to a cat caught with a mouse between its teeth before her lips curl into a pout. ”’Ugh, you’re gonna make a big deal out of this now aren’t you?”

[Aftermaths and Futures]

"I'm gonna- Of course I'm making a big deal out of it. Dulcinea, you just got out of the hospital. Was buying those the first thing you did?" She gestures at the cigarette. "You're literally a lung cancer survivor." Not in the traditional sense, but the sentiment remains.

[Earl of Purple]

Chateau Interview

Half-elf, not a full elf, and not even as elf-looking as Atya is either. Her human blood is apparent in the thickness of her eyebrows, the shape of her earlobes, and so on. Put her next to a full elf- or even Atya, really- and it's quite apparent.

"My name is Nasrin. My mother was a slave, and an elf. I don't know her name, everyone called her 'Tiganza', which is a type of dance. She was... mostly a pleasure slave, dancing and playing the dulcimer. My owner died a few weeks ago, and... I think he was my father, too. His will left me to his son, who has gambling debts. Your... friend, the big one, rescued me as he was on his way to sell me. I've... not been inside a slave shop, so I was scared. My owner taught me reading, writing, and some logistics; I've been assisting his secretary for over a decade, he managed one of the ports. My mother taught me how to dance, or started to. She disappeared a long time ago, and... nobody would tell me if she was dead, sold or escaped." Nasrin shifts a bit, uncomfortably. "I want to help, however I can. I don't... really have anywhere else to go."

[quillpleasant]

Chateau Interview

Atya is quite elf passing for a half elf, but it's really not about the appearance for her. After all, she's never met her father, so her interaction with full blooded elves has been very limited indeed. She feels a lot more connected to someone like Nasrin- being in the inbetween can be a culture in and of itself.

She listens intently to the story, her expression sympathetic but not pitying. It's clear the girl has lived a very hard life. "We have something in common then, Nasrin. Daisy rescued us both a some pretty horrible situation. And just like me, you're never going back."

With a sigh, she glances down at the desk. "There's no way to fix the past, or reverse the wrongs that have been done. But going forward, you're welcome to stay here as long as you want, even forever if you don't find anywhere better. I can set you up with tutors to learn whatever skills you want, or therapists to help process what you've been through. And I can also offer you my friendship." Atya gives Nasrin a crooked half smile. "It's not worth much, but it is pretty rare."

[Earl of Purple]

Chateau Interview

"I don't... I don't want to be a drain, whilst I'm here. You gave me more than I could ever hope for or repay." Nasrin makes no comment about the therapists, but she might seek a tutor for something. "I can't really fight, but... I know logistics. Signing stuff in, signing it out, finding out if the books are tampered with, tampering with the books as well sometimes. Or, well- I know what I'd look for if I was looking for evidence the books weren't right and someone was skimming or smuggling. I was never asked to do that myself, but I did see the receptionist I worked for do some skimming. She kept it low, especially when she knew I was watching her." Some illegal bookkeeping might be useful, and it's a skill that perhaps the other slaves lack, even Vejert.

[quillpleasant]

Chateau Interview

Atya waves a hand dismissively at the idea of repayment. "You don't owe me anything. The moment the last slaver is wiped out of Skyside, that'll be payment enough for me." She stares into nothing for a second, her lips curving in a faint smile as she imagines that happy day.

Then, coming back to the present, she raises an eyebrow appraisingly at Nasrin. "But... I could use someone with your skillset. As you might have heard, I'm running for the position of Mayor of Eastside. Whether or not I win, political campaign involve a lot of money changing hands, what with sponsors, donations, charity, you get the idea. It's complicated, and I really don't have the head for numbers."

She leans back in her chair, steepling her fingers. "How would you feel about working to help keep my money in order? You'd be overseen by my current secretary Daisy, the one who rescued you. Don't worry, she's a big sweetie, and she'd just be double checking your double checking to make sure it's not overwhelming. It's not easy work, but you'd get a generous salary and could continue to live here rent and guilt free."

[Arkhosia]

► SHOW SPOILER

[Flats and Cats]

Blanche is definitely not a people person, huh. Elizabeth can't really blame her. For all she champions mutual cooperation, Elizabeth herself spends a lot of her time bundled away in her room alone.

The catgirl tactfully avoids making the first comment that comes to mind in response (that she didn't expect this from Blanche, her default asumption is that soldiers are assholes). Instead, she replies, "Yeah... Yeah I guess so." This was going to be weird for her too. She had known she had half-siblings, but this too was her first time actually meeting them.

Elizabeth's eyebrow raises. Look at miss lucky girl over her, not ever sharing a run down rental apartment with 3 other people! "Well, uh, it's not so bad really. You get used to it. It'll be less privacy and space than you have now, but definitely going to be a lot nicer than barracks I assume, unless your place is tiny. No one forcing you up at 6am, at least." She gives an awkward chuckle.

[Flats and Cats]

"Oh, definitely," Blanche chuckles. "Separate rooms, no bunks, no one barging in to shout you out of bed and out to the grounds, it's an improvement for sure. And mercenary work doesn't get much better either, there's a lot of being stuck out in the woods and huddling up in sleeping bags." The comfort level of which could vary drastically depending on planet, local climate and whether or not someone remembered to pack a tent or found a nice cave. "Hard to break the habit of early starts though."

[Aftermaths and Futures]

"Oh please," Dulcinea rolls her eyes. "of course not. For your information, it was the third thing I did, and I didn't buy them - Skyla did." Even after such a long inpatient period, Dulcinea wasn't allowed full reign on her first day or so back home. The pain of doting parents with medical degrees.

"Besides -ehem- it's not like the cancer risks matter anymore. You put those spirits in me, and they've seemed plenty capable of handling it. For all intents and purposes, you've made me oncologically immortal." With that, Dulcinea makes another break for her original plan, slipping the cigarette into the corner of her mouth and reaching into a pocket for a lighter.

[Earl of Purple]

Chateau Interview

Nasrin smiles wanly when Atya announces what she considers repayment for her freedom. "I can't help with that, not directly." She perks up a little when told she could be useful anyway, as a financial officer of some kind. Not directly related to what she was doing- making sure physical items arrived and departed in the same quantities, that payments matched invoices, and such isn't quite screening where the money's coming from and avoiding any issues with that. "I... Think I can do that. It's not quite the same, but it's close enough, right?" Nasrin smiles, a lot happier now. Inwardly, she's a little worried, especially with Daisy looking over her shoulder, but there's nothing here she thinks she can't do.

[[brackets lover]]

[Skye's Apartment]

Asami grits his teeth as the battle unfolds. After a few seconds of deliberation, he points to his catapults and declares, "I have the guys who were loading these all scream and throw rocks and stuff to scare the horses. Annnd have all my archers fire at Skye's infantry."

Having maintained terrain advantage, Asami's strategy is surprisingly versatile. Even more surprising was her knowledge of war strategy beyond that of most generals. Cavalry were effective because they took advantage of chaos on the battlefield, where there was none to be found in Asami's formation.

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment
The lack of chaos is hardly a hindrance to the cavalry when there's an abundance of siege engines grouped together with minimal escort, especially with the archers distracted with Skye's forces. "I don't think there's a rule for that," Mary comments, pressing her attack further, "But I'll have my archers join yours in shooting at Skye."