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| Mousetrap; [P] Miriel *cheesy saxophone soundtrack* | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sat Mar 16, 2013 3:10 pm (1,795 Views) | |
| Lady Eko | Sun Apr 14, 2013 2:20 pm Post #31 |
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Ansha lay curled on the floor around Miriel's feet and chair. Eko didn't take her eyes off Miriel during the story. Wasn't it supposed to be a story about her? She was framing it like a fairy tale. Perhaps that was the entire point. All that money, the fancy clothing and armor, the sometimes secretive way Miriel behaved... could Eko really be looking at a foreign noble like out of those kinds of stories? It was a little sobering if that was true. Stories of heroes, kings and queens used to be Eko's favorite. Her favorite among those was the story of Ansha Afaylaan, the last of her kind. Heroes from the stories had strong ideals, a willingness to help others even at a cost to themselves, and an unrelenting determination. They were just stories, but the values they conveyed were very real and used to be very important to Eko when she was younger. She found herself picturing Miriel dressed like a princess as she tore through the supporters of the cockfighting at the Bane Street fighting pit. But it was true. Or, that's what Miriel claimed to be true. Her real name was Imirielle Ailmere Soluce, the youngest princess of a far-off avariel nation. Eko's face didn't change, but she was certainly surprised by this revelation. She took the time in the pause to make a cautious-sounding comment. "Surely we both are aware that... telling fiction stories is a waste of your time and mine." It was clear from her tone that she wasn't disbelieving or dismissing, but was trying to verify how much of this story was fact before reacting in a noticeable way. |
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| Miriel | Sun Apr 14, 2013 7:57 pm Post #32 |
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Miriel sighed, and her tired frown became a tired smile. "Of course, I would hardly tell you about fictional events, this is a true story." She would certainly omit certain parts that she wasn't about to tell anyone about, even Eko, but she wasn't planning on lying other than by omission. "Now then, where was I, ah yes, the young princess. When she was not yet fully grown, there came a time when, for various reasons I would prefer to skip over, including a foiled assassination attempt, she became fed up with the politics and intrigue that plagued the court at the time, and ran away. The girl took the clothes on her back, a few pieces of jewelry and ornamental garb. ...And a sword once wielded by a great hero of the past, kept on display for all to... see." She chuckled a little bit, and slid Graceful Air out of its sheathe and onto the floor, still resting her chin on the back of the chair as the blade clattered on the ground, barely visible against the floor. "As a side note, she sometimes wondered just how long it would take them to notice that the blade was gone, if ever. But, regardless..." "As I mentioned before, the valley that they lived in was cut off from the world as a whole, there was only one reliable way in and out. ...I cave system similar to the dark lands, filled with monsters of all sorts, intelligent and bestial. though I am unsure as to whether they are connected or not, far away as it is from here. Regardless, in a rather bit of a rage, and acting brashly, she marched straight into the depths without care for the dangers." Miriel's expression looked about as unamused as possible. "...miraculously, she survived and made it out into the rest of the world, where the real story begins. ...After being taken by slavers, escaping while the slavers were attacked, two cave ins, and several creatures best left to the imagination. The stupid teenage girl emerged from the caverns into the daylight half starved, badly injured and with absolutely no idea as to how to function in the greater world. ....However, luck was once again on her side as she managed to come across a... Friend who gave them a dose of reality and knowledge." Frowning, Miriel looked off to the side. "I do believe I am going into far too much detail for merely the background of the relevant story though. ...Several years later, a relatively idealistic young woman with big plans started gaining power as she traveled between several lands, bettering the lives of the populace, abolishing the aristocracy..." She held up her hands, "she had good intentions, the best of intentions even. And for a time, she was the hero she wanted to be, she stood up for what was right, defended the innocent, worked for justice." Frowning deeply, and now looking completely exhausted, Miriel sighed. "Somewhere along the road things went, very wrong. For one, true change, at least change that lasted, seemed to be impossible, and in the end..." "She was. Betrayed, left dying and alone. ...When she survived, escaped.... Her allies and friends killed, and her ideals broken... Well, she had changed, snapped at the uselessness of it all. People died, families were destroyed, and hearts were broken all for mere amusement and blind vengeance as they took out all their hate on the world, even as they wore nothing more on their face than a small smile. The innocent being killed and imprisoned for crimes not of their making. ...There were. Mitigating factors that led to her behavior-" "Whatever makes you sleep better at night." "-however in the end every decision made was her own." "And even after she woke up, years later while working her newfound love of manipulation and deceit in another place. Realized what she had become, it was too late, after all, what could she do to ever work off the weight of her crimes. ...She started seeking some form of redemption, throwing herself at more and more dangerous thankless tasks with little reward, until she finally she just... gave up one day. She couldn't find martyrdom, she couldn't change the nature of people.... She would be practical, no emotional ties, no more helping people. She was done, if you wanted help, you would make her life a little easier and hand over some coin. In other words, like a coward, she ended up running from and ignoring her mistakes rather than facing them." "Making her way to Imythess, the wandering princess eventually befriended an old man who she kept running into, and a young girl with a dream that she ended up offering free aid to despite her previous resolutions." "Understand that I am telling you all of this in the broadest of terms, and details are. ...forgotten, skipped over or omitted as not important. Also, I would like to be clear that, despite my roots, I do not actually have massive stores of treasure, I merely have been a mercenary for a very long time, and have managed to save up a moderate amount. ...I could not, for example, afford to buy a suit of Mithril, despite you being the first one I have aided for free in quite some time." She bent down to pick up the blade once more, giving a sigh. "But gloomwood is possible, for a friend." returning to her usual impassive stare, there was just a hint of being tired more than anything that was visible for any who knew to look. "I must be going soft again, two people I actually consider a friend after how long?" "...You're just trying to annoy me aren't you. I had thought I was winning when you started the ice queen act, and then you go pull something like this little act of charity." The voice in her head paused, as if it had thought of something, and when she continued, it wasn't nearly as annoyed, more interested than anything. "Say, you aren't just helping her because a part of you wants to see her fail, are you? You manipulative little minx... Ahahahaha. Besides, if you REALLY trusted her, wouldn't you have told her about me?~" "Think what you wish, it shall not change my actions." She stiffened for a moment, eyes far away as demonic power seeped into her body. "Wha-" "You aren't ever going to beg me for it. You're too proud and I realize that. We're quite alike after all, even if you've decided to suppress your true desires. So I thought I would try something different, the power is right there at your fingertips, just waiting to be used, if you dare." "I... I need to go Eko. Please. I need to think, and, that armor you need, it could be hard to find, even here." Miriel reached over for her cloak, hollow eyed, any traces of being open and vulnerable vanishing. Turning towards the door, she tucked her exposed wings underneath it and felt around to be sure that it hid as many of her features as possible. If Eko didn't stop her, she wouldn't return until the following night, leather armor bundled up in her arms. |
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| Lady Eko | Sun Apr 14, 2013 10:58 pm Post #33 |
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No wonder Miriel -- Imirielle, rather -- was so adamant about Eko never betraying her ideals. The story was a tragic one, discussing in broad strokes the way that Miriel ended up how she was now. But there was something else to it. Something missing. Eko had enough experience reading people that she could sense that some 'details' were more important than Miriel would have liked to have conveyed. Most importantly, what exactly justified such a huge change from "hero" to "villain?" What motivated such a tremendous change in behavior? Cynicism alone wasn't enough. Stark reality wasn't a corrupting influence. But as Eko was thinking about how to respond, her avariel friend flipped from sad to flighty, speaking fast excuses. As Miriel stood up and turned to leave, Eko's hand came out and grabbed the hem of her cloak. She wasn't going to let a repeat of last night happen. Even if it made the elf uncomfortable, she'd just have to deal with hearing a response. After a moment of holding the cloak in place with her outstretched arm, Eko struggled to push herself up from her bed. The girl winced and made a snarling sound at one point, but managed to swing her legs around the side of the bed, holding herself in a strange posture. Still keeping the cloth wrapped around her fist, she even went as far as to push herself up until she was standing. Eko half-stepped, half-staggered into an awkward one-armed hug that took Miriel too tightly and for too briefly to feel natural. "Listen," Eko said, though it wasn't clear whether the tinge of harshness came from the pain in her back or her insistence on keeping Miriel around for just a bit longer. "You're not alone now. If you're keeping me in check, then so will I to you. I know that's a big promise from someone you might not know as well as your other friends. But I... can't stand it. Thinking about how you might have felt." The teenager looked angry. She eased herself back down to sit on her bed, propping her good arm on her knee. "Just please, whatever you're hiding, please try to let it go. Don't let things build up inside you. I don't care why you're hiding it, and you never have to tell me, just as long as you follow my advice. Okay? It's really important you listen to me." Ability Log
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| Miriel | Sun Apr 14, 2013 11:56 pm Post #34 |
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Miriel made but a token effort to pull away, and closed her eyes, stiffening as Eko hugged her, a slight squeal of discomfort. "Not alone.... Just, let it go... Pha. oh... If only..." Miriel nearly sobbed then and there, but managed to go with a quiet laugh just in time. It was incredibly ironic, she was never alone, and letting it go was next to impossible. Her laugh was almost desperate as she turned back to face Eko again, tears faintly visible in her eyes. She opened her mouth, almost about to tell the girl exactly why her advice was impossible before she closed it shut. "Oooo that's the first time you've been hugged for, oh, how many years now... Avoiding human and elven contact for oh so long... And these emotional reactions she's getting from you, there's hope yet!~ I was starting to think you were becoming some sort of emotionless automaton!" Miriel's expression froze as she winced, and considered the possible consequences of her old "friend" getting hopeful again. "...you are not going t-" "Yup! Ooooo I even have a couple of new ideas." "....." "Please, I will, think about what you have said, and I am. Grateful, for the.. Support, but truly, I need some. time, away, please" She sounded desperate as she backed away, sweating slightly, visibly choked up as she practically ran out the door. |
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| Lady Eko | Mon Apr 15, 2013 1:03 am Post #35 |
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Eko got an unpleasant sinking feeling in her stomach. She let go of Miriel's cloak all of a sudden, letting the avariel dart out of the room on the verge of tears. At first her reaction had just been knee-jerk and visceral, but now Eko was hit with an awful sense of guilt and genuine confusion. Looking down at the floor, she replayed the conversation in her head and couldn't come up with a specific trigger. She settled on feeling really bad for what she said, even if she didn't understand the situation completely. Letting out a long breath through her nose, Eko settled down onto her side again and tried to get some sleep. She wracked her brain with her eyes closed. Should she go try to apologize, or would that make things worse? Or was not apologizing better? What if Miriel was crying? Eko didn't want to think about that. Well, at least it was clear that neither of them were as stoic as they seemed. The next time Eko opened her eyes, it was pitch dark in her room. She wasn't sure how long she had slept on and off, but estimated it to be sometime between the middle of the 'night' and the morning of the next 'day.' The lantern on her writing desk, dim for months, had finally burned out sometime in that period. For some reason Eko had never felt the need to replace the light source; she could always see perfectly fine and even preferred the dimmer lantern over the brighter one. Someone was knocking on the door to her room. The girl grumbled. "Come in." It was Enric, the part-time bouncer for Mohdu's Inn and Tavern as well as Eko's head of security. The huge meek boy slunk into the room, slouching to make his tallnesss less evident. He gave his head a quick flick to get the shag of hair out of his eyes and squinted through the darkness. In his hands he delicately grasped a folded envelope. "How are you feeling...?" "Fine." Eko's eyes turned to the letter. "You have something for me?" Seeing this as permission to sit by her bed, Enric's body made the shoddy furniture creak under his weight. He opened up the letter and read it to Eko. "It's from Berach Okkeren." "His are always a joy." "It says," he squinted in the darkness. Poor guy wasn't always the strongest reader, so this was an extra challenge, "'Dear Black Rat. You are nothing if not ree- reliable. That is your strength but also your weakness. I invite you to check on your Tetrarch Street safehouse as soon as possible.'" "Why did you spend all this time reading the letter and not going to check on the safehouse?" Eko said, her face blank but her voice challenging. "We already checked on the safehouse," Enric said. Only then did Eko notice how somber he was acting this whole conversation. "I'm sorry--" "What happened? Spit it out." Eko's heart started to race. "Three people in the safehouse were dead on arrival, one near death. It was a trap-- Eko!" Enric hurried to a half-crouch as Eko burst from her sheets, trying to help her or keep her from reopening her wound or do something, he clearly wasn't sure. "Eko, calm down. We rescued the one near death, the Silver-Eater werewolf. He's okay." "How many died in the ambush? Injured?" she demanded. By then their conversation had gotten so heated that even Miriel would have been able to hear it from her room across the hall. "Three dead, four wounded, two critical," Enric nervously rattled off. "Eko, you shouldn't--" "Why didn't anyone wake me up?!" "What could you have done!?" he shouted back, motioning with his palm at her wounded state. "You lost a battle, Eko! They took the safehouse and pushed us back! It's already done. What will you do now?" This gave her pause. Enric was never forceful like that unless she pushed him, unless he had a good point. "His trap was for you," the boy added softly. "That's what the werewolf told me." By then Eko was sitting up on her bed, partially covered by bandages and chaotic sheets. She took a deep breath to calm herself and think. "Get everyone together. Make Mohdu help you. Bring them to one of the basement rooms, one with a bigger table. And," she paused, "get Miriel too. I'll be right down as soon as I clean myself up." |
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| Miriel | Mon Apr 15, 2013 1:28 am Post #36 |
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After leaving the room, the Avariel left the inn shortly thereafter, and even the district as she walked as far away as possible while still remaining within Balefire. Occasionally checking various shops for armor, she stewed, slowly forcing her mental state into something more resembling calm as she did her best to force away any thoughts of mere minutes ago. Minutes, turned to hours as she searched, becoming more and more withdrawn as time went on. Miriel would walk back into the inn late into the night, armor in hand a full twenty minutes after Eko had asked for her. Quickly being waved down into the cellar, she made her way to the meeting room, hiding behind a mask of absolute apathy as she endured an almost constant stream of distractions from within. "Armor. Here." She said, plopping the set down on the table in front of Eko before looking for a seat herself. "What occurred to necessitate this meeting." Edited by Miriel, Mon Apr 15, 2013 1:28 am.
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| Lady Eko | Mon Apr 15, 2013 2:03 am Post #37 |
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Eko got nervous as soon as Miriel entered the room. It was dark and empty in the basement except for a single table they had moved from the tavern area downstairs for occasions like this. Sitting at the rectangular-shaped table was Mohdu, Enric, and several other faces: a girl with silver hair and slitted cat's eyes, a huge black werewolf wearing a suit and smoking a cigar, and a diminutive elf matron. Eko sat at the head of the table, the smallest and least intimidating figure of them all. She stood up, pulling her chair back and slipping off her jacket. Underneath, a bandage was still wrapped around her torso, but she wore a shirt over it; her skinny brown arms were bare. She took Miriel's armor with a shaky thanks and went to work putting on the new boots and strapping on the leg armor. She avoided eye contact with Miriel. "Doctor Ochoa wasn't able to make it. Too busy treating the wounded," Mohdu added edgewise. "Then let's start." Eko synched the straps on her armor far too forcefully; she ended up pulling on her mostly-healed wound and wincing. "One of my safehouses was attacked by Okkeren's thugs. It was a trap mainly intended for me. We were overwhelmed by numbers. Six died. Almost a quarter of my payroll, dead in a single night. Half my force is effective." Enric raised his hand. "As the commander of the operation, I want to deeply apologize to Eko and everyone here for my failure." He bowed his head so deeply his eyes couldn't be seen. Eko slowly exhaled. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault. And you were the one who rescued our werewolf friend." The werewolf present, Eduardo Gouveia, nodded. "It was your fault my packmate got pulled into this, but your man was also the one who pulled him out. That's barely enough for us to keep our... alliance. For now." "Truly, I'm sorry for allowing this breach. Clearly our safehouses aren't as safe as I thought they were. Not while Okkeren still breathes." Mohdu stood up to help Eko slip on her leather breastpiece. She continued speaking regardless of the pain. "The situation has changed. We can't posture anymore, it's too dangerous. We have to find, trap, and kill Berach Okkeren as soon as possible." |
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| Miriel | Mon Apr 15, 2013 2:39 am Post #38 |
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Miriel listened impassively as the details of the situation were layed out. ...Well that was unfortunate, the loss of manpower combined with Eko's injury, and the need to immediately go after Okkeren himself... "Very well." She finally stated, impassive as ever. She looked at Eko, and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before continuing. "The plan of attack?" She gestured at the table. "Half of usual forces, a last ditch attack. Expected. Unwise to attack now. ...even more unwise to wait." |
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| Lady Eko | Sat Apr 20, 2013 3:51 pm Post #39 |
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"There's a time and place for taking risks, and this isn't one of them," Mohdu chimed in, oddly perceptive. "We can't afford a direct engagement," Eko agreed. "Miss Finwa, have your girls heard any news of Okkeren's activities?" The elven woman pondered this. "No one of Okkeren would visit now that the sign bears a symbol of allegiance. The girls in the field turned up very little, except for one. She spotted Okkeren moving in and out of the Foxhounds Blacksmith back door. A couple others from the alliance, too." Eko stood up to her full height, now bearing the full suit of Gloomwood leather armor. "Wait... Foxhounds? That's not a blacksmith, it's a goblin tinker." Finwa narrowed her eyes at the waif. "Regardless, my eyes saw all humans and no goblins moving in and out of that building. Take it or leave it." Processing this information, Eko uneasily resettled into her seat. Eduardo puffed away at his cigar, not very interested. After a pause, Eko made a suggestion. "A mousetrap." "What?" "A mousetrap," she said louder. "A cage is loaded with bait. When the mouse enters, the door of the cage closes. Then it's at the mercy of whoever set up the trap." "I'm more familiar with the kind that breaks the mouse's neck," Eko's friend Ketta, the werecat, joked. It didn't amuse Eko. "What exactly are you proposing here?" Enric asked. "Let's turn Foxhounds into the same. Bait, seal, kill." "But how do we seal off the building?" Ketta pondered out loud. She was their resident traps and explosives specialist, and already Eko could see the cogs turning in that girl's mind. |
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| Miriel | Sun Apr 21, 2013 2:42 am Post #40 |
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She was leaned back in her chair, mostly silent save for that single question as she tried to concentrate on the meeting. But something seemed to be rather distracting her as she stared off into the distance, her slight frown somehow just ever so slightly more pronounced than usual. Giving a sigh, the Avariel leaned forward again. "Just what are you planning on using as bait?" she interjected, raising an eyebrow at Eko as the plan was laid out. "A reasonable enough course of action, but it would need to be something fairly tempting to be effective." |
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| Lady Eko | Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:50 pm Post #41 |
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Sensing the implications of Miriel's question, Eko chose her words carefully. "I have a feeling you're ready to volunteer. You're the best fighter out of all of us and have the best protection. But I don't want to put any of my allies in danger anymore." She rapped her knuckles against the hard, flexible surface of her new armor. "I'll be the bait. Okkeren won't be able to resist." This caused widespread dissent among the people at the meeting. "That's utterly insane!" Enric admonished. "It's exactly what he wanted you to do at Tetrarch Street." "That was an ambush. I'll be ambushing him." "That doesn't mean he won't anticipate it--" "--For all we know, he's staying around Foxhounds as a way of tempting you to do just that." "Who knows what he has set up inside the building?" Everyone was speaking over each other, and it was giving Eko a headache. She pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes for a couple seconds. Cutting into the center of the conversation was the low chuckling of Eduardo Gouveia. Eko opened her eyes and saw the werewolf baring a toothy, amused grin. "You seem to have forgot about this tiny one." Almost comically well-timed, everyone in the meeting turned their eyes to Miriel. Enric looked slightly suspicious: a large contrast to his friendliness earlier. The deaths had really gotten to him. He asked, "You were the one who took care of the Bane Street fighting pit?" Eko nodded on her friend's behalf, but Enric didn't see it. An answer from Miriel would've been better anyway. "I would trust her as my bodyguard," Eko said after a small pause in the conversation. "Miriel, would you be willing? Afterwards, you'll be free to leave and do as you please." |
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| Miriel | Fri May 10, 2013 3:39 am Post #42 |
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Miriel closed her eyes as Eko did precisely what the Avariel had been suspecting. That is, volunteer herself as the bait. "Actually, I was afraid that you were going to volunteer yourself. ...As you just did." She glanced over at Enric. "....Yes. However I would prefer if that was kept as private if possible. I wish to avoid drawing as much attention to myself as that would entail, and considering the lack of witnesses we left, that which they could imagine about it, would no doubt be far worse." Her frown grew slightly deeper. "Though I suppose I would be asking for a miracle for that to stay remotely quiet at this point." "Slaughtering a few mindless thugs and denizens of the underworld at the bidding of a master? How the mighty. Have. Fallen.... Don't you just want to break free? Be yourself? Feel ALIVE again?" "In any case." She closed her eyes. "Very well, if you are certain that is what you wish to do. I will act as your bodyguard again. ...Under protest, I am in agreement with the others that it would place you in unnecessary amounts of danger." Glancing away with a sigh, the woman shrugged. "I somehow doubt that any of us could change your mind. And you are the one in charge here." |
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8:19 AM Jul 11

