Loren had been trying to coax the luxere closer to the Temple. They were necessary to the protection of everyone during the heart of LongNight, and since the beginning of the season, he'd been doing what he could. Unfortunately, he personally had caused a setback, and had redoubled his efforts to bring them back to the Temple. However, it seemed that few others were willing to join him. So he stood there, voice raised, bag of hay and apples on his back, food trough next to him, Astra by his side. It was only his companion's presence that made this bearable; without her, the Launceleyn figured he'd have given up long ago. However, every time she gazed up at him with adoring eyes, or rubbed against his side affectionately, he found the strength to keep going. Eventually, a few other luxere gathered around him curiously. After having driven them away with his dragon, he was glad to see they'd be willing to return to the area. Eventually, though, he needed a break, and he took a sip from the water skin to soothe his parched throat. It early in the day, and the heart of Deepfrost, but even so people were bustling around. However, most folks gave Loren a wide berth. And it wasn't because of his singing, which was fine. It was because he looked like a phantasm rather than a man. He couldn’t blame them—though the sight of people scurrying out of his path was quite annoying—given how he looked. He was dressed all in black, and it clung to his gaunt frame like a second skin. His hood was up, so all that was visible of him was the too pale skin of his face, the pink of his lips, and the icy blue of his eyes. LOREN Not quite an open book |
impossible reasons
For Amalia |
||||||
the Firebrand
Headmaster / Grand Healer ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5' 11' | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 11 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 33 - Endr: 35 - Luck: 39 - Int: ASTRA - Mythical - Luxere
Played by: Crooked
Change author: Posts: 5,165 | Total: 9,913 MP: 3415 the Archangel
Baker ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int: JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark
Change author: Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,595 MP: 2580
10-07-2019, 02:27 AM
meet me where the falling stars live I will wait for you day and night Amalia, too, is trying to coax the luxere into populating the area, though perhaps with a little more success than what Loren has managed to muster. It does not hurt that she has years of experience in befriending the antlered creatures; indeed, there are some she recognizes year by year, affectionately given names based on identifiable features, like Patches, the doe with a particularly dappled back; Quicksilver, a buck with distinctive coloration; and Luna, another doe with a distinctive mark not unlike a crescent moon.Not among them is the crimson-horned stag from whom Amalia gained her staff- the very staff which now leans upon the wall she sits beside, settled on a bench under the eaves from whence she can observe the comings and gongs. Unobtrusive yet centralized: the perfect place to assemble a small herd of luxere, three or four milling about while a small fawn nibbles from her hand. Jyoti has a lot to do with it, or so Amalia thinks. There is nobody and nothing that does not love the creature, and the Shield is grateful for her outgoing companion, the easy way the starwhale interacts with the world. She does not spot the man at first, too caught up in her own little group of luxere. Her voice is a low also hum as she sings snippets of a folk song about Ludo and Frey. It is only when he turns and she catches a glimpse of the man's gaunt face that Amalia recognizes Loren among his own small herd, the summoner looking somehow worse than the last time she saw him. Uncertain of whether to greet him or flee, the baker settles for a halfhearted smile, unconsciously rubbing the bare spot on her wrist as Jyoti croons a greeting to the man, swimming over unabashed despite her soulmate's troubled thoughts. Amalia the Firebrand
Headmaster / Grand Healer ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5' 11' | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 11 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 33 - Endr: 35 - Luck: 39 - Int: ASTRA - Mythical - Luxere
Played by: Crooked
Change author: Posts: 5,165 | Total: 9,913 MP: 3415
10-07-2019, 01:22 PM
the Archangel
Baker ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int: JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark
Change author: Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,595 MP: 2580
10-07-2019, 02:13 PM
meet me where the falling stars live I will wait for you day and night The Loren who greets her with an overt scowl is a far cry from the one she left on the floor of the Temple, and Amalia cannot help but narrow her eyes in turn, her half smile fading as her brows come together in a frown. Never one for the nuances of coiled intrigue and subtle barbs, she is utterly bewildered by his overt dislike, the way he makes a point of pampering Jyoti before turning his back to the bewildered baker.Is he... Angry? At her? For leaving him like that? It's the only thing she can swiftly think of, and Amalia's grasp on her wrist tightens as anxiety flares up in her veins. Guilt and frustration rise in her throat as Loren's song ring out through the square, a solid baritone espousing the virtues of Northaven in a truly bizarre turn. It is more than enough to drown out the girl's own soft alto; Amalia finds herself growing silent as she listens head tilted and expression confused. At last it becomes too much for Amalia, who is utterly incapable of letting things lie. Biting her cheek, the girl waits for a lull in the singing before interjecting a quiet comment. "Loren,"- and then she falters, because what else is she to say? Are you angry? Are you okay? Steal anyone else's scars recently? In the end she settles on something safer, or so the girl hopes: "What was that song?" Amalia the Firebrand
Headmaster / Grand Healer ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5' 11' | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 11 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 33 - Endr: 35 - Luck: 39 - Int: ASTRA - Mythical - Luxere
Played by: Crooked
Change author: Posts: 5,165 | Total: 9,913 MP: 3415
10-08-2019, 03:30 AM
the Archangel
Baker ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int: JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark
Change author: Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,595 MP: 2580
10-08-2019, 03:52 AM
meet me where the falling stars live I will wait for you day and night He is positively frigid as he says her name, and Amalia resists the urge to shiver at his utter lack of warmth or inflection. The baker's gaze narrows a little as she meets Loren's icy glare, guarded and confused by the strangely aloof manner in which he replies to her simple question. He must be angry, then, irate with her reaction to his healing. A reaction he had treated as reasonable at the time- and perhaps this is the most befuddling aspect of it all.The song is an anthem from Northaven, which means she was correct about the snippets she caught. What she does not expect is his terse follow-up, almost an accusation as it flings from his lips. Why do you care? Shrugging slightly at his question, Amalia bites her lip uneasily before answering, not understanding the wording, the things behind his sharp and unforgiving tone. Why does she care? Why is she bothering? What does she possibly hope to achieve? In the end, she settles on an answer that is simple yet honest. "I like to learn about the places people come from," the Shield replies softly, glancing at Astra as the luxere bleats anxiously and Jyoti swims over toward her young friend's side. Again Amalia bites her lip, clearly uncertain and a little at a loss. She really ought to let this go, but she is a stubborn sort, and anxious, and letting go is as far from her repertoire as anything has ever been. Turning her onyx eyes back to Loren, the baker tilts her head. "Are you angry?" With me stays caught behind her teeth, but the implication is in her angular face, the way she gazes up at the slender man. Amalia the Firebrand
Headmaster / Grand Healer ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5' 11' | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 11 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 33 - Endr: 35 - Luck: 39 - Int: ASTRA - Mythical - Luxere
Played by: Crooked
Change author: Posts: 5,165 | Total: 9,913 MP: 3415
10-08-2019, 01:13 PM
the Archangel
Baker ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int: JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark
Change author: Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,595 MP: 2580
10-08-2019, 02:51 PM
meet me where the falling stars live I will wait for you day and night It's official, Amalia thinks as she listens, bewildered, to Loren's tirade. All the Launcelyns are insane. She tried not to wince as he dug fingers into wounds there's no way he can know about, asking if she wants to escape. Of course she does: she was born in a cage, trapped behind invisible walls, unable to see the world without. Amalia has always yearned for other places, other experiences. She has never been content.But the rant, the venom, the things he spews? This Amalia does not flinch from, though her unhappiness is obvious as leopard fur sprouts on her neck and claws grow off her fingers, digging anxious furrows into her wrist. Of all the things the baker takes unnecessary responsibility for, threatening his life is just little too far. Maybe if he'd led with a more reasonable accusation she would feel the guilt he seems to crave. ...maybe she still feels a little. With a start, though, the Shield releases her wrist, unaware until he brought it up that she'd been rubbing it raw. Clicking her teeth together Amalia clenches her fists, talons cutting into the skin, leaving little bites of blood. She has no answer to his rant, no witty retort or verbal barbs to throw back in his face. But there is fire in her eyes as she meets his icy stare, the tension of a wild animal ready to spring, of a wounded thing backed into a corner. "Are you going to hurt me, Loren?" she asks almost mildly, though her alto voice comes out unsteady, a clear indicator of her underlying fear. Amalia the Firebrand
Headmaster / Grand Healer ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5' 11' | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 11 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 33 - Endr: 35 - Luck: 39 - Int: ASTRA - Mythical - Luxere
Played by: Crooked
Change author: Posts: 5,165 | Total: 9,913 MP: 3415
10-08-2019, 05:08 PM
the Archangel
Baker ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int: JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark
Change author: Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,595 MP: 2580
10-08-2019, 08:22 PM
meet me where the falling stars live I will wait for you day and night Physically, no. It isn't particularly reassuring, especially the way Loren says it, his voice sharp shards of ice glittering in the cold. He circles her in a strangely predatory fashion, and Amalia watches from her place on the bench, keen eyes following with catlike precision, more fur rising on her arms. In truth she has no idea what is going on, only that he is acting like a man possessed, driven by something other than himself. The Loren she knows is pompous, yes, with martyr and savior complexes both in spades. He stretches himself thin and attempts to fix the world without actually making any steps to fix himself. Has he finally broke, then, snapped beneath the weight of too many burdens, too many failures, too much loss?Is this the road she will go down, too? He talks about his parents, his upbringing, about sticks and stones. He says that he was weak and obedient- "Were you?" she Shield interjects softly, still watching, her dark eyes sharp. She cannot help but think that his parents don't particularly sound like the kind of people who one would want to impress, but it is only one of a thousand anxious concerns that rushes through her head. "Are you?" She was not raised the way he was, with shows of force and flashing fangs. This is a strange dance, and she does not know the steps, does not know how to be anything but blunt. "What happened to you?" she wonders, tilting her head and making an effort not to return to rubbing her wrist. Maybe if they were friends she would be kinder, but there is something about the former Duke that leaves her edges sharp. "You don't seem strong right now. You seem like a dick." Amalia the Firebrand
Headmaster / Grand Healer ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5' 11' | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 11 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 33 - Endr: 35 - Luck: 39 - Int: ASTRA - Mythical - Luxere
Played by: Crooked
Change author: Posts: 5,165 | Total: 9,913 MP: 3415
10-08-2019, 08:53 PM
the Archangel
Baker ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int: JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark
Change author: Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,595 MP: 2580
10-08-2019, 10:18 PM
meet me where the falling stars live I will wait for you day and night Loren is correct that the Shield will pass on a rematch of physical prowess, not particularly wanting to unleash the anger that has begun to build beneath her skin. Gripping the bench tightly she continues to watch the summoner pace, dark eyes never leaving him, as though afraid he'll strike her if she lets him from her sight.The answer she expects and the one she gets are vastly different, and Amalia blinks at the sudden outpouring of problems, unable to keep the feelings of sympathy that rise up for the man. But at least one of the comments gives her real pause, causing her to do a double take. "Remi asked you to kiss him?" the girl repeats, disbelief in her alto voice, a frown between her brows as she shakes her head. "I'm sorry. That's a lot." Sympathy, not pity, purses her lips, her hands relaxing a fraction. Oh, bit then he faces her head on and she tenses again, not particularly excited for whatever he has to throw her way next. Again she does not expect the observation, and a snort of mirthless, uncomfortable laughter leaves her at the observation. Truth be told, Amalia doesn't know if she likes the summoner or not. "I don't like you much right now," she replies almost wryly, a little at a loss for what he wants her to say. "I don't know you very well. But you always seem to want to try to be good, to do the right thing, and I... I respect that." it's about as complimentary as she currently feels like being. She doesn't ask if he likes her. The answer feels fairly obvious, at this point. Amalia the Firebrand
Headmaster / Grand Healer ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5' 11' | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 11 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 33 - Endr: 35 - Luck: 39 - Int: ASTRA - Mythical - Luxere
Played by: Crooked
Change author: Posts: 5,165 | Total: 9,913 MP: 3415
10-09-2019, 01:23 AM
the Archangel
Baker ✓
Age: 30 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int: JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark
Change author: Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,595 MP: 2580
10-09-2019, 07:00 PM
meet me where the falling stars live I will wait for you day and night She doesn't feel like she tried to lecture him on anything, but it is an accusation leveled against her frequently, and Amalia bristles a little bit, retreating further within himself. But as he explains the event with Remi, the baker cannot help as her bewilderment grows, furrowing her eyebrows as the story unwraps. Honestly, Amalia is the last person to advise on or understand relationships- she has only had the one. But what Loren is describing doesn't sound particularly healthy.Nor does it sound like moving on, but what does Amalia know. Here's the thing about trying her best: Amalia cannot not believe in it, because at the end of the day trying is all she has. She thinks of Safrin, thinks of Ronin, thinks of failures in the Spire and watching the Prince recoil from her gaze. "You're right," the baker replies softly, anger in the tightness of her voice. "But I think I succeed sometimes. And you do, too." Helping with the Prince. Coming back from a nervous breakdown. Working so hard to prepare them for LongNight, to make amends for his cousin's sins- it has to count for something, she thinks, even if it doesn't feel that way now. But it isn't for her to placate him, to make him feel better. Maybe if they were friends, but Loren has made it abundantly clear that they are not. Indeed, he accuses her outright of hatred, which makes rise up to her feet and clutch her fists in indignant frustration, mouth drawn in a hard, straight line. "I never hated you," Amalia snaps through clenched teeth. "Are you really so full of yourself that you think I'd spend my time and energy hating you?" It is a remix of what Ronin had said to her, except her cruelty has no excuse. She is not blighted, is not sick. She is simply furious, and tired, and hurt. Amalia | ||||||
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