Post by Lady Hammer on Apr 4, 2007 11:55:50 GMT -5
*sigh* Here we go...
Black Lotus -
II. The Opportunity Contract
Angrily, Aeslyn stormed out of the ARC building, her fist clenching over the large scroll Centa had given her. Ultimately, he was very proud of his feat; Aeslyn wasn’t someone you asked to run errands. Now in his business study, the tall man stood before his window, staring into the pouring rain falling on the city. The fear he had been trying so hard to swallow down was creeping back up.
“It seems a little too easy for it to work on something so grand scale, don’t you think?”
Centa held back a sigh once he heard Phio’s voice. All he could manage was silence. The rain could speak all of the words he could think to say. This city of theirs had seen so many terrible episodes in the past. Vaskio had faced armies of petty daemons, hoards of mutants and beasts, and vampire infestations. Who had always been there in those terrible moments to rescue the precious city? ARC. The Watchmen’s Association. Centa and Phio. The two men had a knack for heroism that had never yet come to disappoint, and they had always been there, from the moment they had first picked up their weapons. Then, there was the fact everyone seemed to think that because Centa and Phio were still in their gallant youth, they would be there for years and years to come, always making Vaskio a safe haven.
“It’ll give us time if we need something better,” Centa finally replied. “Your point was just as valid as mine. Figured we ought to cover both.” Phio’s reply was caught in his throat still, and his partner could tell. The tall man fixed his brown-eyed gaze on the window, watching as Aeslyn stopped outside to tie up her mass of soaking wet blonde hair, before making her way to the Town Square.
“I know you know it’s a big deal this year,” Centa said before Phio could find his words. “Your sense has always been better than mine.”
“It just feels so wrong giving it all this attention, though…”
Phio looked down to the hardwood floors, staring to his blur of a reflection in the polished oak planks. “It feels like it’ll still outsmart us. Like it expected us to prepare.”
“What is it!?”
Centa’s fists suddenly came slamming down on his study table, sending quills and pencils rolling and tumbling to the ground. His liquid fire gaze fixed on Phio for a moment, before the other man turned and left the room.
Giving out grunts that were anything but womanly, Aeslyn reached out for the only blank spot left on the Town Square’s bulletin board. Unfortunately, it was much higher than she cared to reach. The rain stung her eyes and soaked her through and through, but she stuck the three-inch-nail as snugly as she could into the thick board, and grabbed the city hammer strung to the edge, wincing as she fixed her aim.
“I know this is gonna hurt…”
And she swung, pounding the hand steadying the nail. Holding in her yelp, Aeslyn gave it another go, her hand still receiving most of the abuse. It was when the blonde stepped back, wiped the rain from her eyes, and sucked on her thumb to admire her handiwork that she was confronted. A delicate hand strummed a little beat on the woman’s shoulder to catch her attention, and a wide smile greeted Aeslyn as she turned around.
“Good morning, sister!”
Aeslyn could hardly even hear her over the rainfall, but the sight of kin angered her nonetheless.
“Be quiet. If someone hears us talking, I don’t want them to find out I’m related to you.” The dark-haired girl gave a chuckle.
“Oh, Aeslyn, there’s no one around here!” the younger woman said cheerfully, swinging around her unlit lantern pole. Stepping up her assertiveness, Aeslyn folded her arms and gave a mild scowl.
“Look, Kedo, what are you doing? Why do you have a shift at this hour in the morning, in the rain, and why isn’t your lantern lit? What kind of patrolling are you trying to get away with?” she asked.
“Hey! I’ll have you know that the Association teaches us that storm-time is prime-time! This is when they never expect to be caught!”
“And your lantern?”
“Heywood and Centa haven’t given me a storm lantern yet. This one doesn’t light in the rain, but I’m still required to carry it…”
“So I guess they’d better give you one soon. The storm season has started already,” Aeslyn said, now indifferent. Suddenly, her green eyes read over the contents of the ARC men’s contract, and Kedo’s incessant chattering was drowned out.
OCT 10-
WATCHMEN’S ASSOCIATION-
Contract Offer
Watchmen of the ARC Association, if you are interested in extra pay and taking up an adventurous task, please come by the ARC building this morning or afternoon for further information on the matter at hand.
A small party of 1-3 watchmen is needed to investigate a local area after recent suspicious activities. May be a possible lead into further investigations. Pay will be decent, better for good results. Most items needed will be provided.
- Centa Jinzaburou
- Phiothilus Heywood
ARC
The woman’s temper flared almost instantaneously.
“Oh! So I see what this is!” she shouted, turning around briskly and walking away. “I’m just some dog to run around advertising for them!”
“Wait, Aeslyn!”
Kedo sped off behind her incensed sister, the dangling lantern of her watch pole coming dangerously close to smacking her in the side of the head. “Aeslyn, wait a minute!” Eventually, the blonde came to a stop, her boots skidding in the watery, grainy mud.
The sisters’ bond was typical, but atypical in unusual ways. The most notable detail in the relationship between them was Aeslyn’s hatred for it. She came to enjoy the fact that the two of them looked almost nothing alike, except for their similar taste in styles. The first to set them apart was their hair. Kedo’s hair, while rain streaked and soaking wet, was scruffy and jet black. That had always been a big sisterly issue - Aeslyn’s always soft, shiny, well-cared for locks were Kedo’s icon of jealousy. Their eyes always set them apart as well. A sister with violet eyes and a sister with green eyes often weren’t related, so no one ever assumed it was so. This was much to Aeslyn’s satisfaction. Battle wounds were also something the younger, quirkier sister had always wanted, but never got. On the other side, there was Aeslyn, with a malady of scars on her always-scowling face. And yet, the two would always save each other in the end.
“What?” came the older sister’s heated voice, as she folded her arms hotly. The relentless rain poured buckets over the two lone souls in Town Square.
“Aeslyn… what’s wrong? Today’s just another day. Don’t let the rain, of all things, get you down.”
“Don’t let the rain get me down?!” Aeslyn replied, narrowing her celadon eyes. “Don’t you tell me not to get bummed out by the rain! Do you know how I make a living, Kedo?!”
The poor sister had forgotten. Remembering and regretting, she winced at Aeslyn’s yelling, nodding meekly in compliance.
“Yes…”
“How do I make money, Kedo?!”
“You… you have to… ‘convince’ people to give it to you…”
“I’m a beggar! I’m a street entertainer! I breathe fire for a living, Kedo! See how today presents me with two problems!? There are practically no people out today, and it’s raining! Do you know how hard it is to blow fire in the pouring rain!?”
Aeslyn scolded the watchwoman well for a few moments longer. Then, something else bubbled in her mind.
“… Are you going to take up the contract offer?” she suddenly asked. Raising a confused eyebrow, Kedo tentatively shook her head.
“… No. Why?”
“Do I look obligated to dictate my every thought to you?!” Aeslyn snapped. “Why aren’t you going to take this opportunity?”
“Pff, no one’s going to work with me. It’s like asking you to walk your neighbor’s dog. There’s no way it’s going to happen!”
“I’ll pay you.”
Kedo froze. It wasn’t very often her sister cared enough to snoop, and especially not for anything so trivial.
“Excuse me?”
“I said I’ll pay you,” Aeslyn replied. “Go find me all the information you can on this and anything else involving ARC, and I’ll pay you. Good.”
“I thought you said you couldn’t make money today…”
“Do you want the money or not?” Aeslyn asked with a sigh. Hesitantly, Kedo nodded. “Alright. I’ll meet up with you later.”
The young sister watched the blonde dash back to the ARC building, splashing mud everywhere and ruining the bottom of Centa’s oversized cloak as she went. With a sigh, Kedo realized not only was the situation very awkward, but that she was ensnared in yet another of her sister’s messes.
Black Lotus -
II. The Opportunity Contract
Angrily, Aeslyn stormed out of the ARC building, her fist clenching over the large scroll Centa had given her. Ultimately, he was very proud of his feat; Aeslyn wasn’t someone you asked to run errands. Now in his business study, the tall man stood before his window, staring into the pouring rain falling on the city. The fear he had been trying so hard to swallow down was creeping back up.
“It seems a little too easy for it to work on something so grand scale, don’t you think?”
Centa held back a sigh once he heard Phio’s voice. All he could manage was silence. The rain could speak all of the words he could think to say. This city of theirs had seen so many terrible episodes in the past. Vaskio had faced armies of petty daemons, hoards of mutants and beasts, and vampire infestations. Who had always been there in those terrible moments to rescue the precious city? ARC. The Watchmen’s Association. Centa and Phio. The two men had a knack for heroism that had never yet come to disappoint, and they had always been there, from the moment they had first picked up their weapons. Then, there was the fact everyone seemed to think that because Centa and Phio were still in their gallant youth, they would be there for years and years to come, always making Vaskio a safe haven.
“It’ll give us time if we need something better,” Centa finally replied. “Your point was just as valid as mine. Figured we ought to cover both.” Phio’s reply was caught in his throat still, and his partner could tell. The tall man fixed his brown-eyed gaze on the window, watching as Aeslyn stopped outside to tie up her mass of soaking wet blonde hair, before making her way to the Town Square.
“I know you know it’s a big deal this year,” Centa said before Phio could find his words. “Your sense has always been better than mine.”
“It just feels so wrong giving it all this attention, though…”
Phio looked down to the hardwood floors, staring to his blur of a reflection in the polished oak planks. “It feels like it’ll still outsmart us. Like it expected us to prepare.”
“What is it!?”
Centa’s fists suddenly came slamming down on his study table, sending quills and pencils rolling and tumbling to the ground. His liquid fire gaze fixed on Phio for a moment, before the other man turned and left the room.
Giving out grunts that were anything but womanly, Aeslyn reached out for the only blank spot left on the Town Square’s bulletin board. Unfortunately, it was much higher than she cared to reach. The rain stung her eyes and soaked her through and through, but she stuck the three-inch-nail as snugly as she could into the thick board, and grabbed the city hammer strung to the edge, wincing as she fixed her aim.
“I know this is gonna hurt…”
And she swung, pounding the hand steadying the nail. Holding in her yelp, Aeslyn gave it another go, her hand still receiving most of the abuse. It was when the blonde stepped back, wiped the rain from her eyes, and sucked on her thumb to admire her handiwork that she was confronted. A delicate hand strummed a little beat on the woman’s shoulder to catch her attention, and a wide smile greeted Aeslyn as she turned around.
“Good morning, sister!”
Aeslyn could hardly even hear her over the rainfall, but the sight of kin angered her nonetheless.
“Be quiet. If someone hears us talking, I don’t want them to find out I’m related to you.” The dark-haired girl gave a chuckle.
“Oh, Aeslyn, there’s no one around here!” the younger woman said cheerfully, swinging around her unlit lantern pole. Stepping up her assertiveness, Aeslyn folded her arms and gave a mild scowl.
“Look, Kedo, what are you doing? Why do you have a shift at this hour in the morning, in the rain, and why isn’t your lantern lit? What kind of patrolling are you trying to get away with?” she asked.
“Hey! I’ll have you know that the Association teaches us that storm-time is prime-time! This is when they never expect to be caught!”
“And your lantern?”
“Heywood and Centa haven’t given me a storm lantern yet. This one doesn’t light in the rain, but I’m still required to carry it…”
“So I guess they’d better give you one soon. The storm season has started already,” Aeslyn said, now indifferent. Suddenly, her green eyes read over the contents of the ARC men’s contract, and Kedo’s incessant chattering was drowned out.
OCT 10-
WATCHMEN’S ASSOCIATION-
Contract Offer
Watchmen of the ARC Association, if you are interested in extra pay and taking up an adventurous task, please come by the ARC building this morning or afternoon for further information on the matter at hand.
A small party of 1-3 watchmen is needed to investigate a local area after recent suspicious activities. May be a possible lead into further investigations. Pay will be decent, better for good results. Most items needed will be provided.
- Centa Jinzaburou
- Phiothilus Heywood
ARC
The woman’s temper flared almost instantaneously.
“Oh! So I see what this is!” she shouted, turning around briskly and walking away. “I’m just some dog to run around advertising for them!”
“Wait, Aeslyn!”
Kedo sped off behind her incensed sister, the dangling lantern of her watch pole coming dangerously close to smacking her in the side of the head. “Aeslyn, wait a minute!” Eventually, the blonde came to a stop, her boots skidding in the watery, grainy mud.
The sisters’ bond was typical, but atypical in unusual ways. The most notable detail in the relationship between them was Aeslyn’s hatred for it. She came to enjoy the fact that the two of them looked almost nothing alike, except for their similar taste in styles. The first to set them apart was their hair. Kedo’s hair, while rain streaked and soaking wet, was scruffy and jet black. That had always been a big sisterly issue - Aeslyn’s always soft, shiny, well-cared for locks were Kedo’s icon of jealousy. Their eyes always set them apart as well. A sister with violet eyes and a sister with green eyes often weren’t related, so no one ever assumed it was so. This was much to Aeslyn’s satisfaction. Battle wounds were also something the younger, quirkier sister had always wanted, but never got. On the other side, there was Aeslyn, with a malady of scars on her always-scowling face. And yet, the two would always save each other in the end.
“What?” came the older sister’s heated voice, as she folded her arms hotly. The relentless rain poured buckets over the two lone souls in Town Square.
“Aeslyn… what’s wrong? Today’s just another day. Don’t let the rain, of all things, get you down.”
“Don’t let the rain get me down?!” Aeslyn replied, narrowing her celadon eyes. “Don’t you tell me not to get bummed out by the rain! Do you know how I make a living, Kedo?!”
The poor sister had forgotten. Remembering and regretting, she winced at Aeslyn’s yelling, nodding meekly in compliance.
“Yes…”
“How do I make money, Kedo?!”
“You… you have to… ‘convince’ people to give it to you…”
“I’m a beggar! I’m a street entertainer! I breathe fire for a living, Kedo! See how today presents me with two problems!? There are practically no people out today, and it’s raining! Do you know how hard it is to blow fire in the pouring rain!?”
Aeslyn scolded the watchwoman well for a few moments longer. Then, something else bubbled in her mind.
“… Are you going to take up the contract offer?” she suddenly asked. Raising a confused eyebrow, Kedo tentatively shook her head.
“… No. Why?”
“Do I look obligated to dictate my every thought to you?!” Aeslyn snapped. “Why aren’t you going to take this opportunity?”
“Pff, no one’s going to work with me. It’s like asking you to walk your neighbor’s dog. There’s no way it’s going to happen!”
“I’ll pay you.”
Kedo froze. It wasn’t very often her sister cared enough to snoop, and especially not for anything so trivial.
“Excuse me?”
“I said I’ll pay you,” Aeslyn replied. “Go find me all the information you can on this and anything else involving ARC, and I’ll pay you. Good.”
“I thought you said you couldn’t make money today…”
“Do you want the money or not?” Aeslyn asked with a sigh. Hesitantly, Kedo nodded. “Alright. I’ll meet up with you later.”
The young sister watched the blonde dash back to the ARC building, splashing mud everywhere and ruining the bottom of Centa’s oversized cloak as she went. With a sigh, Kedo realized not only was the situation very awkward, but that she was ensnared in yet another of her sister’s messes.