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Post by morrisb on Aug 22, 2011 10:47:36 GMT -5
"If you wish to run blindly to your death just because you got your furry ass spanked by me on a single occasion and wish to prove you can do better when acting like an animal, it's your decision and I won't get in the way." - Gavron said with a sarcastic tone. - "But I for one will go prepared."
"But what will happen to the village now ?!" - the lord freaked out. - "Without the protective barrier, we're doomed ! DOOMED-"
"Shut up and listen." - Gavron commanded. - "I've seen some barrier-projecting relics in my life alright. If you saw one you've seen 'em all. Most of you are probably unaware of the fact that if such a relic is moved from its location, the barrier does not cease at once. It weakens over the course of several days, so we got time 'till then to find the culprit and get back that bloody statue." - Gavron enlightened his audience. - "Now, the sole question is whether we won't give a s* about each other and work seperately, or temporarily forge an agreement and start b*ing around again AFTER the statue is recovered." - at this point, he gave Shadowsoul an oblique glance.
Gavron had no doubts that he'll be able to count on the lord's help to some degree, as the village's future could depend on this. But Shadowsoul was obviously a more troublesome case. Her abilities would be a great help, but if she does not cooperate for the sake of the village, it's a sad loss.
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Post by kitsune on Aug 22, 2011 10:55:49 GMT -5
Shadowsoul glared at him and snapped, "Stop swearing like a sailor; it makes you sounds stupider then you look, trying to be 'cool' or whatever. Just shut up and listen for once." with an exasperated sigh, she turned to the lord, still pissed off. "Listen; I will help find the artifact, and if it means working with that jerk over there to accomplish it, then I will do so." She rolled her eyes and looked back at Gavron.
"After that, you will be required to leave, no buts about it. Honestly, I think we all will be glad to be rid of you. But now it seems we have to work together, and whatever; I will. And by te way, insulting me makes you look even more desperate to be better then you are. Stop trying to make yourself a god over others and shut your mouth." She turned back to the lord, finished with Gavron.
"Now; what we need is to think about what to so. Obviously, I am not gonna run their blindly like some freak. Most animals have more respect then that man will ever have, so being like an animal is a compliment; sucks for you." she said, glancing back to Gavron and referring to him.
She looked back to the lord. "We will not get it back by bringing the whole village; they will simply flee. We need to gather what helps us the most and enhances our strength in battle, then work with what we have and strike. Any questions from you, Lord?" she asked, specifically leaving Gavron out.
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Post by morrisb on Aug 22, 2011 11:25:41 GMT -5
Gavron was satisfied with Shadosoul's reply. She places those he adores over her pride, unlike most pure-blooded demons. Good. As for her choice of words, he simply let her insults past his ear. He was used to them. He almost smiled at them.
"It's so lovely as she makes judgements about people she doesn't know without proper life experience to back up her claims yet at the same time she is as shallow as a river ford." - he thought. - "Reminds me of my younger days."
Suddenly he got disgusted by the idea and shrugged it off.
In the meantime the village lord thought things over before responding to Shadowsoul:
"Questions, no. By tomorrow night the captain here will assemble a group. But as far as equipment goes, we'll have issues..."
"True." - the guard captain took over the conversation. - "If this is the work of a powerful demon, which it probably is, then we're quite short-handed as far as our weaponry goes. The lord here has a ring which protects against heat and cold, but it was designed against weather conditions than actual battle. And then here's my two-handed katana, forged from a rare ore. On occasion I slew lesser fiends with it in the woods. Other than that, our armors and weapons are plain. If we encountered, say, an Oni, we would stand little chance, even with you on our side, fair vixen."
"I have one more treasure to spare." - the lord added. - "It's a flag bearing my family's heraldry, made from the fur of the two evil black kitsunes who attacked the village many decades ago. Those who fight beneath it feel less pain and fight with great vigor. Or more precisely, anger. Too much exposure to it can drive ordinary people crazy with bloodlust."
Gavron listened and (in his mind) listed the items carefully, but pretended he didn't care. He stood by the stairway, petting Tila (who clung to his neck this time) with one hand while playing with a Holy Ward in the other, flicking it and catching it.
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Post by kitsune on Aug 22, 2011 11:43:49 GMT -5
Shadowsoul thought about the fox-skinned ring. Even if it was made of the foxes who had killed her parents, she could not help being disturbed. It was like if her parents had been attacked by evil humans and survived, and ended up making clothes out of their skin. She shivered at the thought, and looked down, depressed.
She suddenly felt like if the humans wanted to, they could kill her and use her fur ofr their use, and think nothing of it. She knew she was being irrational by thinking this, but her emotions reflected on her face; sadness, betrayal, and worry. Like a pig ready for slaughter; thats how she felt. Any human could do it simply for her fur; they did for regular animals too. Which of course she was highly against. Seeing people wearing fur that was not theirs made her very sad and angry.
She sighed and looked away from them, actually feeling like prey now. Helpless, alone. She knew that if she had died, the village would have moved on and forgotten about her. She felt... useless. She would help nonetheless, even if she only wanted to go home and cry.
She then said, "Yeah. I guess we can use those items; if we had more, it would help. Any possible way to get more?" she said in a hollow voice, trying not to show her utter sadness. It wasn't working out as much, though; she was clearly upset...
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Post by morrisb on Aug 22, 2011 11:59:47 GMT -5
(OOC: I wrote about a fox-fur banner/flag; just to remind you, the magic ring and the fur-banner are seperate items, don't mix them up ) Despite Shadowsoul's best attempts to conceal her depressed, vulnerable mood, Gavron noticed at least some of the sadness within her after the lord mentioned the demon-fur banner. It distincly reminded him of a mission back when he was a novice and discovered a sinister cult... Flayed human skins as carptets, statues made of innards and rotten flesh...He still shivered at the mere idea of it. He banished the memory from his mind and focused back to the situation at hand. He stopped playing with his holy ward. "I may be able to help." - he said in an unaffectionate tone, not wanting to worsen the already unsettling mood in the room. - "Just give me proper materials to work with and we may just have enough weaponry to equip a group of 6-7 soldiers. And our beloved 'guardian' as well - if she desires."
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Post by kitsune on Aug 22, 2011 12:14:58 GMT -5
occ: ohh I see; sorry bout the mix up XD I know now
"Don't call me 'beloved'. I certainly an expendable, so it does not matter. And the note said the lord, hunter, and prey. The three of us; if we bring more, more might be lost, as well as how we may scare whatever it was away. Which is what I said before." She shook her head, fristrated that pbviously she was not listened to at all.
She turned around, planning something, anything, to get that article back. They would need the element of surprise, perhaps they should attack durin the night. HEr mist would be effective in hiding. Then, strike out will illusions firsthand and allow the lord and Gavron to make physical attacks, while she hung out from behind.
She looked up and was ready to share her plan. "Perhaps a surprise attack during night, with my mist. I can distract will illusions and Lord and the demon hunter can attack while the enemy is distracted." she finished, fliking an ear. She away and waited for a response.
She hoped her plan would be recognized; she hated to be ignored. It angered her, and made her feel not wanted. She already felt like nothing anyways; that would just make things worse. She wished she could go off and live alone, away from everyone. But then she would disable responisbilities and put the village in danger. No; that was not an option.
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Post by morrisb on Aug 22, 2011 12:32:33 GMT -5
Gavron immediately knew the worth of Shadowsoul's plan (which wasn't much in his eyes), but tried to pretend he was thinking it over.
"If we were the challengers and the guard captain was our companion instead of the respected, albeit aging leader of the village, it would might work. But look at the choice of words in the letter: tomorrow night at that misty forest we first met, or rather, noticed each other." - Gavron reminded Shadowsoul. - "We're clearly walking into a trap. If our advesary was able to get in here and steal the artifact without anyone noticing 'till now, God only knows what else he or she is capable of. If we walked in like that, it would be a potential suicide mission."
"And me and my comrades-at-arms can't just stand idly and entrust our lord's safety to the two of you alone." - the guard captain noted. - "We'll come along whether you like it or not." - he concluded.
"So we'll have to prepare a whole group unless-" - Gavron stopped for a second - "Unless... hmm... I got an idea."
"What is it ?" - the lord inquired.
"Foxy." - Gavron turned to Shadowsoul - "You just gave me an idea. Can you use your trickster-magic to make the guard captain appear like the village lord ?"
But of course ! Illusions !
"And then I could properly arm both of you, we'd stand a good chance, and the village lord here stays out of trouble." - Gavron smiled at his own strategy.
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Post by kitsune on Aug 22, 2011 12:46:10 GMT -5
Shadowsoul rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Sure; I can. And don't call me Foxy; it is annoying." she said nothing after that, just simply waited for a move on. Sighing, she turned her back to him again, lashing her tail. She again felt useless, only being used. She would never voice this, of course, except for that last coment she made earlier.
The fox demon waited to be able to do something.she hated sitting here, waiting for the barriar to dissolve. She wanted to be out there and fighting for her village. She sighed, saying, "What should we do now, then?" She looked at the wall then to the guars, still sad.
They would not be going home to their families; who would bring the news? She bit her lip, hoping she would not have to. She glanced away, horrified at the creulty of some demons. She was glad she was not like that... her parents had been noble. She wondered if they had helped the villsge too, and if that was the reason they were attacked. She gave a sad sigh, thinking of them. She felt so lonley... it sometimes was too much...
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Post by morrisb on Aug 22, 2011 13:04:25 GMT -5
"Prepare." - Gavron said to answer her question. - "And you could start by taking some rest and getting rid of your depression." - he added. While he felt slightly sorry for Shadowsoul, he was not a pastor, but an inquisitor, and had little patience to nurture her.
His advice wasn't pointless though. Some rest won't hurt to regain her strength. If what Gavron said is true the barrier will endure for some more days anyway.
"Captain, accompany me. We'll take a walk 'round town, get what we need."
The guard captain nodded and followed Gavron. They walked out of the room, up to the treasury and out of the palace. On the way out, Gavron spotted something in the treasury, but ignored his finding for now. He'll be back for it later.
"Guards, no-one leaves the palace today. The village must not know a thing about this outrage !" - the lord commanded his bodyguards.
"Sir, yes, sir !"
On a different note, Tila wasn't with Gavron now.
She remained behind, on the floor, seeking for Shadowsoul's attention. She then, without asking for permission first, climbed up on Shadowsoul's leg, her chest, and finally up to her left shoulder, smothering her hair, as if encouraging her.
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Post by kitsune on Aug 22, 2011 13:11:11 GMT -5
Shadowsoul growled slightly at hat he had said, narrowing her eyes. "I don't need to listen to you... but fine; I will get rest." she turned away, wondering where to go next. She flicked her black furred ear, saddene still. She wondered where to go.
She started to walk away, when she felt someone climbing on her. She froze instinctivley in fear, and saw it was Tila. She smiled slightly, feeling better as the monkey demon tried to comfort her. "Thanks..." she said quietly. She wondered where to go, but she walked out of the basement room and into an area with a couch. She sat down with a huff.
She felt better talking to Tila. This demon seemed like her, kind and not cruel. "Your master is rather mean... By the way, my name is Shadowsoul. Yours is...?" she asked, wanting to start conversation. She flicked her tail and yawned slightly.
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Post by morrisb on Aug 22, 2011 13:22:47 GMT -5
"Tila." - the little monkey demon replied, with the help of the friendliest smile she could pull off. - "Glad-to-have-met-you. And-yep, master-Gavron-is-so-crude-often... Em... me-know-you-not-like-called-'Foxy', but-can-me-call-you-Shandra ?"
She quickly added:
"Means-'Nightly Beauty'-in-my-kin's-tongue."
...
Outside, Gavron was having a debate with the guard captain, who - as he came to know - was named Takeshi. The distribution of equipment could be vital. He also asked some questions about Shadowsoul. Extra information, either to inspire or blackmail her, couldn't hurt...
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Post by kitsune on Aug 22, 2011 13:27:47 GMT -5
Shadowsoul smiled back. IT was pleasant talking to someone sort of like her. It made her feel... less lonley. "It is nice to meet you too. And sure... that is a beautiful, perfect name and meaning. Thanks..." she said with a brighter smile. Her eyes had faded to a dull amber, as she was more relaxed at the moment.
She swished her tail wondering what she thought of this. Maybe she could ask. "So, do you think what happened is unusual? OR do you see it all the time?" she was curious, as most creatures were. She was beginning to feel better howwver, and managed to pull off a genuine smile; rare for her.
Would Gavron ever see it? Probably not; first impressions meant everything. He was a huge jerk who thought he knew it all to her. To him, she must be a weak, stupid, mindless demon who tried to help but could not. She flattened her ears as she thought of this, knowing it was true.
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Post by morrisb on Aug 22, 2011 13:39:33 GMT -5
"Me-happy-you-like-it, Shandra." - Tila climbed over from one shoulder to another across Shadowsoul's neck, very gently and carefully. - "Oh, me-has-seen-a-looooot-of-odd-stuff-since-me-left-Africa-with-master-Gavron."
She jumped down to the floor, trying to imitate things she saw:
First she sat down with crossed legs and arms, like a monk.
"Met-genie-in-Ottoman-land ! Said-he-grant-wishes ! But-oh-dear, he-twisted-words-around, made-terrible-things ! Gavron-then-'wished'-him-to-hell !"
Then came her second attempt, slithering like a snake, but raising her chest from the ground and waving her hands.
"Snake-ladies-in-India ! Naga ! Four-arms, no-less ! Mean-and-grumpy, but-clever; helped-master-find-bad-bad-baaad-sorcerers, and-wooosh !" - she overplayed in a cheerful manner. - "Ran-with-flaming-butts ! Wanna'-hear-more ?"
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Post by kitsune on Aug 22, 2011 14:00:54 GMT -5
Shadowsoul chuckled as she watched the imitations. "That looks fun! YOu are goo at it. A genie; wow, I never heard of that!" she said with a wide smile. She was learning amazing things already! She nodded eagerly, watching some more.
She laughed at the snake part, nodding happily. "Interesting... I wonder what they would look like..." she said, thinking. She thought about how interesting it would be to meet these creatures; it was not everyday you saw them from all over the world!
She wondered how her imitations would be if Tila told he story to another person. Heands on the top of her head for ears, perhaps. She grinned, imagining it with intrest. In fact, she wanted to do imitations too, but had no idea where to start. It all sounded fun!
"Of course I want to hear more!" she laughed with a nod. "You are great at this!" she said with a smile.
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Post by morrisb on Aug 22, 2011 14:43:54 GMT -5
Tila noticed her acting was achieving the desired effect, and thus continued joyfully:
"Then, from-India, off-to-China ! One-very-biiiiig-country !" - she tried to imitate the size with her gestures but fell to her back by doing so. This did not offset her, so she went back into her act. - "We-met-lots-and-lots-of-weirdos ! Like-Hong-Wong, mercenary !"
She tried taking up a firm stand, holding her hands as if she held a gun, aiming... then acted as if a fly bothered her. - "Stupid-fly, shoo ! Shoo !" - she then swung around the invisible gun, accidently 'pullin' its trigger, 'shooting' her leg. - "AUUHH !" - she jumped around on one leg in a circle with pretended agony.
She quickly carried on to the next stage:
"And-zombies ! Gosh-they-were-ugly !" - she hit herself against the floor by intention, then slowly, very slowly stood up, holding her tiny hands out, walking forward slowly, step by step: "Braaaiiinss..."
She stopped the weird walking almost immediately afterwards:
"Me-almost-forgot, there-were-Amazons ! Self-absorbed-and-mean-ladies, but-sooo-tough, master-Gavron-got-kicked-off-by-them-once ! Like-this: hiii-yaaa !" - she did a spinning kick in the air, ending up falling to her butt. - "Whoopsie-hi-hi ! Why-not-you-try-imitation, too, Shandra ? Very, very-fun !" - she tried to persuade Shadowsoul.
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