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Post by JeY k on Oct 16, 2014 11:30:21 GMT -5
[Room for 1 more still!]
Well, this was supposed to be simple, but as life would have it every complication under the sun would drive Stockholm to be bitchy and irritable. "Listen kid, my ship crashed, people give the worst directions, and it's been raining for a better half of today and I ain't got a jacket. I'm just about done. You quit carrying on or I'm calling this whole gig a wash, and that means I kill you. Got it?" The tall, attractive woman with her make-up running as a result of a rain looked like a monster as she bellowed at a little boy in his early teens. He looked a combination of scared, desperate, and just as annoyed. She really was going to kill him, but she wasn't about to let this runt get the best of her. Stockholm always got what she wanted.
"Oh great, your true colors. I knew it. Can I just go home?" the boy was definitely done with... well whatever they were doing, too. "No! Absolutely not! You're my ticket in! There, I said it. Happy? Shut it or I shut it for you." She only looked at the boy for the beginning of her response, but kept her eyes trained forward as she finished relaying the truth. And boy, the truth was ugly. The boy would've started crying if he wasn't about to piss his pants from what might happen to him. This lady was completely unreasonable and using him as an object to get what she wanted, which was still entirely vague at best. "Ticket in?" the boy had the audacity to ask.
"Human collateral. If you don't know what that word means, too damn bad. Just keep walking." And so they kept going, but the silence wouldn't last long before the boy's curiosity got the best of him. "Are you going to trade me for something? Is that what this is?" he said, except that was a really bad idea. Stockholm stopped and turned to him with an angry pair of eyes. "Enough! Will you just stop? Literally one more word and you're finished!" At this point, she materialized one of her pistols and pointed it at him to show she meant business. She would keep it out once the boy nodded in silence and kept going.
The outskirts of the city was just worn down woodsy area. Most of Neverland's priority is around the harbor and dealing with boats, so going inland would be the quickest way out of civilization, a perfect hiding point for a pair of bandits Stockholm was looking to hire. They had a strange way of working things, she wasn't even aware of all the finer details but she couldn't care less as long as she got what she wanted out of the bargain. She was totally out of her element now though, angry beyond belief that the spoiled brat who is used to everything going her way to having nothing going right at all. Especially for what the boy was about to pull next.
"Don't kill me, but uh, that doesn't look good," the boy said pointing off in the opposite direction. While aggravated he spoke, there may be some validity to his point if he risked his life to say something. She looked, didn't spot anything immediately, but gave it some consideration. He patience was really worn down though. "Umm, what doesn't look goo-- oh for pete's sake!" The mild distraction was all he needed to slip away into the brush. "You're dead kid! I'm coming to kill yah!" Stockholm would break off into a sprint after the boy, pistol at the ready. "Just great. All I need now is someone coming out of nowhere and interfering." Well, you know what they say. Be careful what you wish for.
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Siris
Nobody
"My destiny is blank. I'm out to write it."
Posts: 58
Gender: Male
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Post by Siris on Oct 28, 2014 16:12:37 GMT -5
Dirhael pushed open the wooden door, sneaking into the room, appropriately tagged with a star symbol above it. A few crates lay around the room, looking more like a storeroom than a vault, but a pedestal with a glass case sat at the far end, blue light glowing from it. The case sat between two stone statues, both facing towards the pedestal. Dirhael snuck towards the case. He had been pretty successful at sneaking through Yen Sid's tower. No one seemed to be home. As he moved towards the case, the blue light was shown to be emitting from two small daggers, crossed over each other within. But these were no ordinary daggers, as their very makeup was made of stars, lines connecting them together like a constellation make. He reached out a hand to the case, before looking at the statues looming beside him. Clearly set to guard against prisoners. He put his hand on his chin, thinking for a moment. He looked around the room, before getting an idea. He grabbed a few of the nearby boxes, stacking them all in front of both of the statues. With a few additional seconds to grab the daggers, he may just make it out. He took in a deep breath, before pushing open the glass case, his hands grasping both of the hilts.
It felt like lightning had struck him. Sounded like it too, as he fell to his knees, still grasping the blades. His body pulsed with immense amounts of energy. Just when he thought it couldn't get worse, his mind was filled with the sound of a gruff male's voice. "Hm... So another has come to take us, has he? I'm not keen on becoming some thief's ticket to an easy life. We'd do better remaining here." The dagger in his right hand suddenly became very heavy, trapping Dirhael's hand between the floor and the weapon. "Wait, Astral, this one is different! See into his heart, and not his actions. He be someone fit to wield us." A calmer female voice. The male voice snorted. "We shall see, Lunari... You may want to get off the floor. You're little distraction seems to be failing." Dirhael's eyes snapped open, as the boxes he placed in front of the statues were crushed, and the statues moved slowly towards him, wielding axe-shaped stone weapons. Dirhael got to his feet slowly, suddenly realizing that they were running at him, but in slow motion. He dashes forward, stabbing one of the daggers into the statue, gliding through the construct easily. He chopped a chunk out of it's midriff, spinning quickly to stab the statue's back. He was moving much faster than them, due to the daggers immense power within him. He quickly dispatched the second, before everything seemed to move at a normal pace again. Dirhael huffed out a breath, looking at the daggers.
"What.... what just happened?" As he asked, the entire tower shuddered. "No time to explain! We need to get him to safety, or we may be buried in this room with him!" The female voice exclaimed. Suddenly, it seemed as if his body became weightless. He was lifted into the air, and suddenly he was flying towards the wall. But he just passed right through it, coming out into open space of the outside. He began picking up more speed, zooming into the darkness of space.
It was only a few minutes until Dirhael, moving as a small ball of blue light was zipping towards the ground of Neverland, suddenly taking human form, and dropping the last few feet to the ground with a shout. He groaned as he landed, completely out of his senses. But he had the daggers in his hands still. Not all bad.
But there was even worse luck for him, as he seemed to have landed not too far away from a woman who was in the middle of shady dealings. No doubt she would of seen the lights, or the shout and crash to the ground. Dirhael would've cursed his lack of subtlety then and there, but he was too stunned from the travel to even know which way was up.
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Post by JeY k on Oct 30, 2014 7:19:28 GMT -5
Any time there was the slightest movement in the brush, Stockholm would fire her pistol in that general direction a couple times, all while sprinting in after the kid. She was beyond gone, this kid was definitely going to pay for being the sole reason that she wouldn't be able to have her deal go through. Granted, the kid was just a playing piece in the grand scheme of things so it wasn't fair to him in the slightest, but for a self-centered demon like Stockholm, there wasn't any distinction between who was human and who was merely property.
Fortunately for the kid, he was pretty slippery and avoided being hit by any stray fire, and then received the luckiest distraction ever in the form of someone literally falling from the sky. The blue tint caught Stockholm's attention, but then she realized that something akin to a blue-streaked meteor was crashing in straight onto her position. "...Aw shit." Turning the other direction and making a three-step layup, she dived out of the way to avoid being caught in the impact. With the dust settling and the mature girl standing up and crushing herself off, she realized she couldn't hear anything anymore and that the kid finally slipped away for good. "FANTASTIC!!" she screamed. She's really gone and lost it now.
Well, if a child hostage wouldn't do, this guy was going to own up for her sob-story child collateral escaping by taking the child's place. She'd have to come up with a new story about this guy's worth on the fly, but she was certain with her ability to charm the masses, she could make whatever hack story work out as long as she played it up. She was in the worst state to try and take this seriously, but without options, this was all she had. Well, it wouldn't be totally out of character to blow up on this guy, so she walked up to him...
"Hey! 'the hell's wrong with you! Do you have any idea the trouble you've caused!? I hope you know you have the worst timing ever, bucko!" Of course, the man was probably barely coherent, but that was the best time to just scream whatever nonsense she needed to get out of her system before taking on the guise of a needy woman. She was perfectly aware of this, too. All she needed to hear was that dazed and confused '...what?' and she knew she was back in business. Well, she would need to really calm down first lest she loses her patience at the drop of a hat again...
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Siris
Nobody
"My destiny is blank. I'm out to write it."
Posts: 58
Gender: Male
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Post by Siris on Oct 31, 2014 12:38:48 GMT -5
Dirhael lay upon the ground, stunned for a moment. On the edge of his consciousness, he heard the gruff male voice trying to shout in his head. "Hey, kid! Get up! We've got tr-" The link between them was broken as Dirhael raised his hands to his face, rubbing them. He tried to focus his vision, seeing a woman above him, yelling about something... Wait, the daggers! He swiftly brought his hands back to the ground, scrambling to grasp their hilts again.
"... is going to get killed!" The male voice ended, as Dirhael linked back to the daggers. Their energy coursed through him again, though not at the original caliber. But he did focus enough to swiftly spin to his hands and knees and push himself to his feet, getting a full view of the woman before him. She was pretty, to be sure, much prettier than anyone Dirhael had met in Traverse Town, but the admiration stopped when he saw the malice in her eyes... the pistols in her hands did help either. He takes a deep breath, his grey eye beginning to glow slightly, as half of his vision dipped into the infrared spectrum. He saw the heated footprints of a second person, the footprints zigzagging all over the ground, and behind a copse of trees, a smaller figure was running away.
"Hm... well, I didn't know you could do that, kid." The male voice said, with a tinge of surprise. Dirhael had to ignore him, though, as he looked back at the woman, his eyes furrowed as he watched her moves. He just acquired these weapons, and he wasn't too sure if he could strike someone down with them, yet.
"Who are you? Where is this?" He shouted to her, reversing the grip of the blade in his left, in case he needed to fight.
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Post by JeY k on Nov 3, 2014 13:30:00 GMT -5
Close enough! Wait a minute... actually, that reply was more than perfect. It set himself up to be perfectly manipulated assuming he listens to her obediently and there was still a way to salvage her situation. The kid was a bust and this guy definitely assured his escape, but he was going to pay for that in due time. She was still royally pissed, but if she could just keep her cool a few more minutes, she'd have this in the bag. Taking a deep breath, she wasn't fully over her rage, but she could pretend. The pistol in her hand suddenly vanished beneath some small green flame particles.
Stockholm cleared her throat and gave a small pause, coming up with some believable answers to the man's questions, attempting to project as much as her unnatural charm as possible. "I'm Jane, a contractor for the city. I was roped into some 'hide and seek' but you crash landing here has made that practically impossible..." resisting her urge to growl, she just sighed and brushed it off. "I'm sure everything will sort itself out eventually though. Right now, sir, you're in the middle of absolutely nowhere. You look like you're pretty good for someone who came hurling from the sky, but let's get you to someone who can help you, okay?" Stockholm bent her knees slightly to offer the man her hand, a fake but warm smile curling ever so slightly onto her lips.
All she needed now was a verbal confirmation and for him to blindly follow her, and it was game-set-match. He wouldn't know what was coming until it happened, and that would be the best part. It actually turned her awful mood around a little. Well, unless for some ungodly reason he refused the girl's help. Seemed highly unlikely, given the circumstances, but unless this guy was an extremely powerful fighter of some sorts, his fate was sealed. He carried strange-looking daggers, but that alone wasn't an indication of much. So... this actually might be a bit of a gamble, but with all or nothing at stake anyway, any risk was negligible at this point.
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Siris
Nobody
"My destiny is blank. I'm out to write it."
Posts: 58
Gender: Male
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Post by Siris on Nov 3, 2014 17:34:13 GMT -5
Dirhael seemed to relax as she had made her pistol disperse, but the way it had just... disappeared put up more alarms in his head. She was a magic user, and the way she held herself, she was confidant in her abilities. He tilted her head as she started talking to him. Suddenly her voice seemed so... comfortable, like he had known her all his life. Like he could trust her. Such a feeling made him happy, especially so since he had never felt such a connection with anyone around him. It was almost too good to be true, before the piercing yell of the male voice struck through his mind.
"BOY! PAY ATTENTION!" He shouted. Dirhael sucked in a breath quickly, his gleamed over eyes suddenly refocusing, his grey eye seeming to filter out, as his vision went back to normal in his right eye. He had to think about what it was she had said again, but still the voice persisted. "Don't let a pair of globes and some sweet talk put you off guard! There was someone running from her!" He said firecely. The female voice finally spoke up. "I would normally give people a chance, young man, but she is... off. Her eyes are too... mystical, and I can feel the magic pouring from her every word. I think she wants you entrapped... Pardon, but what was your name?" Dirhael nodded, though it would seem to 'Jane' he was giving the affirmative on her question. His body posture seemed to retense slightly, but he lowered his weapons. However, without any sheathes, he kept them in his palms.
"Dirhael." He said, answering the female voice, and responding to Jane with that first step to meeting someone. "A lovely name. I am Lunari, and Astral is the other, the one in your right hand. You'll remember that name..." The male voice chuckled. "You'll be wishin' to the stars that you could forget, soon enough, boy." With their inward conversation over, Dirhael finally gave Jane the attention she expected. "Someone who can help?" He looks down at himself. His tan jacket was ruffled, and his pants had been scraped as he had rolled away from a statue, but other than that, he felt perfectly fine, with the daggers in hand. "I don't know if that's necessary." "Don't be too thrown off. The energy of the daggers is keeping you conscious. The moment you lose connection with us, you may not be able to stand. Travelling throughout space can leave one especially tired." Lunari warned.
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Post by JeY k on Nov 5, 2014 12:56:49 GMT -5
Oh, playing hard to get, eh? Well, despite his condition fairing pretty well for someone who fell from who-knows-where, an occurrence that was strange enough and should've killed him instantly in its own right, perhaps there was still some convincing that could be made. She let out a couple soft breaths of laughter before addressing him once more. "Was talking about more than health care, sweetie. You have no clue where you are, correct? I'm not paid to show people around, but you're in luck, I just happen to know someone who would be more than happy to get you acclimated." Well, it was a pretty fair statement.
She would admit to herself she was growing impatient already, her foul mood interfering with her game entirely. She would've preferred for him to hop on the gravy train straight away, but it seemed she needed to take the extra step. It wasn't much effort, but she was approaching this with an 'augh get on with it already' attitude. Of course, none of that resonated outside of her mind, all the man could see was a fine-looking woman with face of a business woman - confident and headstrong. If he wasn't going to tag along yet, then things would definitely start getting interesting.
There was also the fact that he didn't quite put those sharp things in his hands away. They weren't in any position that indicated he felt threatened, but rather they were just there. They didn't intimidate her, but it definitely sent the wrong message. Perhaps it even made her more impatient. She had no idea where he might've put them if he wanted to conceal them, he didn't seem to have any visible sheath, pocket, or holster. It was a factor, even if only a mild one.
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Siris
Nobody
"My destiny is blank. I'm out to write it."
Posts: 58
Gender: Male
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Post by Siris on Nov 6, 2014 8:51:53 GMT -5
Dirhael shook his head. This woman wasn't paid to be helpful? That in and of itself would've struck a chord to realizing she was not someone of high morals. He sighs, looking around. He was going to need help, and these daggers would need to be put down at some point, and when that happened, he knew his situation would be worse with her around. He shrugged his arms, gesturing with his weapons as if they weren't even there.
"If you know someone who can help put me on the right path, that would be appreciated." But wait... what WAS the right path? He had only learned recently of this home world of his, and now that he had these weapons, he had the potential to bring it back... but how? He didn't know the first thing about saving worlds, being a hero, or even how to fly his own ship. He sets his jaw in thought, probably announcing his own indecision right then and there...
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Post by JeY k on Nov 10, 2014 12:47:07 GMT -5
Excellent, he wasn't going to blow her off after all. Would be appreciated? Hah! If only he had any clue what he was getting into. Stockholm was morbidly sadistic and being pissed off beyond belief was just putting her deeper into a state of truly having zero regard for another's life. Well, so long as he didn't resist toward the end of things he would be perfectly fine, he would just have to serve a little 'time' until Stockholm got what she wanted. What she needed another human being for was anyone's guess, but it would be impossible to know what her scheming would be at this point unless he had the ability to read minds. [Their Journey begins! Cue the background music!] "Yeah, no problem. Just follow me; we're actually not too far." Man, this was the best news she's had all day. Working with kids (especially without their consent) was quite possibly the worst, but she now had a new appreciation for random people who fall from the sky and aren't killed in the process. She thought her day got a lot worse upon his arrival, but this would actually even it out. The only thing she was missing was the story of her connection to him. What would seem like the most convincing? A high-price hit she was meant to make? An heir she planned to ransom off? Family was right out of the window, she needed something that would fit the profile of him being completely unhappy with being held captive. She pondered the majority of this within moment of them starting to walk, but she realized that maybe he could help her come up with a guise himself. "So Dirhael, what brings you crash-landing in a dump like this? Not to mention an impact like that would be fatal for most humans." The way she pronounced humans was slightly off, though. The rest of her question seemed sincere, even more so with her peculiar and unnatural charm emanating throughout and hopefully seeping deep into his brain, though she said the name of the race with a certain distance. It was only slight, but if the man was paying attention, he'd probably catch it. Still, her plan with the small talk was simple. People always have less of a guard raised during harmless socialization as to not give the other person the wrong idea of hostility or anything, and the only way he could respond to her is if he gave him valuable information pertaining to any amount of his background, to which would make her case that much more convincing if she could use it against him. Bonus points if he rambled into unnecessary detail too; normally Stockolm couldn't care less about others, but she had a selfish motivation for hearing another's life story this time around. She would still find it boring, but it would be practical in this case, so she would endure.
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Siris
Nobody
"My destiny is blank. I'm out to write it."
Posts: 58
Gender: Male
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Post by Siris on Nov 10, 2014 14:04:52 GMT -5
[Something a bit more mystical for the situation: Music] Dirhael let out a sigh. Luckily, she hadn't picked up his tendencies to zone out, as the daggers began conversing with him once more. "She's up to something. We may be walking into a trap, boy..." Astral voiced. Dirhael was well aware of this woman's stature and how she carried herself. He saw she needed full control of the situation, and maybe he would give her just that. "Hmm..." He said. He began feigning infatuation with her looks, which honestly was not a hard thing to do. She was a very alluring woman. But he knew she was just a tiger in disguise. He coughs, as she looks his way, hoping that his blush would show. "Ah, interesting story, that. I actually... just appeared here." He held up the daggers in his hands casually. "I had, ah... acquired these daggers from a guarded area. Turns out these daggers can take you to different worlds..." He looks around. "At least, I'm assuming this is a different world." He looks at her, tilting his head. "What about you? What did I happen to fall in on? Or do you normally walk around with your pistols at the ready?"
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Post by JeY k on Nov 12, 2014 13:45:25 GMT -5
Appeared here? At first the tall redhead wondered if she heard him right, but there was no mistake in what the man said. He was just... here. Well, alright. If that wasn't one of the strangest things she's ever heard then she'd question the integrity of the word 'strange'. Not only did he just appear in a new world however, it was the daggers that did it. Was this guy for real? She began to wonder if there was something more to meteor-man here and that trading him might actually be a bad idea. Well, if he was just some freak then this would be easy, but if he was telling the truth...
Having nothing to lose otherwise however, it was a risk she was willing to take. "They definitely took you to another world sweetie, because you make zero sense. Not tryin' to be mean here. I'll believe you for now, but don't you think it sounds a bit like something a crackpot insane-asylum escapee might say?" She was both honest and dishonest in saying she'd believe him for now. She had to go along with what he said in order to avoid as much complication as possible, but there was no way in hell she bought that story at face value. Sure, what happened was really weird so she wasn't going to immediately dismiss him as some lunatic, but it definitely wasn't that simple. At least, in her opinion.
"As for me, It's part of the agreement that contractors don't discuss their work with parties not directly involved. If my occupation didn't fill in a few automatic blanks for you, I'm going to just treat you like you simply don't know rather than an idiot. You're welcome." Usually the only reason she tells people she has that sort of gig is so others simply shut their face to avoid the risk of being declared a potential liability, which are often quickly disposed of in Stockholm's experiences. Actually, that idea alone sealed the deal for her story. Oh look, their destination!
Slightly impatient at this point, Stockholm would most likely ignore or simply nod to any responses the man made, as she studied the area for potential variables, auxiliaries, traps and any means where this could go horribly wrong. There was a pretty high chance at this point where things wouldn't go in the girl's favor, but she certainly could try. They neared a well-maintained three-story stone house in the woods. It looked very orderly and cozy, the lights were on, and the gate was already open. It's like they were expecting company! Once they were under the metal arch in the front, her plan would come into action. She simultaneously swooped her hand to wrap it around his neck with one finger extended and materialized her pistol in her other hand and jabbed it into his side. Should felt like she had a pretty high chance of succeeding in snaring him but the gun would be pointed regardless if for some reason he tried anything to resist.
For her to trade a captive, he would need to be presented kicking and screaming at the start. If he seemed willing and then spouted about being tricked the moment the trade took place it would look too suspicious. If he was already in disarray, well, he plan would flow without motion. If she did have a full grasp on him like intended, he would feel that her hand was very hot and her speech would represent the following. "No sudden moves, buddy, the gun is for show but what'll really happen is I'll burn through your neck with fire magic. Do what I say and you make it out of this unscathed, got it?" Without a proper grasp, she would skip the part about burning his neck and the gun being for show and simply point the gun with the rest of her line (beginning and end) being the same.
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Siris
Nobody
"My destiny is blank. I'm out to write it."
Posts: 58
Gender: Male
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Post by Siris on Nov 13, 2014 8:58:20 GMT -5
Dirhael rolled his eyes. What a political answer. All he had heard was a simple "None of your business." and what he believed was her calling him an idiot. He couldn't really tell. He looks forward as they approach the house, his eyes scanning the windows. As they walk forward, he heard a slight shuffle, as the woman suddenly had her arm around his neck, finger extended, and her blasted pistol in his side. He flinches, but otherwise remained calm, much to her disliking, no doubt. He lets out a single scoff.
"Oh yes, I'm in good hands, aren't I?" He turns his head slightly. "So... I'm to be captive? Is this some foul slave trade? Paying off your debt to someone?" He chuckles. "Well... Unless you want your plan ruined further, I'd better get out of here, by the end of it, or I swear by whatever gods are out there I'll find you and not hesitate to cut you down." He could've retaliated now, with his daggers still in hand, but he knew he was low on energy as it was. He simply adjusted them in his hands, bringing them closer to his back, to hide the fact he was armed. "So, what's this plan of yours?"
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Post by JeY k on Nov 13, 2014 13:21:54 GMT -5
Phase one seems to be going well. No reaction, which was both good and bad, but more importantly no outward resistance. Stockholm was aware of the daggers in his hands but her fire would've been faster than his arm anyway, a crippling near-instant burn to the the spinal cord where it connected directly to the cerebellum would most likely curb movement right in its tracks. She could drop the pistol to catch his arm pretty easily as well. It seems this guy wasn't ready to press his luck, perhaps he didn't want to try to underestimate his current captor. Pretty wise, maybe she was mistaken about this guy.
Well, without dawdling too much longer, she could proceed smoothly. Always a nice touch to plans. "Oh, honey, if that's what you expect, you're actually in for a nice treat. All you have to do play 'prison inmate' for a little while; sit tight, enjoy free food and shelter, not try to escape, and I'll be back before you know it to scoop you up unharmed." That seemed like an adequate enough explanation. She approached the door with a tight grasp on her captive, the heat rising just a little bit even above what it was getting to. Not enough to cause pain, but maybe slight discomfort.
After a few seconds, a panel slid out from the middle of the door revealing a pair of eyes. They said nothing. "It's Jennifer; open up." The panel slid shut, there were a few seconds of silence, and then some vague mechanical sounds could be heard softly through the other side. Eventually the door opened and Stockholm dragged the man inside a few steps and the door was shut tight and locked back up behind them. She press hard downward on his neck prompting him to bend over slightly, where she attempted to throw the boy forward. He would be vaulted to the floor, released from her grasp, and in the middle of the room. If he looked around before hand or after, he would've seen himself surrounded by many different figures, all of them looking rather strong. Some had armor, most had visible weapons, and no one was smiling. Unless the man could take on about seven different mercenaries and Stockholm by himself, he would probably remain complacent.
"Charter, long time no see. Here's the collateral I talked about. He's not a very well behaved dog, tends to bite, so keep him more secure than usual." A man rose from his chair, around six and a half feet tall, dark skin, long black hair and a leather cuirass. He folded his arms. "Yeah? And what's this guy supposed to mean to you? As not one of the 'trusting' types, why should I believe your word?" The man spoke in a gruff and gnarled voice. His speech had an average-sounding speed and bared little inflections. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.
"This man has access to all sorts of things I'm interested in. Capturing him was a nightmare, but your program here is second to none; basically it's a small effort for two hefty paydays. Just ask him where he got those fancy daggers, and you'll realize what I mean." She sounded very confident for pulling all of this out of her ass. It all heavily depended on the strangers reaction however that would dictate how this bartering went. The tall, dark man looked down at Dirhael, up to Stockholm, then back down to the man. He stared for a rather long period each time. If the silence wasn't broken by him, the tall man would continue. "You can leave. I'll be the judge of this deal," he said, unfolding his arms. Stockholm shrugged. "Just so you know, not even I know much of his juicy tidbits, so good luck." She turned around, and proceeded out of the door which was unlocked and opened for her again by the doorkeeper, locked once again if she was out.
Again, this was only considering that Dirhael didn't speak in between the exchange, though the tall man would speak up once again after Stockholm has left. "I'm going to make this easy on you since I do not trust her one bit to bring me someone valuable. If you answer yes to this, I will trust you over her and keep you in protective captivity and when the job is done you'll be released to her mercy. If you answer no, I throw you out right now and whatever happens outside is you and Jennifer's business. Understand? Now, are you who she says you are?" It was simple, only one problem: regardless, he would be released to Stockholm. Obviously he should choose carefully!
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Siris
Nobody
"My destiny is blank. I'm out to write it."
Posts: 58
Gender: Male
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Post by Siris on Nov 14, 2014 20:24:43 GMT -5
Dirhael started doing minor things against her, to show off that he was clearly against being maneuvered towards the door, which, deep down, he kind of was. As the door opened, he was pushed inside, hitting the ground. He got to his knees, seeing the mercenaries around him. He turned to face her, his daggers brandished, as she called him a misbehaving dog. "You lying bitch! You tricked me!" He took a step forward, but many of the mercenaries would raise their weapons, and Dirhael was forced to stop. He gave Stockholm a knowing look, a slight eye narrowing that voice: "Yeah, I can act, too." He looked around once more, before falling to his knees in surrender, dropping his daggers. However, his finger tips still brushed on the flat side of the glowing blades, as he knew he would not stay conscious if he let their fueling energy get cut off from him.
Dirhael remained quiet for the rest of the exchange, his head down as the two talked. Access to all sorts of things? Damn it, woman. You're giving me little to work with, he thought, as she left. "Don't worry boy. We'll feed you names and things as we go along. Just say was I say." Astral said. Words began flowing into his head.He turned his head to the man, as he began talking. He was somewhat surprised by his blunt honesty. He looks back down at the ground, before nodding slowly. "Hmph... Yes, I am. More than can be said for her." He said, looking towards the door. "I am Dirhael, Keeper of Knowledge, in the libraries of Akaron. Treasures, miracles, weapons, and armor. I know about many. Few worlds have escaped my scope... save this one. She tempted me with promises of hidden knowledge and discovery, but it turns out, she was furthering her own agenda." He looks around the room at the others, before looking back at the leader. "So... what happens to me now?"
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Post by JeY k on Nov 17, 2014 12:22:01 GMT -5
Listening to the explanation intentfully, the tall dark man known as Charter narrowed his eyebrows once Dirhael finished speaking. It seemed he had very valuable information, he didn't detect any misdirection or faked speech immediately which rather concerned, since he would've put money on this person being of absolutely no value. Stockholm would definitely want someone like this alive... or would she? If this man was tricked, then she probably didn't get all of the information yet. Maybe she did. There were too many variables here and not enough constants.
"I just have a few questions then, before we discuss what happens to you. How much have you told the woman already, and do you think she expects to get that information from you after this is all over with?" It was a very simple question that served a variety of purposes. It would narrow down just how well Stockholm valued this man's life and whether or not that value would be worth the risk of lending out one of his best man for one of her insane jobs. "Finally, would you believe she would comply with our demands if we threatened to have you killed while in our custody?"
Well, that last one was a little more direct, but it would accomplish what he wanted all the same. It would give this man an idea what he's really in for before possibly just making up responses, and give him one final chance to come clean if he wasn't actually telling the truth. What he wouldn't unveil yet, which would be one of his primary bargaining chips, is that beyond the worth of his life, any relations beyond that weren't important. As in, he wouldn't take any sympathy if he was tricked into this situation, as it's all part of running a business within an illegitimate market.
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Siris
Nobody
"My destiny is blank. I'm out to write it."
Posts: 58
Gender: Male
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Post by Siris on Nov 19, 2014 8:57:21 GMT -5
Astral and Lunari continued to converse in the back of his head. "If we've had this information, she would have had some sort of goal... The gemstone of Atlantica?" Lunari put forth. Astral lets out an exasperate sigh. "No, no! She wants power, darkness, the evil things in life, not to swim around and sing with the mermaids! Bigger! How about the--" Dirhael snaps back to reality, while they finished giving him a full answer. He closes his eyes, taking in a deep breath, as he focused on the question. "She asked many things, for many things do I know. But even I am aware of the greed in people's hearts. I do not hand out this information easily." He grins slightly. "Still, she has a certain... charm, doesn't she? I couldn't stop talking." He opens his eyes. "Mostly weapons and artifacts. The Spear of the Creator, the Leggings of the Weightless Thief, th-" His eyes open wide as a name is fed to him. "The Demon Eye of Tarkinor." That was the name of his homeworld, which had been destroyed by the Heartless. He was surprised to see the daggers held knowledge on it. He furrows his eyebrows, trying to play off his surprise as thinking. "Hm, she seemed interested in that the most." Clearly, he never spoke a word of any of this to Stockholm, but he hoped his ruse would work against these people.
The next question: "She may, if I return into her hands, question further into my knowledge of such dark things, but I have no clear indication of her goals or motives. As for her concern of me..." He lets out a humorous scoff. "She does not seem like the type of person to regret one's death." He looks up at the door. "Her only discomfort would come from the lose of information..." He looks up at Charter. "The only gamble lies in how much she values this information. And the life on the one carrying it." He raises an eyebrow. "But... if you wanted to manipulate her, why need me? You could've easily overpowered her and taken her prisoner as well with me, couldn't you?" Or was she really that powerful?
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Post by JeY k on Nov 20, 2014 12:57:52 GMT -5
Charter began listening once again to the potential prisoner, nodding his head as the explanations began flowing. It seemed there wasn't a total lost cause here. This guy certainly could have a price on him, but the real question would become what is the weight of everything and how does it compare? It would get tricky in his head, though once the man continued further with his reasoning and very level-headed logic pertaining to the gamble the situation would become far more clear. He actually wasn't bad, which was a point in his favor. That wouldn't be enough to tip the scale on its own however.
Rather than responding to him directly, the tall dark man passed a look to one of the more stoic and well-dressed individuals standing around the room, the other man looking back and seemingly exchanging thoughts. They were definitely not telepathic, but they knew each other long enough to know what the other was thinking. "I am at a loss. As you're the one she's requesting, why don't you weigh in?" the tall dark man finally spoke. The shorter well-dressed man replied. "I do not fear my life. She has more to lose than we do if something were to go amiss," the other man responded.
After nodding back, Charter faced the new man again. "You seem to be slightly misguided about what is going on here. We're not manipulating anyone. We lend professional man-power for under-the-table jobs, and part of the hiring process is exchanging live, valuable collateral. If anything happens to one of our men, we make sure we can repay the favor. Like I said, we will protect you under any means necessary until her job is completed, then are free to go in her custody. By the sounds of things, she will be motivated to ensure Kelgrin's well-being if it meant losing someone like you. Bind and stow him, let the demon back in. Seems we have a deal."
Now that his long-winded explanation was finished, two of the mercenaries approached Dirhael from behind with two pairs of shackles and a length of rope, intending to do the obvious. Should he go without resistance, his arms would be shackled tightly behind his back and his ankles tightly together, tying up his arms and legs around the elbows and knees as well. They would try to rip his daggers out of his hands and put them in a chest to the side, as well. He would be escorted to the basement if this went smoothly, a clear row of jail cells. Strangely, all of them were completely unoccupied. They had a bed, a bedpan, and a bench. The bars looked pretty shoddy at best. What he didn't know was that this would be temporary holding, fortunately. Only once he was locked behind bars would the door be opened for Stockholm. Should everything not go completely according to plan, however, there might have to be most drastic action...
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Siris
Nobody
"My destiny is blank. I'm out to write it."
Posts: 58
Gender: Male
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Post by Siris on Nov 21, 2014 19:23:57 GMT -5
Dirhael nodded in understanding, grinning at the man's eloquent description of the term 'mercenary'. As he finished explaining, he caught the use of the word demon, his eyebrows furrowing. Maybe the dagger's shot in the dark was more on point than he would've hoped. A point to bring up later, as Lunari began speaking. "Don't worry, Dirhael. We'll go dormant, and wait until we are in your hands again before we do anything." Astral scoffed. "Because we were doing so much before." As the mercenaries went to tie up Dirhael, and his fingers left the touch of the blade, the daggers began to dull slightly. Whoever had grabbed them and stowed them away would not feel any coursing energy, or voices, as they tampered with them. Dirhael's vision went blurry as he was tied up, actually beginning to slump forward before they had finished, making it an easier task to move him. He tried to keep conscious, but once they put him into the cell, he stumbled onto the bed, ignorant of the bonds upon his hands and feet as he began to rest from the weariness of space travel. Only the return of the dagger, or someone VERY insistent on getting him up would rouse the exhausted young man.
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Post by JeY k on Nov 24, 2014 12:56:33 GMT -5
After having been sent outside originally, Stockholm simply leaned against the side of the building just outside the door. She had her confident expression carried her throughout the conversation, but being back outside and alone allowed her to sink back to resting bitch face. It took way more effort than it should have to pull off that charade, and she was absolutely certain this wouldn't end well in her favor. With nothing to particularly lose since her primary offering ran away, this was only the 'better than turning around and quitting' option.
'So worthless. If I get denied my bargain I'm gutting that kid's miserable vital organs one by one. No one interferes with my plans and escapes without my eternal wrath.' So yeah, she was pretty angry. Venting in her head aside, she would perk back up and assume her ever-alluring facial composition once the door was opened once more and she was let back in. She internally struck a bit of panic when Dirhael was missing, but would never let it show on her bright and enthusiastic eyes. She would ask, though. She had to continue to make it out like he was important and key in her future plans. "So uh, where's my boy, huh?" She didn't sound too aggressive, just stern.
The tall dark man smiled in response, seeing a reaction he liked quite a lot, believing every minute of her facade. "He's in good hands. You have a deal." Short and sweet. Stockholm liked the sound of that. "Excellent. Alright, come on ke-ke, I'll fill you in on everything on the way over." She motioned for the second man who spoke before to follow her, to which he looked at Charter and nodded. They would be off, as Stockholm couldn't believe that this last-ditch effort actually got pulled off. She was the type to kill a henchman before she would pay them, but after this little excursion, she saw some potential to involve him in some future work. Whenever she was done with her mission, Dirhael's life would not be in any danger whatsoever as far as the charming girl was concerned.
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As for the man used as human collateral, his situation would be different solely dependent on when exactly he would come to. If it was within an hour or two, he would still be on the stale, wooden bed of the basement jail cell with no one else around. Otherwise, he would find himself on something far more comfortable, like a real feather bed. He'd be in a smaller room that looked like an ordinary bedroom that was painted a darker shade of yellow with a bed, vanity, dresser, nightstand with a lamp, and an armchair in the corner occupied by a watchman that was clearly armed, reading what appeared to be a newspaper though it was covered in strange, curvaceous symbols, representing a language that Dirhael probably didn't know or recognize. He would also no longer be bound by the shackles or rope in the bedroom. There would be a single window which showed a thick lush forest.
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Siris
Nobody
"My destiny is blank. I'm out to write it."
Posts: 58
Gender: Male
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Post by Siris on Nov 24, 2014 20:37:25 GMT -5
Dirhael would NOT be woken up anytime soon. Anywhere between 5 & 10 hours(I'll let you determine an appropriate time.)
He opens his eyes slowly, his head weighing him down severely. He laid there for a while, thinking he was in another hotel, in some world on his journey to seeking out who he was... He lifted his head, seeing the guard, before his head fell back the pillow. "Shit." He thought "I'm still here." He furrows his eyebrows looking around, before adjusting himself onto an elbow, a hand on his head. "Where... am I?" He asked. "What happened?"
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