79 replies to this topic

[Wilor Zerrung]

"Of course I don't. How many times do you think I've talked to a bunch of rebels?" Wilor was a little nervous and getting kinda snappy. The brothel was just around the corner and, despite his confident exclamation of the opposite, he didn't know quite what to say.

Edited by Mailliw73, 18 September 2013 - 05:33 PM.

[Delve]

"Well, then," Delve said, gesturing towards an alley behind the brothel. "We're obviously not going in the front door. It's not like we can walk in and say, 'excuse me, is this a rebel cell?' without getting ourselves killed."

[Wilor Zerrung]

"Of course not, so how do you plan to get us in?" Wilor asked. Devin didn't seem so sure about her plans to get in the brothel. I sure hope she knows what she's doing. Wilor fidgeted with his knives three times. We're here to help, don't forget.

[Delve]

"Assuming they have a back door, we can break in. If they don't, there's always windows, and a roof. Sometimes hidden entrances, as well." Delve said with a shrug. "Don't worry. If we really have to go in the front door, I'll figure something out."

[Wilor Zerrung]

"You plan to break into a rebel cell? I'm not so sure that's the best idea, I would assume they have guards or some kind of protection in place to stop people from doing just that." Wilor was no longer sure how to get in. "Maybe if we go in the front, we can figure out how to talk our way back."

[Delve]

"If you prefer that, thats fine with me. This was your idea." Delve said, only mildly irritated and hiding it. She didn't like that he thought she would know everything.

[Wilor Zerrung]

"I'm sorry, let's go in that side entrance, the we won't be too intruding or right in the front. What do you think?" Wilor could tell Devin was irritated and tried to make it better. He just hoped the rebellion would talk to them.

[Delve]

"That's fine. As I said, this was your idea." Delve said with a shrug. "Just no magic metal-pulling. That'll get us killed for sure, and I'd rather not die helping some nobleman."

[Wilor Zerrung]

"I won't Pull anything unless they want a demonstration of my powers. Or they try to kill me. Either one. If they do fight me, I'll try to make sure they don't kill you and that you're on their side," Wilor said, trying to lift the mood.

Edited by Mailliw73, 24 September 2013 - 01:08 AM.

[Delve]

"If they try to fight us we surrender. Then maybe they won't kill us. If they still want to kill us after that, then you can fight." Delve said, rolling her eyes. "Either way, I'm leaving as soon as they let me." She added. Brothel's made her nervous.

[Valerre]

Valerre sat, crouched beside the back door of the brothel, staring at nothing. Most people seemed to avoid nothing, seeking to fill their meaningless lives with as many things as possible, just so they could feel that their lives, that they themselves were worth something. They weren't of course. Valerre knew that. They were all just fleshy sacks of nothing walking and talking and eating and sleeping and loving and dying. And, when they died, all the fleshy bits melted away, and only nothing remained. It was all quite pointless, really, the deep fear people had of nothing. Valerre didn't see why people tried so hard to avoid it all the time.

He tried to forget. That was the point of it all, after all. All the men, the jokes, the drinking, it was all about forgetting. Not about nothing, but about everything else. Sometimes, it felt like there were so many things pent up inside of him, just waiting to burst out and devour him whole. All the pain and guilt and heartbreak and fear could get so overwhelming that sometimes, Valerre felt like they were suffocating him.

Daphne understood, at least somewhat, anyways. She had come from a similar place, and had gone through some of the same things Valerre had. That was one of the reason whey he loved her so much, that and the fact that she was strong. Though he knew it was a foolish hope, sometimes Valerre liked to pretend that if he stuck by Daphne long enough, some of her strength would rub off on him, and he would be able to overcome the wraith-like memories that haunted his mind. He couldn't be free of his past though, no matter how strong he might become. And Valerre wasn't strong, not even close. He was weak. He was weak, and miserable , and worthless. And so were the things he had inside of him. Even Daphne couldn't understand how he really felt. She was too strong, too perfect, too good. She could never understand what it was to be entirely helpless.

I thought I came out here to forget about everything, not think about it more! That was Valerre's constant frustration. No matter how he tried, how much he drank, or how many men he seduced, it was never enough to escape from what haunted him.

Suddenly, Valerre caught snatches of a conversation from down the alley. The voice was soft, but so was the night, and Valerre caught something about a demonstration, and a fight. Listening carefully, he heard another voice respond, saying, "If they try to fight us we surrender. Then maybe they won't kill us. If they still want to kill us after that, then you can fight. Either way, I'm leaving as soon as they let me."

Ah, so someone's found us. Now Valerre had a decision to make. He could stay silent and continue to focus on nothing. He could fetch Trev, get him to investigate, and try to get some sleep. Or, he could throw caution to the wind and see what these intruders were about, and how much they knew about his home.

Silently, with a gymnast's grace, Valerre rose to his feet and crept into the shadows of the alley. When he reached a concealed spot, he jumped into the air and caught the lip of a windowsill. Gripping with his hands and flexing his core, he flipped himself up and latched his legs over the low roof of the building. He clambered up and circled around to where he had heard the voices, then carefully half climbed, half vaulted down, hoping to surprise them from behind.

"Hello," he said, in what he hoped was his most intimidating voice. For effect, he burned zinc and focused on his own fear of the shadowy figures in the mist ahead of him, and latched onto the fear of the two intruders, pulling it out of them. "I hear you are looking for a brothel. Might I make some recommendations?"

[Wilor Zerrung]

Wilor heard Devin's argument accompanied by a light pattering. Peering down the alley in front of them, he saw nothing, but kept a watchful eye out. Iron burning comfortably in his stomach, he said, "Alright, if you don't think we should fight, I won't." Unless I need to, of course.

Wilor saw Devin open her mouth to respond--probably with some comment about how this was all his idea anyway--when he heard a voice from out of nowhere speak behind them.

Hello, I hear you are looking for a brothel. Might I make some recommendations?" the voice inquired. Wilor spun around instantly, fear rushing through him instantly. He flared iron and grabbed a knife, preparing to fight if necessary.

The man wasn't as intimidating as he sounded. "We are looking for a specific one, you see. I feel like rebelling against convention tonight. Do you know of a place where some fellow rebels against normality attend?" Wilor responded, seeing if the man would catch his references to the rebellion.

Edited by Mailliw73, 24 September 2013 - 01:08 AM.

[Delve]

Delve felt an uncharacteristic fear flare up inside her and she grabbed her dagger. She forced herself spin in a calm manner and then took a step towards the man. He wasn't much. Delve could probably take him by herself, and she wasn't even the best fighter. She was a little thrown off that someone had successfully snuck up on her and a little angry about it. "Stop being so subtle. He's obviously one of them." She muttered to bread man with a roll of her eyes.

[Valerre]

Valerre raised an eyebrow. Their reactions, the synchronized reaching for what Valerre assumed were weapons, while amusing, hadn't been nearly as interesting as Valerre had hoped they would be. I must not have very much fear in me today. That, or these two were not prone to startling, which was equally as likely.

"Me?" He asked, "Obviously one of them? I do hope not. I prefer to think I stand out from the crowd, in any context. Besides, I'm not certain which lot you are trying to lump me in with, but I'm sure they are hideous." Valerre grinned, and focused on his annoyance that his new friends weren't more interesting, hoping his zinc would bring out the same in them. The obviously knew about the rebellion that much was clear. Now the question was were they spies or new recruits? And, by extension, did it necessarily matter to Valerre? True, he had a certain amount of duty to the rebellion, or to Daphne at the very least, to keep the brothel safe. However, he hadn't given anything away yet, and these two had his interest for the moment. It would be a shame to waste such an opportunity.

"How about you two take me out for a drink? I think that sounds like an agreeable plan. You there," he said, gesturing to the bulky looking man with the strange wooden mask on. What kind of fashion statement was he trying to make? "You like you've got some change in your pockets. I know a nice parlor not far from here, where you could get me so drunk I'll tell you everything I know."

[Wilor Zerrung]

"You sure you trust two random strangers to take you to a bar? Fine by me. I'm not opposed to a drink, especially if it looses your tongue a bit, sound good to you Devin?" Wilor was slightly caught off guard with this man's joking. He had assumed the rebels would be much more cautious about safety.

Ah well, I actually wouldn't mind a drink. I want to see where this goes. Wilor ceased his iron-flaring, instead keeping it at a comfortable, low burn.

Edited by Mailliw73, 24 September 2013 - 04:56 PM.

[Delve]

Delve eyed the man she believed to be a rebel and shrugged. "Still need me for moral support?" She joked, carefully keeping up her act. She despised drinking, as it was the only time she was never fully in control of her actions. "Why not." She glanced at the man and muttered to herself, "Who doesn't love going drinking with some dancer you just met."

[Valerre]

Valerre ignored the glares of the shifty younger man. He could tell already that one was not going to be any fun at all. True, under all the dirt and grime he was pretty, for a skaa, but Valerre preferred his men with deeper pockets than this 'Devin' person seemed to have.

The man in the mask, however, he was more interesting. He had not only agreed to Valerre's proposition they go for drinks, but he had also implicitly agreed to pay without a second thought. Perhaps he really is a spy. It was too bad that Valerre could tell already that he wasn't his type, he'd never been with a spy before. Probably not missing out on anything anyways. Attractive people generally didn't wear masks, and the strange man in front of him likely had a reason he wore his.

"Excellent, I know the perfect establishment. It's not far from here actually," Valerre smiled and tilted his head to the side, studying the pair. "Well," he asked, "Shall we?"

[Delve]

"Lead the way." Delve said lightly, just wanting to get away from the brothel. She knew that only the most observant could tell, but it still made her uncomfortable. This man didn't make her very comfortable either, but if she just stayed uninteresting, she hoped he wouldn't pay to much attention to her.

As she examined the situation, Delve cursed inwardly. All she wanted was to get away. She wanted nothing to do with the rebellion, and certainly nothing to do with a rebellion that hid at a brothel. "I assume you have a name? This is bread-man, and I'm Devin. One should always know their drinking companions."

[Wilor Zerrung]

"Yes, let's be off, Blackeyes. I'm ready to talk. What is your name anyway?" Wilor was curious about this man. He seemed almost to carry himself like a noble. He was even wearing nicer clothes than Wilor himself at the moment.

If he acts like a noble, could it be that he is one? Possibly one of those half-breeds. The fact that he worked at a brothel seemed to support that idea. Maybe even an Allomancer! Wilor tried to think of which type he could be, if any. He remembered the fear he had felt when the man dropped behind them. Maybe a Soother or a Rioter? Or a Smoker or Seeker perhaps? The rebellion could use both those very much. If he is a Seeker, he should notice my iron.

Edited by Mailliw73, 25 September 2013 - 10:54 PM.

[Valerre]

"Bread-man? That's an interesting name." I wonder if it means he has the personality of a loaf of bread. Valerre wondered where the strange nick-name had come from, and why the man was using it instead of a real name. "I'm afraid I do not have an interesting nick-name to give, and Black-eyes simply won't do, so my real one will have to suffice. I'm Valerre." The fact that Valerre wasn't actually his real name was inconsequential. The little weak boy he had been before he was called Valerre had been dead for some time. He might still be weak and worthless, but he was stronger than he had been. Whether or not it was his real name, he was Valerre now, plain and simple.

"So," he said with another smile. "What brings you to to this part of our lovely slums?"