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Post by haybalebarn on May 27, 2019 7:18:11 GMT
At his whole commentary on chivalry, Gladia grunts a little. "I appreciate the offer of a bed as well as anyone else, but you're the injured one here, not me. Means it's yours."
Gladia readjusts in a hopeless attempt to find a more comfortable position in the chair, and quietly looks at Sam as she talks with him, since it seems he isn't in the mood to shut up, at the moment. "I am, but the main event doesn't start until the afternoon, and that's my main goal. All the other fluffy stuff in the morning..." She shrugs. "Not much interest. So I can just watch you while you enjoy the fluffy stuff. And no, I'm not from around here."
She gestures around at the brokenness of the room. "I don't really care too much about having a nice place, but this is a bit far gone even for me. Just an abandoned house I found, locals seem fine with me staying in here. Sometimes they leave food at the door for me." She shrugs. "It's a place."
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on May 27, 2019 8:25:58 GMT
Sam nods slightly. "That's fair. Not sure how much interest I have left in the fluffy stuff myself, honestly... I've let my guard down too much, thought I was safe in anonymity. Boy, was I wrong..." He shakes his head. "I doubt I'll be enjoying much of the festival tomorrow if I went... though it might not be a bad idea to go anyway, stick to the shadows, get a lay of the land, gather information." He starts working himself up as he starts planning, rising up a bit as he reaches for his bag, before flinching from the pain once more. He drops down again, sighing. "You know, it was rather nice not having to constantly watch my back for a couple of days... Guess that's out of the question now, at least until I do something about this price on my head..."
He's quiet for a few moments, before shaking off the melancholy and taking another look around the room. "Yeah, this place isn't too much. Kinda reminds me of my first apartment, actually... Bit of a shithole, that... Nice of the folks around here to get you food though. People around here seem to be a lot kinder than they are back home..." He drifts off in thought for a moment, before looking back at Gladia. "Suppose that's why you were knocking out street thugs in alleyways, then? Returning the favour to the city, so to speak?"
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Post by haybalebarn on Jun 1, 2019 8:57:26 GMT
"Quite frankly, you'll probably be safer in a crowd tomorrow morning instead of a dingy abandoned house. Easier to attack you here without interference." Gladia shrugs. "I mean, that's why you're here, right? So you don't have to look over your shoulder anymore. If you're lucky it might be sooner than you think... although I have a feeling nothing is going to be that easy, with the Oracle."
She narrows her eyes as he reaches for his bag shaking her head, but not saying anything. "Yeah, the people I've met have been nice. I suppose it comes from it being a smaller town that's a bit isolated from the world and has a protector that can see the future. Less reason to worry about things, more reasons to be nice."
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Jun 1, 2019 13:23:35 GMT
Sam nods. "True, true. Staying out of the open should grant me some protection. And now at least I know what to look out for."
He grins wryly at Gladia's mention of the Oracle. "Yeah, doubt the Oracle's answers will be quite as straightforward as just telling what the best plan of action will be... Still, knowledge is knowledge, and knowledge is my trade."
He lays down and sighs. "Apt description of this place. I've only been here for a week and it's the most peaceful place I've seen... Till, you know." He gestures to his wounds. "That was probably my own fault, really..."
He's quiet for a few moments, contemplating things, before sighing again. "We should probably get some rest. I've kept you up long enough and I should probably calm down to let my wounds rest."
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Post by haybalebarn on Jun 4, 2019 18:32:35 GMT
Gladia nods quietly, closing her eyes and sinking back into rest. "I was wondering when you were going to get tired."
Despite having the bed, while Gladia sleeps in the chair, Sam is the one that has trouble sleeping. Every time he gets close to sleep, there is a burning sensation in his back, his position suddenly become uncomfortable, or a new rush of adrenaline suddenly appears, ready to defend against the threat long since gone, but that could return at any time. When he sleeps, he dreams of fangs, of fire, of Olivia standing in the middle of a burnt out house, claws of shadow reaching out to grab her, turning to teeth, to Olivia's eyes turning black, the shadows rushing from her, clawing and biting at Sam in this horrific dream. They're biting, piercing, searching for something, one pierces his ear, a sharp pain stabbing through to his mind, probing his thoughts...
Sam awakens to the sharp pain of a pointed beak, biting at his ear. Seeing that he is awake, escaping from the nightmare, Celia hoots in relief, nuzzling up again Sam face and fluffing up. Bright light pierces its way through the boarded windows, shining directly into his eyes, no matter how he seems to move his face to try and avoid it.
Standing beside the bed is a small, bladed, metal pokemon of red, black, and silver, seemingly standing watch, on guard. The door to the room opens, and Gladia enters, holding two wrapped bundles in her hands. She blinks at Sam, seeing he's now awake. "Catch."
A moment later, the small wrapped item flies through the air, and lands near him on the bed if he doesn't catch it. Gladia wraps her own, revealing a delicate, sweet smelling pastry, and she begins quietly eating it, sitting against the desk.
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Jun 4, 2019 21:40:40 GMT
Sam lies still for a few moments after waking up, one hand petting Celia while the other hand blocks as much of the sunlight as he can, breathing a bit shakily as he regains his composure from what was probably the worst night of sleep he has had in a while. That wasn't ominous at all... At least the wound has stopped burning quite as much...
He starts getting up as Gladia walks in, deftly catching the package she tosses to him. He unwraps it, quickly digging into the pastry within. He eats in silence for a few moments, savouring the baked good. After finishing it, he turns to Gladia. "Hope you slept better than I did. Turns out burn wounds sting like hell."
He looks over to the boarded up window. "Any idea what time it is?"
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Post by haybalebarn on Jun 6, 2019 23:55:37 GMT
Gladia begins to pack up her things as she eats, strapping her sword to her back and tossing a large travel bag over her shoulder. "Slept as well as I always do. And yeah, they do. Have a few scars from some nasty burns. Still sting occasionally."
She pulls out a pokeball and recalls her little metal sentinel, then looks to Sam. "Mid-morning, festival has already started." As she says this, Sam can notice the sound of distant, large crowds squeezing their way through the boards of the window.
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Jun 8, 2019 18:45:58 GMT
Sam nods, and slowly stands up, testing if his side still hurt quite as much. When it seems like the wound is getting less painful, he smiles slightly, before looking doing at himself. Quickly spotting the rather ruffled and scorch marked state of his shirt, he sighs. "I suppose I should change before heading out," he mutters to himself as he digs around his bag for some spare clothing. Taking out a clean shirt, he begins to ask Gladia if she would mind turning around or something, before shaking his head slightly. "Oh, whatever," he mutters, as he turns his back on her and gingerly begins changing out his shirt.
Once dressed in a significantly less burned shirt, he turns back to Gladia, putting his singed shirt in his bag and slinging it over his shoulder, Celia landing on his other shoulder. "Well then, ready if you are."
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Post by haybalebarn on Jun 13, 2019 22:24:20 GMT
Gladia either doesn't look or doesn't care as Sam changes his shirt, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She nods when he asks if she's ready, leading him down a rickety pair of stairs and out onto the bright, cheery streets.
Everywhere around, there is color and noise, bright greens, pinks, blues, the pastel colors of spring. There is singing and dancing, peddlers hawking their wares, and no small amount of opportunities to buy magical charms and talismans, dreamcatchers, or less mystical but perhaps more satisfying, a wide variety of Oracle and fortune-telling themed foods, from Muunamist candy to apples grown supposedly grown from the seed of a tree blessed by Celebi, the options of what one could buy were near limitless.
The town square was surprisingly the least noisy place in the entire town, although far more crowded. Along the edges were various booths dedicated primarily to palm readings, tarot readings, aura readings, and every other imaginable type of fortunetelling possible. In the center of the square was a large tree, with a large stage built entirely around it. Currently, there was a group of dancers up on stage, mostly dressed in green, with long ribbons wrapped around their arms, trailing behind them, dancing to what sounded to be like some sort of wordless, traditional folk song, but it was hard to tell exactly what from the edge of the square.
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Jun 13, 2019 23:13:23 GMT
Sam looks around as Gladia and he are walking through town, taking in the sights and colours of the festival, while also keeping a sly eye out for any potential issues. Giving some small glances at the various food stalls, he mentally sighs at the currently rather empty state of his wallet. Shaking that particular issue off for the moment, he turns to Gladia. "Let's see if we can't find some free entertainment. Might as well try and seem interested in the festival, draws less suspicion."After arriving at the square, he takes a few moments to get closer to the centre stage to where other people were watching and observe the dancing for a little bit, before breaking off and glancing over to the various fortune tellers that had set up shop around the square. One in particular catches his eye, and he casually meanders his way over to him. A pale man, with dark hair, wearing bright, extravagant red robes covered in depictions of Gods and Pokémon, with part of either a tattoo or Mark of Ho-Oh peaking out at the right side of his neck, and an Arbok tattoo snaking around his right arm. The stall he's sitting at is surprisingly simple, considering the dress and general presentation of the man, a simple table with a deck of tarot cards and several items that seem to be either amulets or small vials. Perception Check for Sam: rsNxbokI3d6 Perception Check for Celia to keep an eye on trouble: 4d6 3d6·4d6
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Post by haybalebarn on Jun 22, 2019 8:06:59 GMT
Sam cannot immediately find any trouble as his eyes scan the crowd... but something feels off, but he can't quite put his finger on what. Celia remains perched on his shoulder, keeping her eyes peeled, ready to alert him the moment something happens.
Gladia grunts in response as he suggests they go to a stall, following after Sam. The man is currently shuffling his deck, and he looks up at Sam and Gladia with a pleasant smile. "Oh, hello there! I suppose since you're here, you want a reading, hmm?" The man beams, spreading his arms wide, and gestures to two chairs opposite the table of himself. "Go on then, go on then, sit down, don't be shy, don't be shy. So, what sort of reading are you two interested in, looking to solve a lover's quarrel are you?" The man grins as he says this, a teasing glint in his eye, shuffling his deck with that intensely crisp, satisfying noise.
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Jun 22, 2019 12:22:11 GMT
Sam grins and shakes his head at the man as he sits down on one of the offered chairs. "Nah, we're not a couple. Just friends."
He leans forward, elbows resting on his legs. "No, there's only... two things I'm really interested in right now." He holds up one finger. "First off, I had to leave my sister behind back home when I left, and I've been worried about her. I'd like to know how she's doing." He holds up two fingers. "Secondly, I've been having some trouble with people chasing me lately, and I'd like to know a bit more about them, if you can give me that."
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Post by haybalebarn on Aug 25, 2019 7:01:30 GMT
Gladia huffs as the fortuneteller suggests that she and Sam are a couple, but doesn't say anything else, angling a chair somewhat away from the teller and towards the crowd, scanning it for trouble. The fortuneteller doesn't seem to mind her disinterest focusing on Sam as he nods along. "Well, one reading for you and one for the lady, but we'll see what the cards have in mind for both your questions, shall we?"
He claps his hands together, and shuffles the cards for a few moments in a showmanlike manner, closing his eyes and whispering to himself as he does so. He stops shuffling suddenly, his eyes snapping open, hand hovering over the top card of the deck. "The first card of your three is..." He flips the top card of the deck, and it hits the table with a snap, revealing the gilded image of a swirling, red and white form, a representation of Latias, the top of the card facing towards Sam. The man clicks his tongue a few times. "Hmm, Latias Reversed. The first card in a set of three tends to have the most relevance to the past, but it is not restricted to it. Fitting that we were talking about your sister when the sister of the Eons appears. Latias typically represents teaching, mentoring, growth and tender care, but in the reverse, it often represents a discord. I would imagine it is tied to you leaving her behind, as you mentioned. This has almost certainly put a strain on her, but overall, seeing Latias here is a good sign. If your sister was in peril, we almost certainly would not see the influence of such a positive goddess. As such, we can interpret that she is fine, but your relationship is not how it should be, the energies are not pointed in the typical direction. She is growing, learning, developing as a person in her time away from you, but it is strained, because you are suddenly gone.I would imagine she is used to relying greatly on you?"
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Aug 25, 2019 8:34:04 GMT
Sam steels his expression as the first card comes up, making sure to keep his inner turmoil from showing too much at the man's explanation, as slowly his heart is breaking another time as he thinks of his sister, and how he may have inevitably damaged their relationship. Only some consternation and concern shows as he answers. "Yeah... yeah, we rely on each other a lot. All we've got left, nowadays. Neither of us liked that I had to leave, but... I had to. But, she's safe now, and that's all that matters." He takes a somewhat shaky breath to steady himself. "The next card?"
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Post by haybalebarn on Oct 4, 2019 8:45:57 GMT
The man doesn't seem to relax at Sam's change in expression, sitting patiently. Gladia, meanwhile, doesn't appear to be listening, or if she is, is masking it very well. When Sam is ready, the teller flips the next card, and as he sees it, a frown forms on his face.
On the card is an esoteric symbol which is facing towards the fortune teller, inlaid in silver, and not one that Sam immediately recognizes. "Isn't much fun when the cards just come out and tell me so obviously, now is it..." The teller sighs a little, but quickly bounces back as he glances up. "Well, what we have hear is the middle card, which deals most strongly with the Present. For you, this is The Weaver of When, currently facing in the forward position. All of that means there is a massive conflux of energy that says your life is, firstly, flowing with the weave of time, as fate intends, and secondly, is about to change massively. Given where we are, and the event which is taking place today, I think we can take a bit of a guess here. Although, nothing is guaranteed, but Celebi and the Weaver of When are closely linked. But anyways, let us see if there is anything more interesting in store for your future."
The teller claps his hand and immediately flips over the next card, and image of a radiant sun bursting forwards, the card almost glowing with light, oriented towards the teller once again. He blinks, then smiles a little. "Ah, and here is something interesting. Solgaleo in the forward orient. Bursting, bright, radiant, intense. Many things are going to come to light, whether or not you want it. While people often associate the sun with all things good, it is also harsh, uncaring. In terms of your sister, it suggests a reunion, but it does not guarantee a positive one, only suggests it. One way or another, things will come to fruition, and the only thing I can say for certain is that, for you, events in your life will almost certainly come to a dramatic point of closure as everything comes to light."
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Oct 4, 2019 10:40:59 GMT
Sam chuckles nervously at the man's description of the second card, glad it's simply a sign of change, which he is seeking here anyway, rather than a bad omen of some sort. The last card... is an interesting one. Bringing things to light was... kinda his job, and was definitely part of the reason why he had left Viter in the first place, so it is encouraging to see, but the whole 'dramatic point of closure' thing is ... less than thrilling. He'd honestly prefer for this whole ordeal to end quietly without too much fuss as he manages to bring his sister and himself somewhere safe and sound, but now it seemed that wasn't really in the cards (literally) anymore. He grins wryly, once more trying his best to keep any worry off his face. "It would seem I'm going to be living in interesting times for a bit longer, then. Suppose it was too much to hope for things to go smoothly. Thanks for the reading." He turns slightly to address Gladia. "You wanna move on, or interested in a reading yourself?" he asks, more for the form of it than anything, as he takes a quick look to his surroundings to see if any issues have popped up. Perception check: btqYeSRX3d6 3d6
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Post by haybalebarn on Oct 6, 2019 7:15:31 GMT
Gladia glances over at the teller and snorts slightly. "Normally I'd say no, but..." She glances out at the crowd through the opening between the curtains, nodding her head, and Sam catches exactly what she's looking at, even before she's pointed it out... One of the two men from the previous night, the larger, more commanding one, stands near the stage in the center of the square, elevated a bit, looking out over the crowd, very conspicuously searching. He doesn't seem to have spotted the pair in the sheltered stall, but he's definitely looking this direction. If they stepped out right now, they'd almost certainly be seen.
Gladia stands up out of her chair and somewhat naturally pulls the curtain closed a little further, then looks to Sam, leaning down to speak into his ear. "Mind giving me your chair? Other one is uncomfortable, and we need to kill a little time anyways... Although I have a hunch this reading isn't going to take as long as yours, try and think of something?"
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Oct 6, 2019 8:38:27 GMT
Sam stifles a curse as he spots the bounty hunter, nodding curtly at Gladia's request, before standing up and switching chairs. Using the change of perspective to scan the crowd, he looks both for the other bounty hunter, as well as potential escape routes, his mind racing with potential plans to get away from the square unseen, or at least without being followed... Perception: YBsfZ3Ef3d6+2 Spending 1 AP Stealth check to figure out escape route? 4d6 3d6+2·4d6
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Post by haybalebarn on Oct 10, 2019 9:46:47 GMT
It doesn't take Sam more than a few moments to scan the crowd, the adrenaline rush turning into cool focus instead of panicky chaos. The most obvious thing of note is Levin, the larger one from last night, is stilling standing on the raised platform, scanning the crowd in a lazily repeating pattern which is easy enough to memorize.
The second thing Sam notices is that... the square has an incredibly large amount of guards and festival officials scattered throughout, and given how crowded it is, this really isn't the place to start a direct conflict unless you want to be arrested very, very quickly. The side streets are almost as crowded as the main square, but with a far smaller presence of guards and officials. The only exception to this is the large road that leads towards the temple just out of town, which seems to be lined with festival staff and sprinkled with guards.
And then, out of the corner of his eye, just barely in the line of sight, Sam spots a familiar, hooded figure: Markos, the second thug from the other night. At the moment, he's preoccupied as he talks with a purple-haired woman at a charm and talisman covered stall nearby, purchasing a small paper tag and palming it before setting off into the mess of the crowd, not directly towards Sam and Gladia, but in the vicinity, eyes roving.
As far as Sam can tell, there are many good options out of the current predicament; the burden in the situation is mostly on the hunters, not those avoiding attention. As long as he and Gladia stay in the stall, they're fairly safe, unless the hunters want to start a scene by barging into private readings in a frantic searching, which would probably get them kicked out. If he wanted to flee into one of the side streets, it would be easier to avoid notice, bouncing from stall to stall, but once out of the main square, the protective official presence would drop of significantly. Alternatively, they could make their way towards the main temple, and bet the hunters are too cowardly to start a scene in eyesight of at least 20 different people who would immediately attempt to stop them. Or they could try and wait it out in the current stall, or a myriad other options, but those seem to be two of the best.
As for the reading, Gladia brushes off the tattooed tellers attempts at small talk, just staring at him with a mix of disinterest and disdain. He takes his time shuffling, then hovers a hand over the top card of the deck. "Well, we're ready to begin, unless you object to your partner here hearing the reading?"
Gladia simply grunts in acceptance at the teller grins impishly, slowly flipping the first card... and his nearly unbreakably cheery expression falters for a moment as a card of piercing blue eyes in a cloud of shadowy, wispy black tendrils is revealed. When he speaks again, the tone is neutral, a bit delicate as he tries to find the right words to say, glancing at Gladia nervously. "Darkrai, in the inverse."
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Oct 10, 2019 18:33:11 GMT
Sam smiles slightly as he spots the second bounty hunter milling about one of the stalls, glad he managed to track both down and sure he'd be able to keep an eye on them both and figure out a good moment to leave the stall, especially with Levin scanning the area as lax as he is. With the number of guards and officials present, as well as the crowd in general, he's fairly certain he can get both Gladia and himself out of here and out hidden amongst the people without too much trouble, and quietly riding the crowds over to the temple should leave them protected enough that the two bounty hunters wouldn't be able to get to them even if they spotted them.
For now, Sam is content to simply keep an eye out, and listens with a half ear as the fortune teller begins Gladia's reading, said ear perking up at the mention of the first card. That's... interesting. First card was past so... some betrayal in there, I'd imagine.
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