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Post by Nephele on Apr 26, 2023 20:32:36 GMT -5
Nephele was surprised at the question, blinking. She doesn't immediately respond, as if still contemplating what was asked. Nephele hadn't really expected such a heavy question, much less one about homesickness of all things. Was the universe cross with her or something? Why was she thinking so much of "home" these days?
Clearly taken aback, Nephele shut the door behind her, both hands on the knob as it clicked closed. She stared up at the ceiling in contemplation, sighing while deep in thought. She ran through the million ways she could address this situation, fluttering her lashes as she considered how to properly word it.
"Um...would you believe me if I said that I just, didn't?" Her shoulders lifted the more she talked, as if she was expecting to be judged and putting up an anxious wall. She was telling the truth though, and Nephele further elaborated with a shrug. "Not that I don't get homesick, but for me I found that home was more of a person than a place. And quite frankly, I didn't really like being 'home'." Nephele made air quotes with her fingers, returning her hands to her arms to squeeze. She tilted her head, regarding C'Leena in silence for a moment.
"If I were to give you any advice, talking has always helped me. It's been much longer for me than you but I have no problem just listening to you reminisce." Nephele hated that she couldn't provide more, and though every fiber of her being wanted to, she couldn't quite articulate anything further. The fact that C'Leena was so nostalgic of a time that was so recent was enough to make her frustrated that she couldn't help her further. It showed in the pinch of her brow and the purse of her lips, a sad stare trained on her.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 27, 2023 3:16:02 GMT -5
"Hm. Honestly, I'm not sure what there is to talk about. There's both so much and so little I know for certain. I could describe my work and what that entailed, but every time I talk about anything medical, you have that look on your face like the many patients back home who don't know what medication I just prescribed them," She laughs lightly.
She leaned back in the chair, rocking it on it's hind legs. She's had a thought and it's one she's quite pleased with. "I understand home being a person. That was Rose for me, but you know how that particular story ends. After some thought, I've made an observation," She stands - albeit awkwardly with one leg - and sits on the bed, beckoning Nephele to sit next to her.
"I've always heard that home is subjective. Doesn't even need to be a place as we both well know. You being around has.. helped more than you realize. I mean, come on, my worst fear - not including open flames - is being seen with all this shit," she motions to her scarring, "And here I am, sitting here with just a damn bra on with little issue. So, I'd like to ask something.
"Will you be my home? It 'aint as easy as just saying it, but we're both here for the ride together. Can't be homesick if home is right next to me, hm?" She smiles, looking Nephele in the eyes. She hadn't missed the frustration and sadness emanating from Nephele, and she wanted to try to alleviate that. C'Leena shifts, and frowns. It's clear she just tried to cross her leg - the one on the table across the room - over the other.
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Post by Nephele on Apr 27, 2023 3:44:02 GMT -5
This...wasn't where Nephele thought this conversation was going. Now, was she complaining? No. Was she happy? Immensely. But was the only thing holding her tears back a singular blink? Oh gods, yes.
Nephele's lips parted then closed, her breath coming out stuttered as she tried and failed to find things to say. This wasn't another dream, right? Oh gods, was C'Leena going to disappear and have all of this be a dream? Suddenly panicked, Nephele quickly cradled C'Leena's face in her palms, an unsure tremor in her hands. They'd probably been travelling what, a week together? And yet...
"...How are you real?" Nephele's voice broke on the last word, squeaking as she smiled. Her worry hadn't completely dissolved, but the majority of that energy morphed into something lighter, happier. It took her a minute to come to her senses, simply staring at C'Leena with so much glee that it was almost overwhelming. She then yanked her into a tight hug, strong enough that it probably popped something. "You will have me for as long as you need me. And I hope that you wouldn't mind me having you, too."
Nephele's smile was so wide at this point, and now that she was tucked away into her shoulder she could let her tears fall freely. She hated how easily emotional she got, but she couldn't stop herself sometimes. Especially now, with her stupid hopeless romantic heart hammering so loud and fast it was like a jackrabbit's, huge emphasis on the 'hopeless' bit.
Realizing C'Leena's leg situation, Nephele quickly drew away. She remembered that yeah, Cee was topless and her scars were exposed, and her sense of awareness came back. "Ah, I'm sorry, do you need help with this? Nevermatter, I'll help you." Nephele was suddenly full of energy, standing to go grab her leg.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 27, 2023 4:22:21 GMT -5
"What, you afraid I'm going to vanish in a puff of smoke? Nah, you're stuck with me, sweetheart. I know, torturous, how will you ever cope?" She says with a wry smile on her face.
When C'Leena was wrapped up in the hug, it took her a second before returning it, holding on tightly. For whatever reason, the nerves in her scars never healed properly, so she either has incredibly dulled sense in those regions, or none at all. Her shoulder is one of the places where she lacks feeling. The only thing telling C'Leena that Nephele was crying, was that the tears were also hitting her neck. And she held on tighter, lightly running her fingers through Nepheles hair.
When Nephele broke it off, she let her - albeit begrudgingly. Nepheles eyes looked red, but she looked happy. "What're you sorry for? No need to be sorry," She collapses backwards onto the bed with a sigh. She still missed home, without a doubt, but Nephele just had a way to make things easier. C'Leena isn't certain that even Nephele knows what she's doing. Whatever it is, it's akin to magic.
"Now, I do want to take that bath. Unless you want to put me into another spine crushing hug, I'm gonna finish up cleaning the joint, and go do that," she says, before quietly adding "You're a really fucken good hugger, so I wouldn't be complaining."
So, she lay there, awaiting her express delivery of her leg, courtesy of Nephele. Definitely a sentence she thought she wouldn't make, but here we are. She has a smile on her face as she looks up at the ceiling, thinking only one thing.
Never let her go.
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Post by Nephele on Apr 27, 2023 4:53:31 GMT -5
The following days were spent together, as most tended to. Nephele was more than happy to help C’Leena with her work, even if all she really did was sit there on the bed and try and read what she had scrawled down with a pinched expression. The nymph tagged along for a majority of the time, but she found herself visiting the bath at least twice a day leading up to when they had to leave. She knew that if they were on the road, the likelihood of them finding time to bathe would be a bit scarce. Nephele was hypervigilant to make sure that the two of them carried with them plenty of water, even if their employers supplied them with resources. Despite her pacifist nature, Nephele didn't trust a noble as far as she could throw them, which as she reiterated several times, wasn't very far.
Nephele also found herself doing a mixture of mediating and working out, often falling into a complex pose and meditating through them like it was yoga. C'Leena walked in on her once with her legs crossed and resting behind her head, breathing deeply as she prepared both mentally and physically.
On the day of their departure, Nephele tied her hair back again. She had washed the clothes she had been wearing for the past couple of days the night before in preparation, with the shawl wrapped around her shoulders and head. Considering they hadn’t posted a formal notice of where they were staying, Nephele kept an eye out for any strange looking on goers.
“You'd think it would be easier to find them, if they needed escorts so badly.” Nephele stretched her arms up into a wide arc yawning as she got used to the heat. “Then again I suppose they wouldn't stoop to ask for help.”
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 27, 2023 5:35:47 GMT -5
"Yeah, you'd think, huh?" She practically spat. As they've been looking, C'Leena has slowly been growing more and more irritated, and it really was showing. "Ugh, okay, lets go check the north gate seeing as we haven't been there yet. Maybe they're already waiting there or something."
C'Leena followed her own suggestion, walking and weaving through the crowds. Her stride practically screams 'Piss off' as people subtly shift out of her path. Anger has always been something of an issue for C'Leena, especially after recent events in the past 5 years. Her anger is almost contagious, emanating an aura of hostility.
A few minutes pass as they make their way to the gate. Sitting off the side of the road is a horse drawn carriage with a familiar house crest emblazoned on the door. Outside is standing a rather short guard of sorts, wearing a breastplate, helmet and greaves and a spear resting on his shoulder, a broadsword on his hip and a look of forced neutrality.
To those familiar with guards (AKA not C'Leena), the guard would scream 'Newbie'. Probably sent on this for 'experience' by the guard captain. Their posture is shaky at best, as if they're unused to standing in the same position for hours on end. The guard is idly spinning the spear into the ground, making a small divet where the butt of the spear is resting.
His attention snaps to C'Leena who is now walking up to the guard. She's managed to subdue the irritation from her stride and features, but it's far from a perfect job. She pulls out the rolled up job posting and hands it to the guard.
"Here to escort the nobles. Need anything from us?" She says in a surprisingly collected tone. Nephele would immediately recognize the small signs screaming that she's putting on a show. Her hands are behind her back, her posture is unnaturally straight and her smile is forced, not reaching her eyes whatsoever. She's essentially standing at parade rest, all in an effort to subdue her irritation.
The guard looks down at the paper, then up at the duo. He raises an eyebrow but shrugs and knocks on the carriage door.
"Sire and Lady McKnight, the escorts have arrived." The guard says, in an apparent practiced tone. Inside, some shifting is heard as the carriage lighty rocks from whatever is going on inside.
"Finally! What took them so long?" A somewhat masculine voice says from inside. The voice truly sounds like it was from a teenager with an ego bigger than his head. The figure that opens the door only confirms that.
Standing at the door, looking down at C'Leena and Nephele is what seems to be what can only be described as a really tall child. Probably around 15-17, their figure screams 'I haven't done anything for myself since the day I was born'. Wearing fancy clothing that doesn't fit the regions fashion. The clothing more closely resembles something you'd find in Sol City instead of the middle of the desert.
The kid has short blonde hair that somehow seems to be perfect in every way, from the cleanliness to how it's styled, it seems impeccable.
"Go, Leave us, guard." The boy says dismissively. The guard looks hesitant, but complies, walking away to what looks to be a guard house not too far from where they're stood. "So, a Human and a Fey. Can't say I have high hopes with the two of you."
C'Leena bites the inside of her lip as she looks at what must be Y'Vaan. Her forced smile falters for a moment before she speaks up.
"You've said three things since we got here and I already hate you. Frankly, I'm here to get paid and get to where we're going. I'm going to put this straight and easy for you to understand: I don't give a rats ass who you are or what your last name is. It means nothing to me. You can yell about being a noble all you want, but that only works if someone gives a fuck. Understood?"
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Post by Nephele on Apr 27, 2023 6:25:05 GMT -5
Nephele was exhausted already. She was used to the insults by now, after years of enduring them through travel, so she was pretty certain that whatever the snobby Noble would have to say, would not be anything too debilitating. In fact, and judging by his stature, he did not seem that he would be capable of even scratching her ego.
“Y’vaan! What’s all that noise?”
The sound of a girls voice came from the carriage, preluding a pair of far too expensive and dressy shoes, and billows of fancy skirts. The girl who stepped out could only be around the boy’s age, perhaps younger, if you squint, her hair also blonde. It lay across her shoulders in uniform curls that look as though they took hours to put together.
Yeah, Nephele was not going to enjoy this.
Keira McKnight walked over with clear irritation, clearly despising the way that the sand was kicked up by her feet and loudly exclaiming in irritation. “Y’vaan, this is no time for conversing with riffraff, we have to go. Father will be especially cross with us if we stay a moment longer—“
“Actually,” Nephele interrupted without much care, “we are here to escort you. My companion was just explaining that before you interrupted.”
The look that in Nephele was fixed with was nothing new; the disdain, distrust, and fear upon hearing her voice was enough. She could feel herself tense, somehow, forgetting the reality that she was living in. Instead of verbally responding to her, Keira quickly turned to her…brother? Companion? Nephele really couldn’t care.
“Them? Seriously? Did no others come?” She hissed in a horrific stage whisper, clearly disbelieving. Nephele nearly rolled her eyes, instead, choosing to focus on a bug that flew by.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 27, 2023 6:52:39 GMT -5
"Mhm, just us. Name is Dr. C'Leena Thomas, this is Nephele. Now, are you going to allow us to do our job or are you going to keep holding us up?" C'Leena says in an impatient tone that also exuded a sense of authority. Sometimes you gain strange skills as a doctor, with telling patients basically to sit down and shut up.
Y'Vaan, apparently had never been spoken to like C'Leena spoke to him, his face morphing from shock to anger. He looked like he was about to go into a tirade before something in C'Leenas features shut him down completely. Y'Vaan stomped back into the carriage, going to do who knows what.
"Good enough for me. Come on, lets get going." C'Leena moves to the front of the carriage, where she climbs onto the seat infront of the box and takes hold of the reigns. She looks mildly confused for a moment before Nephele hears C'Leenas voice in her mind1.
"I'm going to set aside the irritation for a moment. By the way, how the fuck are these people so irritating? Jesus I hate nobles. Anyway, You wouldn't happen to know how to drive a carriage, would you? I can probably wing it, but better if you do it if you know how." Somehow, her chuckle also comes through. C'Leena looks at Nephele, gives her a quick wink and offers her a hand up.
C'Leena has watched a number of old westerns, and might have a grasp on how to do this? Just crack the reigns, the horses go, pull a bit right to go right, pull a bit left to go left. Seems simple enough? She hopes so, at least. At least Y'Vaans angry rambling that he probably thinks is quiet is therapeutic.
1Message
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Post by Nephele on Apr 27, 2023 12:46:54 GMT -5
Nephele was relieved that the small talk was over, giving Keira a once over before following C'Leena. She paused to pet the horses, cooing at them softly as they snorted and sniffed her cool hand curiously. There were only two horses, two stocky geldings of around the same size, towering over her. One was a roan color while the other looked more palomino. The roan one nibbled at Nephele's palm before realizing that she had no food, turning its massive neck away with a flick to its tail. At least they were friendly, had they been stallions they would be a little more temperamental.
She startled a bit when she heard C'Leena's voice in her head, relaxing when she saw her looking at her and knowing it wasn't a weird amalgamation created by her mind. Nephele responds in her own head, shrugging: "I've ridden wild horses before, but this is a bit more uniform than I'm used to. I could try, these handsome geldings seem kind enough."
A loud "ahem" distracted her from her response, and Nephele slowly turned to lock eyes with Keira, who was surprisingly still standing there. Nephele's entire demeanor sagged into unreadable, blank eyes, "Mind getting in the carriage? We can't quite leave without you."
"Well we can't quite get anywhere if you're moseying up with our horses are you? What, plan to nick one once we've crossed over the desert?" Her voice was nasal and accusatory, like nails on a chalkboard inches from your ear. Nephele blinked a few times, looking between Keira, C'Leena, and the horse she was petting on the nose.
"...Excuse me?" She managed after a confused moment. Because first her mind went to the logistics, like how the hell would they nap an entire horse? Especially what appeared to be an expensive one; they were much larger than expected.
"You heard me!" Keira retaliated, cutting her eyes between the two with a little caution as her voice got lower. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing. You're both sketchy characters, and if I find so much as one thing missing I promise my father will--"
"Okay. Please, get in the carriage. You bore me." Nephele sounded almost robotic, as if she were running out of energy just looking at her. The blonde's jaw dropped, scoffing and finally stomping back to the carriage where her heel nearly slipped on the sand. With a deep sigh, Nephele pat the geldings on their heads one last time before climbing into the box beside C'Leena, her face completely unreadable.
"If I don't get out of this interaction without getting arrested, love, you owe me three days of uninterrupted kisses and I refuse to elaborate." With that oddly finite statement, Nephele grabbed the reins, not taking off until C'Leena was settled beside her.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 27, 2023 13:53:59 GMT -5
Watching Nephele interact with the horses with what seems to C'Leena to be with practiced familiarity was heartwarming and made her smile.. Right up until the noble decided to make an appearance.
"Oh, you'll get your father, will you? Gonna go fucken complain to big papa? Fuck outta here you pisser," she quietly rants to herself, the first and second sentences being said in a mock baby voice. With Kiera already inside the carriage, Nephele was the only person to overhear her. C'Leena looks far more irritated by these two than is reasonable, and frankly moments away from breaking something. Despite this, she is sat still, hand still outstretched for Nephele to take and with a look of neutrality on her face.
"If you get arrested, I'm going to be arrested alongside you. I'll see if we can get a shared cell." She pauses, and smirks slightly. "It's a win-win, really. Down two nobles, or 3 days of kisses. I see no downsides. Anyway, lets go before these.. Siblings? These siblings make me beat them to death with their own limbs." She pauses yet again, this time the smirk is replaced by a look of mixed surprise and amusement. "Huh. Shaa had more of a profound effect on me than I thought."
With that, C'Leena helps Nephele up, hands over the reigns and gives the go ahead to begin. The start of the ride was awfully uneventful. Scalding day in the middle of the desert. The pair of voices inside move from not-so-quiet complaints to more quiet general discussion about who knows what.
Hours turned into 2 days. Finally they're leaving the damn desert. As much as C'Leena loved the climate, there was a point to her adoration. Eventually, the sand constantly getting into her joints began to outweigh the climate. Following a dirt road along a mountainside, the carriage turns around a bend, and ahead is a fallen tree blocking the path. C'Leena scoffs.
"Ah, beautiful. I've seen enough movies to know where this is going. Stop us here for a moment, Gotta tell the pair of Stooges inside whats going on." Throughout the trip, C'Leena has been calling them various unique insults and names, all while avoiding their real names. Hurling things like 'Fuckwits', 'Pair of half-sucked mangoes', and C'Leenas personal favorite, 'The fucken Gronks'.
C'Leena doesn't fully dismount, instead holding onto the railing atop the carriage and standing on one of the wheels. A quick knock beckons V'aas to open the door. He goes to say something, before C'Leena interrupts. "Nuh uh, silence is all you need, champ. Look here, roads blocked, shits probably about to fly off the handles. Unless you want to get your pancreas removed with a butter knife, stay in here, mkay?" She says matter-of-factly. Since the door swings outwards, she moves to close the door, quickly saying "Heads," before the door closes. Both thankfully, and upsettingly, V'aas didn't get hit.
"Never say that I'm not a good person," C'Leena says to Nephele, relating to her 'warning'. She jumps off the carriage and begins walking ahead, toward the fallen tree. Either she's wrong, and she and maybe Nephele move it out the way, or she's right, and.. She's not sure where to go from there, but she'll figure it out.
Her answer comes shortly after, in the form of rustling bushes and 4 figures step out, all bearing leather armor and shortswords.
"Well, Well. Look at what we have here. Easy pickings, it seems." The supposed leader said. Only way that C'Leena could tell is that he was stood infront of everyone else. C'Leena was largely unamused.
"Do you practice that in the mirror back home? Cause it was spot on, champ. Bloody well done. Now, it seems to me that you're threatening the caravan I've been employed to protect," She flicks out her rapier with a flourish, the blade ringing out as she holds it horizontally to her right. The sun glints off the blade. "And, in turn, threatening my woman. You've two options: One, you scarper, and no blood is drawn today. Or two, you continue down this road and I use your body," She points the rapier to one of the bandits in the back, looking mildly unsure of the situation. "To give all your mates a live anatomy lesson, and I do mean live."
C'Leena settles into a relaxed stance, blade lowered, left hand behind her back and her body facing toward the mountains to their left. She is using this situation as a way to vent remnant anger, and C'Leena looks downright furious. With that, she gives a single worded command.
"Decide."
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Post by Nephele on Apr 27, 2023 15:05:42 GMT -5
Nephele stretched her arms and legs out, squeaking as she went to follow C'Leena. She wasn't quite sure what C'Leena was talking about until the four figures emerged from the bushes, like a theatrical band of thieves she'd heard about in her mother's stories. She blinked in surprise, "Oh."
Nephele leapt to the ground, barely making a sound when she landed. She wandered over with her hands behind her back, sizing them up as she approached C'Leena's side. They all looked bigger than her physically, with pretty solid builds. The bigger they are the harder they fall, she reasoned.
One of their number guffawed at C'Leena's threat, only growing more smug when Nephele removed her shawl from her head. "C'mon boss, it's just a couple of broads. What, you fixin' to give us a show, ladies?"
The other two laugh, and Nephele's eyes narrow. She slowly moves into a peculiar stance, her palms extending in front of her with a foot forward. It's not an exact fighting stance, taking inspiration from the people in the Crescent Isles and what she learned from training on her own time.1 She grounded herself and took in each person's form, memorizing them.
"Of course." Nephele responded seriously, suddenly smiling. "You can be the stars of the show before we send you to meet your maker."
With a huff, the same bandit growled in irritation, and without much discipline charged toward them with his sword swinging. It had been so long since Nephele had been in a fight, but she was fine with that. She needed to get her licks in anyway.
Nephele met the man in the middle, narrowly dodging a wide arc of the blade by dipping low to the ground as he shouted in anger. She then placed her hands on the ground, kicking his feet out from under him with a sweep of her legs before standing up. It happened so fast that Nephele herself barely processed it, playing on the defensive by instinct. The bandit didn't drop his sword though, struggling to stand up. She found it funny, and she giggled a bit under her breath.
"Up." It was a simple command as she bounced on her toes, her energy growing.
1Mix of piguaquan and capoeira.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 27, 2023 17:37:21 GMT -5
C'Leena didn't smile. C'Leena looked focused. She moved forward, reaching the opposing group in only a few strides. C'Leena fell into a defensive stance, quickly and efficiently parrying blow after blow. Her moves began to flow like water, closer to a dance than combat1. Memories of the night Nephele and C'Leena dancing under the stars come forth, her elegance and precision akin to that night.
A second bandit joined her fight, and her slow and methodical waltz switched into a fast set of movements. Each move was made with reason and executed with precision. Suddenly, her defensive stance switched into an offensive, pushing back one of the bandits while keeping the other at bay with quick twists and dodges. A quick thrust barely nicked the carotid artery. Not enough to kill, but can prove dangerous if left unattended.
Her moment of distraction cost, however. The second bandit behind her managed to get a hit off just above her right hip, drawing blood. The downed bandit drops his blade and clutches at their neck that isn't quite pouring blood, but it's still a concerning amount, even under pressure. Their panic isn't helping, either.
C'Leena twists around, her look of focus unwavered and begins engaging. Her stance moves into an unfamiliar style, focused on feints and trickery. She moves backward and observes for a moment2, weaving and parrying blows, but not returning anything. She pokes and prods at their defense and balance, finding where and what they can do before faltering.
She wants nothing more than to see how Nephele is doing; ensure that she is okay, but she cannot afford the distraction. Clashes of steel on steel ring out multiple times a second, C'Leena and the bandit never staying still.
1. Blade Dance 2. Heart Seeker
Actions Taken: Blade Dance Attack 1/2 Charge Heart Seeker (Ready Next Post)
Remaining Charges: Blade Dance 1/2 (Per Topic) Heart Seeker 1/2 (Per Topic)
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Post by Nephele on Apr 27, 2023 18:54:41 GMT -5
Nephele was clearly having fun, like a predator toying with its prey before striking it dead. The bandit she was dealing with suddenly had backup, slashing aggressively at her as she took measured steps to avoid them. One slash nearly got her across the eyes, barely ducking out of the way before getting down on the ground again. The bandit, thinking she was going to swipe his feet out from under him, backed up several steps while she weaved around them from the ground with spindly, spider-like movements as she crawled.
The first bandit finally caught her, a slash landing across her back and drawing light blood. Barely noticing the pain, Nephele whirled around and kicked the bigger man in the chest. As he stumbled back, Nephele rounded on the second one and punched him in the face with a loud crunch, watching his head snap to the side before falling to the ground.1 He was clearly disoriented, but stubborn as he struggled to stand with a broken nose, blood splattering the ground.
"You little bitch!" Nephele barely had time to turn before hissing in shock and pain, a shallow puncture wound blooming red blood in her side from the other bandit. Her eyes narrowed as she took a step back, pissed. She took a moment to breathe before charging him, attacking with swift kicks and open palm hits, knocking the blade out of his hand after a well aimed jab to his wrist by her fingernails.2 His wrist numb, the bandit shouted in protest, furious until she struck him in the jaw with a high kick.
Nephele was trying to regulate her breathing, her temper rising as she focused, still a ghost of a smile on her lips.
Active Passives: 1Bare Hands (Unarmed)
Actions: 2Sting like a Bee (Unarmed)
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 27, 2023 19:30:31 GMT -5
She continues weaving and parrying. A feint left moves them off balance as C'Leena weaves behind the bandit and sinks her rapier hilt-deep into the back of the bandit, right where their heart is1. Yanking the blade free, the body unceremoniously falls to the ground in a heap. Hearing the other bandit exclaim 'You little bitch' with what sounds remarkably like someone speaking through a broken nose makes her smile, even through the complete focus she's in. Nephele always found ways to do that.
She moves in to assist Nephele, intercepting an attack aimed for her back. A quick shoulder-bash garners the bandits attention as they charge C'Leena with reckless abandon. The strength behind the attacks gives her minor grief, but strength means nothing if none of the swings connect. Quick weaves and backsteps drags him away from Nephele and her quarry. C'Leena quickly steps into a rhythm, both figuratively and literally. She continues to switch forms when her foe begins adapting.
C'Leenas current tactic is to leave shallow cuts. Painful and frustrating, but not dangerous. She's hoping for the bandit to over-extend due to anger, where she can capitalize on his mistake, hopefully ending the fight. She wasn't stoked about killing the second bandit, but she's surprisingly numb to it. That may as well change once the adrenaline wears off, but for now, it's not bothering her.
She continues to dance with her bandit, leaving nicks and shallow cuts where she can. Eventually, the bandit practically roars in anger and swings down overhead; exactly what she hoped for. She quickly sends out a message, keeping it gentle enough to avoid startling Nephele.
"About to down this fucker. How're you doing?"
1. Heart Seeker (Release)
Actions: Heart Seeker Release.
Spells: Message
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Tradesfolk
IS OFFLINE
22
Renown
Faeborne
Trying to stay at peace in all its forms
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Post by Nephele on Apr 27, 2023 20:17:34 GMT -5
Nephele almost doesn't respond, engrossed in the fight around her. She gets another punch in, finally downing the bandit with the bloody nose who had tried to stand up and sneak her from another angle, before responding:
“I've seen children fight more coordinately than these men. I am perfectly fine, thank you dearest.”
Nephele does have to shake out her wrist, hissing at the pain that was starting to accumulate from the powerful attacks. The other one was pretty stubborn though, refusing to go down even if his wrist was spewing blood and was completely numb. That was just fine by her though, she needed the practice.
And then things made a turn.
Nephele managed to jab the man in the chest, able to keep him off of her long enough so she could breathe. Getting knocked backwards towards the carriage, the bandit suddenly collided with one of the horses, causing it to kick up dust and whinny loudly at being frightened. Nephele didn't pay it any mind until she realized that the carriage door was opening, catching glance of the accursed noblewoman peeking outside of the carriage again.
“W-What are you doing?! What's going on?!”
...Please don't tell me. Nephele’s eyes widened in alarm as the bandit remembered the target of their quarry, and he shouts: “In there, Boss!”
The nymph quickly shouted back, overlapping his voice as she ran after him: “Get the hell back in the carriage, now!!” Gods, they better be getting paid double for this shit.
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