Adventurer
45 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Vinzent Renauld on Jul 15, 2023 5:40:57 GMT -5
He had to be very careful, with a bag full of items he had snagged from here and there as he flowed through the market in Sky Peak. It wasn’t very hard. The bag wasn’t very big, and the area was pretty crowded. Today was one of the busiest days after all. Not only was the output not very good today, as most items were already off the stalls, but the amount of people bumping into him didn’t help anyone’s situation - He had dropped at least two apples. He wasn’t very happy about that. The food was going to be barely enough for the kids.
He gently pulled himself out of the crowd and slowly sauntered out towards the back alleys. Vinzent sighed as he looked into the bag. There wasn’t a lot, and he had to feed the two kids. That's okay, he thought to himself. He didn’t really need anything. It would be enough for the two of them, he reasoned with a small shrug to himself. He was lucky to only be in charge of two today- The others were old enough to try and gather their own food, or even buy their own now that some of them had some under the table jobs.
Carefully, he slipped into the rundown shed, and offered the apples and fruit to the kids, who couldn’t be more than around 5. His face didn’t betray any real emotion. He just sort of shuffled the hair of the boy as he ate, having a mumbled conversation with the two children. Anyone who was watching, and he was sure there were people watching, would just assume that he was an elder brother trying to feed his kid siblings, and that was okay with Vinzent. The less they knew the better.
|
|
CCS Courier
IS OFFLINE
20
Renown
Female
Moon Elf
mater impera aeterno noctum
746 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Lady Cirice Lunestre on Jul 24, 2023 20:57:16 GMT -5
Sky Peak Village was not a place Cirice frequented, but when the whim takes her she is prone to decide to suddenly and without warning pop in and visit friends. Especially if they make the mistake of living in a capital city. Today was meant to be one such intrusion, this time on Astrid and Cantio in their massive mansion on the edge of the village, but when she’d knocked on their door she’d been met with the disappointment of them being away with no return date specified. The benefit of living in a flying wagon is that home is wherever you are, but sometimes its easier and faster to just travel on her own, especially since she had scooped up a particularly curious potion from one of her friends in the Golden Consortium that will instantly transport her between countries. Without her wagon or a friend’s place to crash at she wandered aimlessly around the town, looking for any interesting bits and baubles to add to her ever-growing collection before the potion was ready to be used again and she headed back to Eclipse City.
The market was crowded with people and it seems she’d waited a little too late to get any really good items as most stalls are already picked clean. Its a disappointment, but what else can she do? Just as she’s starting to give up and try to find an inn for the night she notices a young man picking his way through the crowd as carefully as he can. His dark hair and tattered cloak remind her of Vail, as does the slightly hunched and closed-off posture of a man who the world has not been kind to. On a whim she follows him, seeing him pick up dropped apples hurriedly before feet could crush them against the street.
He slips into the less crowded back alleys and Cirice slips into the shadows behind him1. She has a special fondness for orphans and street kids, some of her favorite people in this world grew up on the streets and she had seen just how much even a little help meant for them. If her suspicions were correct then there was something she could do for them, if only for tonight.
A rundown shed nestled between some crumbling buildings, likely a storehouse of a sort at some point, seemed to be the young man’s destination. He took great care as he entered, stoically offering apples to a pair of extremely young children.
He really is like Vail, Cirice thought to herself, taking care of kids like an older brother. I wonder if he’s started a gang too….?
The shed didn’t provide much more than cover from the rain since most of one wall had crumbled away, but those huddled inside didn’t seem to mind too much. Her thoughts of an inn and a nice bath left her completely as Cirice stepped out of the shadows into the little hovel, a playful and warm smile on her face.
“Oh my, this doesn’t seem like the market…” She feigns, as if someone stepping out of the shadows was a completely normal thing to do and she’d simply come out in the wrong place. She looks at the kids and the young man, her lavender eyes twinkling as she pushes the hood of her cloak back. “I seem to have stumbled into your…. Well I suppose this isn’t your home is it? I dearly hope not.”
There we go, a nice, simple entrance so as not to scare them. Perfect. 1 Shadow Dancer: One with the Shadows and Pass without trace
|
|
Adventurer
45 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Vinzent Renauld on Aug 9, 2023 21:31:20 GMT -5
Vinzent did not notice the woman at first. He was intent on making sure no one had followed him from the market, but his guard was notedly a bit let down once he entered the shed. People usually stopped noticing him after this. As the kids stopped speaking, and even stopped chewing on the apple they had already taken a few bites off of, they stared at the woman cautiously. The girl reached out to Vinzent, who simply responded by taking her hand and gently pushing them behind himself as he, too, stared at the woman.
“No, it’s not.” He replied coolly, as if he was almost ignoring the question. Where they stayed was, ultimately, not her business. “Do you need help findin’ your way out? Ya just take that little alley way and it’ll bring you near Mister Gordon’s trinket stand. Unless he’s moved. I didn’t check. Nonetheless, that would bring you to your goal.” He pointed to the way out, gently grabbing a stick from behind him just in case she didn’t take the hint.
|
|
CCS Courier
IS OFFLINE
20
Renown
Female
Moon Elf
mater impera aeterno noctum
746 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Lady Cirice Lunestre on Aug 10, 2023 1:04:36 GMT -5
“Ah, that is good, I’m not too far off the beaten path. I tend to wander when things catch my eye,” Cirice says airily, “As thanks for your kind help allow me to do something for you all.”
Pulling a blanket from her bag with a flourish of her wrist, she lays it down in the dusty grime of the hovel as if this were the perfect place for a picnic. With a snap of her fingers the blanket is covered with delicious food, warm comforting foods she’s tried from all over Charon1.
“There! A little feast to share! I was getting a bit peckish myself. Go on, eat as much as you like, if you have any more hungry friends feel free to let them know as well, this should feed about twelve I think.” She sits down next to the blanket and picks up a warm muffin, biting into it and savoring the flavor. “I wasn’t sure what you might like so I made it lots of different hearty things. It’s alright, go ahead.”
Crumbs from the muffin fall onto her blouse as she munches happily and studies the young man with his makeshift weapon. “You remind me of a dear friend of mine. Actually quite a few very good friends… Its astounding how many kids from the streets end up as adventurers these days. I guess if you’re desperate the danger is worth not going hungry.” 1 Grand Feast
|
|
Adventurer
45 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Vinzent Renauld on Aug 15, 2023 23:19:37 GMT -5
Vinny stayed still, exactly where he was, and exactly how he was, makeshift weapon in hand. He looked over her very carefully. This woman was far too well put together to be in this area in the first place. What was her business here anyways? Unfortunately that was the one thing he was not very good at hiding, was his curiosity. The confused eyes set on hers as the children grew increasingly excitable as they stared at the food. Slowly, he let go of their hands, and let them move towards the food in awe. He, on the other hand, stayed very still, and carefully kept his eyes on Cirice, waiting for her to make any sudden movements.
“Carter, Fiona. Go get the others. I’m sure they’ll be appreciative. Plus, I’m gonna need to speak to our new friend alone.” He said carefully, watching the children in her periphery vision take another muffin and scuttle off obediently. Once they were gone, Vinny slowly got up, still holding the makeshift weapon. “Who are you and what do you want?” He asks, getting straight to the point. He knew better than to think she wanted to just help. Everybody wants something.
|
|
CCS Courier
IS OFFLINE
20
Renown
Female
Moon Elf
mater impera aeterno noctum
746 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Lady Cirice Lunestre on Sept 3, 2023 2:01:00 GMT -5
Cirice sets down the remnants of her muffin as the children leave, giving them a warm smile and a little wave before meeting the man’s gaze.
“I’ve already said. I want to help. My godfather runs an orphanage and many of my dearest friends were kids that grew up on the streets. I’ve heard how hard it was for them, what they had to do in order to get by, and… Well when I saw you and the kids you reminded me so much of them I just wanted to do something.” She looks down at her hands with a sad smile, “I can’t help every kid on the streets, I can’t save everyone. But when I can do something to at least make life a little easier I try to. I’m a cleric, I believe all children deserve love and care in the light of Mother Moon.”
She looks up at him again then blinks, “I forgot to introduce myself! I’m Cirice, well Lady Cirice Lunestre of the Cresent Isles, but please just call me Cirice. I’m an adventurer. I’ve fought gods and monsters but I can’t fight poverty, at least not on the scale I’d like to. All I can offer is a meal and a place of refuge, if you’d like one. As I mentioned my godfather runs an orphanage. Its in Darkveil but its very nice and there are many other children there. I’ve adopted many of them as my beloved siblings and try to teach them magic when I can. I don’t know what your situation is like here, but I can take you all there if you’d like. I promise Cyran and Del will take excellent care of you, all of you.”
“The world is dangerous and getting moreso by the day. Shade’s Valley is a lovely place but even there the ravages of the earthquakes have taken a toll. I can’t imagine how scary it must be for those kids. It isn’t my place and I know I’m sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong, but I couldn’t sit idly by. Not when I can at least try to help.”
|
|
Adventurer
45 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Vinzent Renauld on Sept 19, 2023 14:59:18 GMT -5
Oh, he did not trust this one bit. He stared at her, eyes narrowing suspiciously. Part of him had to agree, the children might be better off there, but he was far too comfortable in his own right. “Poverty is a word, not a way of being.” he notes, still not relaxing. “I can’t be sure you’re telling the truth. Pretty names, pretty places. They all sound fake to me. I’d rather protect my kids. Orphanages are not always the best place to be.”
Many of his children were runaways from such places. He could only imagine why they ran off, just to be in the situation they are in. Some of them had choices, and those like him did not.
His attention never left the girl. If she was expecting an introduction, she’d be remiss. Cirice was giving plenty of information, though. “People don’t help out of the kindness of their hearts, miss Lunestre. What would you want, if I were to give the offer consideration?”
|
|