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  #16  
Old Sep 16th, 2014, 07:41 PM
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As Notaru watched the woman light up her pipe, he heard his demon chuckle. I do so love humanities self destructive nature.

The hells does that mean? Notaru asked, confused by the remark.

It is of little interest to you, the demon said. This one will try to seduce and manipulate you. Do not let her do so.

As if you even need to tell me, Notaru thought bitterly. He had learned that lesson many times. Men could be violent and brutal, but women? Women were just plain evil. They tempted you with what you desired most to get you to do what they wanted before tearing your heart out as they smiled in delight. How many times had Notaru been so cruelly tricked by the girls of his village? How many times had they pretended to like him, only to get him to drop his guard so they could wound him all the more deeply? No, Notaru didn’t need to be warned about women. He hated them most of all.

As Arcadia looked into his red eyes, the boy’s rage caused them to shine with a faint glow. They held no desire for her at all.

“What can you tell me about those ruins to the south?” he asked flatly.
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  #17  
Old Sep 17th, 2014, 09:08 PM
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The woman smirks, then her eyes narrow a bit. Arcadia pulls her hat up a bit and raises an eyebrow; a dimple forms in her right cheek as her smile widens. "Ruins? Ha, sure, I've seen a couple of men in my time, but I've never considered my 'south' to be ruins..." She nearly purrs when she says the word ruins.

She turns back to her pipe for a moment, enjoying her obvious avoidance of the question. Arcadia levels her gaze back at Notaru, looking over his eyes and face. "No offense, kid, but isn't the 'angry ginger kid' thing a little... cliche?" There is a slight flash to her irises, and Notaru can tell she is intentionally trying to agitate him. Before he can respond, she lowers her legs and leans over on the table, pressing her chest tight into a deep line of cleavage. "If you found anything to the south, you'd have had to been digging. Not that you aren't covered in dirt--you should clean out your nails." Notaru is certain the woman is enjoying his dislike of her obvious sexuality. "But..." she leans back again, uncrossing and recrossing her legs, "...if you want information like that, it'll come at a simple cost." Arcadia doesn't volunteer what that cost is--she watches Notaru and drinks in the awkward silence.

Last edited by Tiax; Sep 17th, 2014 at 09:10 PM.
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  #18  
Old Sep 18th, 2014, 06:58 AM
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Notaru stares at the woman, stone-faced. Compared to the things he’d been put through in life, getting called an angry ginger kid by some whore hardly registered as irritating. Still, he didn’t like where this conversation was going.

This is a waste of time, he thought inwardly. She doesn’t know anything.

Perhaps, said the demon calmly, But I’m interested in what she wants from us.

I’m not paying her for a bunch of lies, Notaru thought back indignantly. I may be young, but I stopped being gullible long ago.

She didn’t way she wanted money, said the demon. Ask her.

What the hell for? Notaru asked, becoming irritated.

ASK HER!

Notaru winced slightly under the forceful thought. It was almost painful. He tried to play it off by rubbing his eyes, but he was troubled to have the demon get so pushy with him. It Didn’t normally do that.

With an annoyed sigh, Notaru does as he is told. “What do you want?”
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  #19  
Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 09:10 PM
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The bard raises an eyebrow at Notaru's wincing, grinning again as he sighs. "Just a simple exchange of information, kiddo. I imagine you've played the question game?" Arcadia looks thoughtful for a moment, then quickly adds, "No, wait, you don't look like you've ever played a game in your life. Let me elaborate. I ask a question, you answer it, then you ask a question, and I answer it."

She leans back on the chair again, raising a hand to signal one of the tavern girls. The little curly-headed girl comes over again and Arcadia asks her for a glass of wine. The girl retreats to fill the order, still giving Notaru a sideways glance. "Alright new guy, here's my first question--what are you looking for in the ruins?" The woman inclines her head towards Notaru, a puff of smoke curling up out of the corner of her mouth.
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Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 09:37 PM
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Oh I’ve played games, Netaru thinks bitterly. He’d played hide and seek all the time with his peers. He would hide, and they would look for him…with rocks and sticks, and when they found him he’d play tag.

“Honest answer: I don’t know,” he said. “There’s something in there, I’m guessing its magic. It sent a chill up my spine when I touched the outer stone walls, so I’d like to get some idea of what to expect when I go to get the thing, but I don‘t actually know what it is.”

Notaru then asked his question. “Do you?”
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Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 10:37 PM
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"Yes and no." Arcadia says, her eyebrows popping up as she says the words. "My turn again so quickly." She traces a finger across her jaw, looking off to the corner of the common room. "What do you wish to gain by pursuing this magic?" She watches Notaru thoughtfully, maintaining steady eye contact.
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  #22  
Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 11:40 PM
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"Power," Notaru answers just as vaguely, his voice flat and blunt. "What do you know about those ruins?"
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Old Sep 25th, 2014, 04:54 PM
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"Ha, power. Right..." Arcadia scoffs at Notaru's response and turns her nose up at him. "The ruins to the south were sealed and buried by time and weather. They're ancient compared to anything else around this continent, older than the Scarseed forest itself."

The tavern girl returns with a decanter and a wooden cup. Arcadia thanks her and hands her a few coins, then looks back at the crowd behind her; "A whole decanter? Really? I mean, thanks, but you're not getting any favors in return!" A few of the townspeople chuckle and a couple of guys cheer from the barstools. She pours herself a glass and takes a sip. "The area you're probably talking about is in the territory of one of the local dragons. If you'd like, we can go out there later and see what they know about the ruins. Chances are, they've probably noticed if you were digging around out there."

The bard stands and adjusts her clothing, making sure to stretch out and display herself once more for Notaru's (dis)approval. "I'll be busy here until about midnight. Let me know if you're interested. Otherwise, nice to meet you young man." Arcadia smiles and gives Notaru a wink, a gesture that would rouse any other guy at the bar--it's ineffectiveness on him doesn't seem to bother her in the slightest.
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  #24  
Old Sep 26th, 2014, 07:15 AM
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Notaru watched the woman walk away, and felt a strong surge of jealousy. She was loved, adored, by the townspeople. They showered her with attention and gifts in the hope that she would simply flash them a smile. Why was it that she was fated for such praise while he had never had anything but the scorn of his peers. They only time anyone in his village had even looked at him was to glare. The only words they had for him were filled with hatred and bile. She had what he had always been denied. He wondered; did she even appreciate it?

He pulls his envious eyes away from here and focuses inward. Your thoughts?

Dragons are powerful, and cunning, the demon said thoughtfully. It is possible they could detect my presence, and that would be problematic for us both. Best to avoid them.

Well I’m not going to argue, Notaru thought. Last thing in the world I want to do is mess with a dragon, but if we go digging around in their territory, they’re probably not going to be happy about it.

Perhaps, the demon said, sounding annoyed. But they will no doubt desire anything we find, and I’m in no mood to share.

We don’t even know what’s in there, Notaru pointed out. And half of something is better than nothing, I guess.

Notaru was met with silence. His permanent guest was likely thinking things over, as it often did when faced with an important choice. It was not like Notaru at all. The young man would rather pick a path and simply walk it rather than waste time debating.

Well what about the woman? Notaru asked, changing the subject slightly. Do we take her with us?

I don’t see why not, the demon said indifferently. We can easily kill her once she has served her purpose.

Hey, I may not like the whore, but I’m not going to kill her, Notaru said defensively.

The demon was silent for a moment before whispering, We’ll see.

Notaru didn’t like the sound of that, but before he could pry, the demon spoke up again. We do not need to decide now. Go and rest. I will wake you when I have thought this through.

Notaru disliked being ordered around, but agreed that a soft bed sounded nice, so he went to rent a room for the night.
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Old Sep 27th, 2014, 07:59 PM
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The inn's rooms were pleasant enough, with clean sheets and comfortable beds. The only available rooms were on the second floor, but Notaru had a nice view from his window out into the town and a cool breeze blew in through the slats. One of the servant girls, the little girl from earlier, brought a bowl of fish stew and a couple of rolls up to Notaru's room and left quickly without a word. The bartender left Notaru a warning not to leave his window open at night in case the local fish-monkey creatures fly up and attempt to cause mischief.

Notes from Arcadia's flute drift up from the common room, accompanied by the occasional cheers and sounds of reverie from the tavern crowd. A couple of times, the shutters shake slightly--likely the coral capuchins testing the widows of the inn for easy access. The aches in Notaru's arms and legs call him over to the bed, and sleep comes for him quickly...

A gentle rapping at Notaru's door awakens him. The town has already gone to sleep and slivers of light peek through the slats of the shutters from the town's lanterns.
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  #26  
Old Sep 29th, 2014, 05:40 AM
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Notaru listened to the revelry below with a mixture of jealously and loneliness. Every laugh, every cheer reminded him of joys he would forever be denied by a cruel and uncaring world. He had often wondered what it was like to be happy, to be loved and accepted, but those musing always led to anger, for he knew he would never experience such things.

He got into bed and tried to drown out the noise. He was really starting to hate this place.

The sound at his door makes his eyes shook wide open, and a jolt of panic sets his muscles to work. He snaps up in bed, grabbing one of his daggers as he prepares to defend himself. It takes a moment for his sleep-addled brain to realize he is not in danger.

Letting out his tension with a slow sigh, he sheaths his dagger and answers the door.
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Old Sep 30th, 2014, 11:45 PM
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Notaru can smell Arcadia better than he can see her in the dark hallway--an earthy scent he remembers from her walking past earlier. She has backed up a couple of feet from the door. "Used to being attacked in your sleep?" There is a sensual tone to her question, and Notaru can practically hear the smile in her statement.

"I'm a little early, my business concluded quicker than I expected. Do you still wish to accompany me tonight?" The bare light from the window's shutters illuminates her figure, glimmering off of metallic buttons on a long coat she has donned. A red glow momentarily lights her face, spreading a shimmer of light across her eyes--Notaru can see she is enjoying her pipe once again.

Again, the shutters shake slightly and a shadow flits across the window. Arcadia chuckles slightly at the persistence of the local wildlife.
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Old Oct 1st, 2014, 12:02 AM
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“In my sleep, wide awake, tied to a tree and helpless.” Notaru shrugs. “I’m used to being attacked so long as I’m breathing.” There was a bitter, jaded tone in his voice.

Accompany her?
He thought with irritation. Why do I keep getting the feeling that she’s been wanting to get in those ruins for awhile now, and was just waiting for some shmuck to use as a meat shield…or sacrifice should she need to run away?

True, said the demon. She does seem eager. She is certainly using you, as we are using her. Just be sure to stab her in the back first.

Making friends everywhere I go, Notaru thinks with a hint of grim humor. But you might be right. This wench is trouble.

Notaru has little to pick up before stepping out of his room. “Well, you’re the tour guide, so…after you.”
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Old Oct 1st, 2014, 08:07 PM
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"Mmm..." Arcadia purrs, likely trying to sound thoughtful but she still drips with that succubus vibe. "Tied to a tree... whips and chains, eh? Doesn't surprise me." She spins around, her leather coat fluttering around her, and heads for the stairs. It's dark enough that Notaru has to feel for the wall--no candles have been set out in the common room--so the trip down the stairs takes a moment.

The tavern is quiet save for the occasional human noise--a light snore, a bump on the wood upstairs. The chairs are all stacked neatly on the tables and the shutters have been drawn. Arcadia saunters over to the door, her leather boots making soft taps on the wooden floor. A large wooden door blocks the exit just past the curtain of beads; Arcadia grabs the handle and slides it on a track into the wall. "Gnomish. Have to clean the dirt out of it or it squeals." Stepping outside, the night is cool and clear, with stars scattered across the sky. Lanterns hanging from roof corners light most of the town streets, and a couple of night watchmen enjoy a loaf of bread on the roof of a nearby house.

"Evening Derrick, Jeremy," she softly calls out to them. One of them does a cat call and Arcadia rolls her yes with her hips. "Who's the lucky guy, eh?" one of them calls out, chuckling. She cocks her head to the side and puts a hand to her hip; "Ha, he should be so lucky. We're going to go have a visit with ol' Lagio."

The guards both quit laughing abruptly.

"Oh... really?" one of them asks. "Yup," she replies, then starts walking off towards the south side of town.

The night air is cool, though Notaru's calves are sore enough that it is difficult to enjoy the calm of the dark, silent night. The light nap just made them more sore, but the pain quickly fades to a dull ache as Notaru steadies his pace. Arcadia doesn't offer much for conversation through the streets, walking ahead of Notaru with the end of her jacket swinging side-to-side. Her calves are well-formed and her boots hug them tightly, and a long split up the center of the jacket allows the occasional flash of her thighs in the lantern light. Notaru notices she doesn't carry a visible weapon, though it seems few people in town would have a reason to.

At the end of town, she stops for a moment and turns to Notaru. "You need a light kiddo? There are rocks and bits of masonry out there in the grass, and it doesn't seem like you can see in the dark. I'd hate to have to carry you back to town with a sprain--then you might actually have to touch someone who likes to be touched." The smile is back, full of promises that the lips aren't saying but the eyes are agreeing with. "I mean, I thought you might have been a tiefling with those red eyes of yours, but it seems you just lost the ancestral lottery."

Last edited by Tiax; Oct 1st, 2014 at 08:07 PM.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2014, 07:01 AM
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“No whips,” Notaru says as he heads out the door with the woman, “Just sticks and stones to break my bones when words no longer hurt me.”

He says nothing to the guards, but takes note of their apprehension when she mentions Lagio. Not a good sign. He ignores the pain in his legs. He was no stranger to discomfort, especially under the demon’s instruction. There had been days he spent ours beating his own fists against a stone to ‘toughen up’ in order to be ready for the next lesson. Many of the abilities he could use put a terrible strain on his body. Some of them felt like they would rip him apart.

When she asks him about the light, he pulls out a stick with a leather wrapping on one end from his pack. Pulling the leather cap off, the small stone set at the end shines like a small star. He holds his ever burning torch, a boon from a previous expedition, out in front of him. Looking at the woman with his cold stare, he says flatly, “You’re closer than you know.”
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