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Entry tags:
mercenary jobs #3 — open to all
Who: Anyone interested in taking some mercenary jobs via Aranea Highwind's offerings. This log is focused on Wyver and can be found on job boards across the city as well as personal handwaved texts.
What: Mercenary posting!
When: N/A
Where: N/A
Warning(s): Possible sex threads based off heat-event for this month. This was posted early for the holidays, btw. Happy Thanksgiving, etc!
What: Mercenary posting!
When: N/A
Where: N/A
Warning(s): Possible sex threads based off heat-event for this month. This was posted early for the holidays, btw. Happy Thanksgiving, etc!
Thank you for stopping by to check out this month's job postings for Highwind Hires — a freelance mercenary group!
JOB #1 — DOOR TO DOOR
With the abundance of new visitors, it seems there have been ample amounts of donations to the temple. Unfortunately, that is not enough. When you approach, you're stopped by a young woman named Igo who is requesting you help her: please pass out 100 pamphlets to refugees enlisting donations.
OUTCOMES:
- For all pamphlets passed out, the Shaman will pay you 100 Silver.
JOB #2 — DRAGON DERBY
In the West, you hear about this month's Wyver Derby, a small event where dragons are put to race on a track. It seems the fan favorite is Fangface but the newcomer Wingslash ranked high in their first few races. You're hired for body guard duty, keeping the peace and ensuring no riots occur. Enjoy drinks as you watch the show, try to bet for the right one.
OUTCOMES:
- Wingslash wins by a nose, so anyone who votes for that dragon will win double their bet.
- Those who bet on Fangface or any other participant will lose their bet.
JOB #3 — AFTERMATH
Tied to Job #2, the Derby went relatively smoothly... You're enjoying discounted drinks at the bar. It wasn't until you notice one of the ticketers cashing out a suspicious amount of extra money to a small group of people who very vocally complained about losing. As the small group leaves, you can either: report the ticketer or two, track them down.
OUTCOMES:
- If you simply report the ticketer, you'll be rewarded with an additional 125 Silver.
- If you track down the group, you'll find they're all in a small gambling ring, petty crooks that drank too much and most certainly had an inside connection. You must be ready for a fight — all 4 will attack you with fists and small pocket knives.
JOB #4 — VILE LITTLE THINGS
You were contracted directly from Aranea Highwind for a monster hunt. A Vileling that was once kept as a pet grew hostile in the past few weeks before finally escaping its owner in Old City and reeking havoc on pet-owners. Your job is to track it down before more pets are killed. Aranea instructed you to 'take care of it', but upon your journey, the Vileling owner (Bekins) has insisted you save it and bring it back to Murkhollow alive. Of course, they offer a good price.
OUTCOMES:
- Aranea is offering a flat 400 silver to wipe it out.
- You can lie or oppose Aranea's order, you which will gain negative CR from the mercenary leader. Bekins will reward you with 140 silver and you must find a way to return it to Murkhollow.
JOB #5 — RED NIGHT LIGHT
Bodyguard duty seems a bit more... mature tonight. With the week waning on and people acting on lust and emotions, there has been a bit more call for those looking to patrol the more savory areas of Wyver. You'll be paid a flat fee of 450 Silver for a night's worth of work.
There are three areas to watch over: a bordello, a herb shop, and a gang's rumored hide-out.
OUTCOMES:
- If you choose the bordello, you will find yourself playing body guard for one of the establishment's ... best worker and favorite client. You can peek in on the woman and her partner at the risk of being caught or you can escort them out afterwards. The woman offers a tip of 100 Silver and also the chance to have drinks with her...
- If you choose the herb shop, you will find yourself sensitive to the mix of aromas. A contact high ensures your inhibitions are loosened and with the lust in the air? Who knows what that means...
- If you choose the gang's rumored hideout, you will find illegal tusk and scale trading. You'll have to contend with 4 possible gang members all armed with weapons. Fight them or flee to report, you'll earn an additional 150 Silver.
Have fun! If you have any questions, feel free to PM me! These are all loosely based on your choices, so feel free to go wild with them. The outcomes only are indication of what the jobs would offer. If you're interested in having your character offer a job in the future, please let me know!
Aranea Highwind will ICly be contacting characters and offering them jobs based off the assumption she will receive 30% of the cut.
With the abundance of new visitors, it seems there have been ample amounts of donations to the temple. Unfortunately, that is not enough. When you approach, you're stopped by a young woman named Igo who is requesting you help her: please pass out 100 pamphlets to refugees enlisting donations.
OUTCOMES:
- For all pamphlets passed out, the Shaman will pay you 100 Silver.
In the West, you hear about this month's Wyver Derby, a small event where dragons are put to race on a track. It seems the fan favorite is Fangface but the newcomer Wingslash ranked high in their first few races. You're hired for body guard duty, keeping the peace and ensuring no riots occur. Enjoy drinks as you watch the show, try to bet for the right one.
OUTCOMES:
- Wingslash wins by a nose, so anyone who votes for that dragon will win double their bet.
- Those who bet on Fangface or any other participant will lose their bet.
Tied to Job #2, the Derby went relatively smoothly... You're enjoying discounted drinks at the bar. It wasn't until you notice one of the ticketers cashing out a suspicious amount of extra money to a small group of people who very vocally complained about losing. As the small group leaves, you can either: report the ticketer or two, track them down.
OUTCOMES:
- If you simply report the ticketer, you'll be rewarded with an additional 125 Silver.
- If you track down the group, you'll find they're all in a small gambling ring, petty crooks that drank too much and most certainly had an inside connection. You must be ready for a fight — all 4 will attack you with fists and small pocket knives.
You were contracted directly from Aranea Highwind for a monster hunt. A Vileling that was once kept as a pet grew hostile in the past few weeks before finally escaping its owner in Old City and reeking havoc on pet-owners. Your job is to track it down before more pets are killed. Aranea instructed you to 'take care of it', but upon your journey, the Vileling owner (Bekins) has insisted you save it and bring it back to Murkhollow alive. Of course, they offer a good price.
OUTCOMES:
- Aranea is offering a flat 400 silver to wipe it out.
- You can lie or oppose Aranea's order, you which will gain negative CR from the mercenary leader. Bekins will reward you with 140 silver and you must find a way to return it to Murkhollow.
Bodyguard duty seems a bit more... mature tonight. With the week waning on and people acting on lust and emotions, there has been a bit more call for those looking to patrol the more savory areas of Wyver. You'll be paid a flat fee of 450 Silver for a night's worth of work.
There are three areas to watch over: a bordello, a herb shop, and a gang's rumored hide-out.
OUTCOMES:
- If you choose the bordello, you will find yourself playing body guard for one of the establishment's ... best worker and favorite client. You can peek in on the woman and her partner at the risk of being caught or you can escort them out afterwards. The woman offers a tip of 100 Silver and also the chance to have drinks with her...
- If you choose the herb shop, you will find yourself sensitive to the mix of aromas. A contact high ensures your inhibitions are loosened and with the lust in the air? Who knows what that means...
- If you choose the gang's rumored hideout, you will find illegal tusk and scale trading. You'll have to contend with 4 possible gang members all armed with weapons. Fight them or flee to report, you'll earn an additional 150 Silver.
Have fun! If you have any questions, feel free to PM me! These are all loosely based on your choices, so feel free to go wild with them. The outcomes only are indication of what the jobs would offer. If you're interested in having your character offer a job in the future, please let me know!
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Which, ah... isn't good. Given the creature is already blind and just fine like that. And now Allen is just slightly less blind than it. Lux why
At least he has good instincts, at least when it comes to avoiding imminent death, because he throws himself out of the way before one of its scythe-like claws snaps the branch in two where he'd just been. Bodily head over heals over the back of the creature but—! Free and clear, and grabbing onto one of the armor places on its back with his right hand to stop his fall.
Where he blinks for a moment, as he could swear he hears a bell. And in fact he does, kind of like someone might put on their cat, and as he continues to blink the spots from his eyes — he sees why.
It has a collar on. Of course it does. A dainty powder blue one with a bell.
Monogrammed. ]
This thing was the pet??!
[ it's also rearing up and bucking wildly in an effort to dislodge him ]
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You can't be serious!
[ WHO KEEPS A GIANT DEATH WORM AS A PET—no, she knows the type who who would. It's probably an eccentric noble because Lux has known enough of them to understand their "unique tastes". It's why she can't help but put a hand on her forehead for a moment because really is this their life right now?
Lux might not agree with her, but at least she understands why Aranea made the offer that she did, because there is no way Lux is going to bring something this dangerous back to its owner.
it's probably named Precious or something ridiculous like that, ugh.But all right, if that's how this is going to be, then this calls for a change of tactics, especially if this monster doesn't rely on sight to find its prey. Vibrations in the ground maybe? That's not something she can easily replicate, but if it responds to sound... ]
Hey you! Big and ugly! Don't you know it's rude to ignore a lady?!
[ Yes, she's resorting to name-calling here. Bad name calling. Anything to make noise and direct attention elsewhere. Which is why she lobs a few quickly-cast spell bolt at the vileling—one then two, and a third for good measure—the rush and hum of magic flying past. It's enough to get the beast's attention, as it pitches back one last time to try to launch Allen from its back before slithering toward the source of the sound.
Quicker than she expected, actually. Hmm, that might be bad.
You know, this plan worked a little better in her head, she just wasn't anticipating this thing to be able to slither so fast. She's going to trust him to be able to fall without breaking his back and back her up. ]
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Which by the way, just got a lot harder with how the vileling bodily throws itself into violent lunge, zigzagging over the boggy ground with the aid of its scythe-like arms. Straight for the light mage that had just stung it and revealed her position, letting out a gurgling, chittering sound of chitin clacking together. Shit..
Somewhere in the back of his mind Allen isn't entirely sure if Innocence is really meant for combating violent beasts and he doesn't believe in monsters being monsters....... but this thing doesn't factor into his love of humanity at all so yeah, it's a monster. He's going to go with this counts. Also he has to do whatever he can to stop it. Even if it's a pet he promised they'd see what they could do to save — nobody should have been keeping this as a pet.
Rearing back, he raises his left hand high, white-gold claws catching the fading light. ]
Edge — [ fluorescing with their own light ]
— End!
[ Which he slams down with raw destructive force upon its back in a burst of light. A gutteral, alien scream coming from the vileling as it plows facefirst into the dirt from the impact.
But with enough momentum it's still going straight for Lux. ]
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Then why is it still sliding toward her?! OH GODS WHY! ]
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Light surging around her hand in a torrent of light and color, she grits her teeth before pitching it forward, angling it toward the ground. It might look like she's missed (it's right in front of her, how could she miss), but even as she darts to the side, her hand begins to glow, before— ]
Allen!
[ She closes her hand, and the light bomb ignites, pushing a blast of energy against the vileling. Hopefully it's enough to slow it to a stop, and not knock off its rider in the process. Moving object, meet an indomitable force of will. ]
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Especially with the Exorcist who's still clinging with tenacity to its back—partially because with his strike he would... also seem to have briefly gotten himself stuck. It's not quite like Innocence cutting through dark matter and something feels briefly like it's sticking for a moment in how he'd scoured his claws across what appeared a chink in its armor plating. ]
Ch.. [ Gross.
Teeth gritting, he rips his claw-hand free then—flinging an arc of black blood through the air and a deep scouring wound left behind on the vileling's back, one that leaves it roaring then in what's not even pain so much as blind rage. He should probably get off then and get some distance, feeling the familiar blood spatter against his face, and does, jumping backwards and skidding briefly with an outstretched hand along the ground, but... ]
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And then there is, as he brushes an Innocence-gloved hand across his face in brief confusion, pain. Burning, turn yourself inside-out, molten pain. Can't see, can't feel, can't hear yourself think, the world is gone and the only thing still real is pain.
So much so that he's instantly dropped to his knees, clutching at his head with his human hand, dug his claws into the ground so hard it would almost hurt him if he was even aware, and completely blind to everything but that.
He's screaming like his heart's being pulled out his throat but he doesn't even realize it. ]
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For a moment there is peace as the battle high starts to fade— ]
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She's always prided herself on being the sensible one, the type of woman who might wear her heart on her sleeve, but in an almost guarded and sensible way. She has to be. But the moment she hears him, sees him drop and clutch at himself and the ground below him, that melts away almost immediately.
It doesn't make sense and she should probably be worried about that, but even before she lets herself think or process any kind of danger, she moves. Sweeping in by his side, she tries to grab for his right wrist in an attempt to pull it away.
Because she needs to see what happened, she needs to know why he's screaming. She needs to figure out a way to fix this.
And she needs to find a way to get him to stop. ]
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Even if it's only to recoil with uncharacteristic violence and a sharp jerk towards her, like he would look back and snap in warning but keeps his hand thoroughly clamped over his eyes instead.
He's not even sure how much they're there anymore and his stomach is churning wildly at the thought. ]
Stay back! [ It's ripped from him in a warbly, anguished pitch. His left hand held up in warning because his right is staying clamped so firmly over his eyes.
If this is... if this blood is like the akuma blood virus and is affecting even him... he can't, if he lets her touch even a little of it.. ]
Stay... back...
[ He's shaking but could not be more adamant. ]
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Pulling back out of reflex, Lux freezes for a moment, her hand not quite touching his wrist but still held there as if she was. Her eyes wide and shoulders held rigid, his outburst holds her suspended for a moment.
Even as his voice begins to fray and his words falter, telling her, pleading for her to stay back a second time... ]
[2/2]
[ He doesn't know her that well, does he? If he thinks that she would let anyone sit in agony like that; even if it's clear that he's trying to protect her from something.
He truly doesn't know her if he thinks that something like this would ever stop her from doing what she feels she must. Which is why she finally lowers her ungloved hand, her countenance shifting drastically then. Lips drawn together in a thin line, she takes a breath before slowly, methodically removing her left glove. She wouldn't want to ruin them, especially when—
Riiiiip
They might be one of the only things left from home she might be able to still wear after this.
Tugging at her sleeve—first with her hand, then with a quick motion, cutting the cuff with a knife from her belt—she rips part of it away with one swift motion.
Then, the sound of rustling and something fluid dripping on fallen leaves before she moves closer again, and will continue to move even if he pulls back again. She grips his right wrist with her left this time, her tone even and level. ]
Move your hand.
[ That's not a request. ]
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She wasn't scared. Or even yelling back at him. He kind of expected the latter, honestly, if he has the capacity to expect much of anything right now. ]
... [ It's not even that it's a battle of the wills; he doesn't want to fight her. He's just at a loss, and both wanting to keep her from coming into contact with whatever burns so badly... and not wanting to let her see either.
So his hand does loosen a little, but he also doesn't move it, head still bowed. ]
You — can't touch it. [ It's still strained and a little roughened. He sounds dazed. ]
Whatever you do... don't touch it.
[ He takes a breath and it catches a little wetly. ]
To... a human... [ He grits his teeth. It's very much ground out, like it takes all his concentration to speak in an even tone. ] —don't know.. what it might do.
[ As a parasite-type, was he filtering it enough it didn't kill him, or did it not make any difference at all...? ]
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She's just good at masking things like this. She has to be. Because letting her emotions run away with her, allowing any sort of doubt or fear or frustration (or even overwhelming happiness) bubble to the surface would cause her to lose control. And if anyone saw that...
For her own safety, she couldn't let that happen. It's the single small shred of self-preservation that she allows herself to have. She can't take the risk of showing any sign of what she is. Even here, even now.
Feeling the tension in his arm ease somewhat, Lux doesn't move to pull his hand away, but leans a little closer to try to see. She isn't a healer, at most she can try to ease his pain until they managed to get back to civilization. If it wasn't serious that is, but judging from his quiet and forced plea, her stomach turns. He was asking her not to touch his face— ]
...
[ He was asking her not to, because he wasn't sure what it might do. To a human. Allen, that's... ]
[2/2]
It's the painful irony of this situation. Of what he says. Of worrying that as a human she might be in danger. What that implied... he really doesn't know her, does he?
(Her light was different, but she was still the same as the rest of them. She had to hide it to be considered "normal," to be considered—)
He might not be able to see it, but perhaps if he's not so far gone he can hear the quiet smile in her voice. One that's just as poised as it is pained. Because it's ironic, that something like that would be what worries him the most. ]
It's all right.
[ Her voice quiet and certain, it almost contrasts the way that her fingers twitch gently against his wrist with a note of hesitance before she tries to pull his hand away. Not hesitance out of fear of getting hurt herself— ]
I'm not sure I ever was to begin with.
[ But out of speaking of something that she never wanted to find the words for. ]
I have no idea if I should slap a mild cw: gore on this but... /stares into distance
[ What could he say to that? Nothing. Quite certainly nothing, so stunned does that leave him. And if he could look at her it would be with some sort of horrified awe, something written instead in how slack his expression goes and his chin jerks up, briefly ignoring his own pain. ]
Lux.. [ He knew even before that she had some kind of ability, something that seemed kind of like what he understood of sorcery or magic. Maybe. Some extra power like that. But to say that...
She wasn't human?
She'll find his hand suddenly quite easy to pull aside then, too stunned to even protest more than he's actually acquiescing.
And if she pulls his hand back even a little, there's a small spatter across his cheekbone that's immediately obvious. Obvious in how the skin seems to have burned away as if by acid and revealed a glimmer of bone. As for what further he was trying to keep hidden, the spray of black blood that caught him straight across the eyes...
It's bad. ]
w h e l p
It's worse than she expected, the sight making her feel lightheaded for a moment. She isn't a healer, she can't do anything here and they're at least a few hours away from the nearest outpost. Her heart roaring in her ears, for a few seconds, her composure slips.
He might feel it for an instant, an almost chaotic prickle of something where her hand wraps around his wrist, warmer than just skin against skin. But just as quick as it comes on, it retreats again.
(A shadow fades before the light...)
It's tense, but after a moment she finally speaks, letting go of his wrist and placing that hand on his shoulder. Her tone apologetic, she speaks quietly in an attempt to be reassuring. There is something that she can do, but... ]
I'm sorry, this is going to hurt.
[ Then, without any other warning, she brings the damp rag to his face, wincing deeply before applying a small amount of pressure. Trying to wipe away what she can of the vileling's blood from his face. She needs to work quickly, she can already feel the fabric in her hand begin to thin and fray. ]
no subject
The moment she seems the hesitate so hard, and the moment he realizes she's going to try to touch that after all. But he can't even see his own hands to see if they're even safe to touch her with, he probably got blood on them as well, but they're protected by Innocence. Can't touch anything; he might spread it.
So he draws a quick and ragged breath in protest instead. To interrupt maybe and ask is there water nearby; it's a marsh, maybe there is, maybe she brought some, just don't touch it. Which is the moment of course she moves to dab at the more obvious splatters of blood still there. To very limited success because, of course... it's so caustic as to immediately begin to eat away at the rag she's using. And just pushes against, well...
Any protest he has is drowned out by such a reflexive scream again as that catches him so entirely offguard, even with her warning. But he will hold himself still. He will hold himself still.
Even if he's dug both hands quite deeply into the dirt in order to do so. ]
no subject
This is only a fraction of what he's had to endure, and she isn't sure if she's helping or making this even worse. But she has to stay calm. She has to find a way to fix this.
It's shaky, as she tries to maintain the best that she can, but this is beyond her. So far beyond her that she doesn't know how to begin to approach this. Try to focus, Lux. ]
...We need to get you to a healer.
[ He won't be able to see like that. Think. What needs to happen to make this work? Focus. ]
I need you to trust me, all right. I'm going to move you, so be ready to lean your weight against me.
no subject
Teeth audibly ground, he's bitten back a sound as soon as he has enough sense of himself to. Although it's debatable if he actually heard anything she said, either. This is one of the worst. Crown Clown ripping straight through him, that was another level.. but this is almost worst, simply because having his face seared and ripped open —
Well, it's not the first time.
He feels like he's going to pass out. Or throw up, but they don't really have the luxury of that right now. He struck it a really hard blow and he hasn't heard it since it roared, but a hit like that... he doesn't really think it would have killed something like that. If only he'd been higher up, closer to the head.
Lux is asking him something though and while he tries to collect his thoughts he can only nod somewhat dizzily. Shit. He's probably terrified her now too, screaming like that when she was just trying to help..
He can barely hear it with his disjointed thoughts, but there's a rustling then. A chatting sort of buzz, even if it's faint and a little distant. It is enough though to get him to still, holding his breath to hear what might come next. Which there isn't, and it isn't like he can look to see, but... For Lux, if she looks, there's a pool of black blood where the vileling had been — and nothing else.
The creature's gone. ]
no subject
She can't leave Allen here on his own like this to go searching for the creature, and she can't hope that it's gone off to find somewhere to die. No, if a blow like that didn't kill it, and if the vileling managed to escape...
Thankfully he's still cognizant enough to nod in response, and judging from the way he's stilled, he must be aware enough to know that the danger hasn't passed. But this new development means that moving is out of the question right now because she can't afford to have her attention torn. Fleeing now would only mean certain death for the both of them. Letting her hand fall away from his shoulder, the other still burning in pain (it's fine, endure), leans in close again, whispering near his ear. ]
Be ready to move with me when I tell you.
[ It can't have gotten far judging from the black blood trail heading into the brush, and will likely be back to finish the two of them off. It's why her left hand drops to her side, a spell on her lips and her eyes burning with a fierce inner light.
Come back and finish the job. She will be waiting for you. ]
no subject
... [ A grim, somewhat uneasy silence is her answer. Acknowledgement with how he seems to have pushed himself to focus beyond the pain, but.. maybe not acquiescence with how thin his lips are pressed and expression drawn in. Worried more than pained. This is bad... he needs to be able to fight and she clearly means to instead of him, but he can't just... he won't. And he leverages himself to unsteadily rise to his feet; he may be badly hurt but his legs are fine, he can at least stand.
There's a whispering whine like metal on metal, not from the brush or chitin of the vileling—but close at hand and from how the claws of his left hand grind together when he tries to make a fist with it.
But then there's a low, guttural sound from the reeds to the side of them. Almost as if in warning.
—and he can't quite pinpoint the direction it's coming from and that's the part that's actually bloodcurdling. ]
Lux.. [ He raises a hand lightly, almost like he means to reach for where he thinks hers is but reminds himself not to (the blood), and instead just holds it out in light warning.
(It's fine.)
And almost like he would mean to try and shield her still. ]
no subject
If he's so determined to stand and fight, then she will do all that she can to give him the means to do so. Even if it placed him in danger yet again, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't continue to move forward, would he? If he didn't keep pushing, if he didn't fight to protect others. It's something she understands all too well, and would do the same thing in his position.
I know.
Which is why she reaches out to touch his wrist as he raises his hand, in a gesture that might seem like an acknowledgement of that sentiment—and it is—but there's something else there. A subtle shift, pulling him gently in the direction of the sound, similarly to how he had led her that day in Wyver.
Let her lead this time.
Her other hand raising gently, plucking what light she could from whatever was left of the daylight, Lux holds the spell there. Taking a deep breath and holding it, she throws in into the reeds with the intent of snaring the vileling before it gets a chance to strike—or drawing it out, failing that. ]
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