In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
Shattered Grimoires is the work of the mind(s) of Ardere & Shattered Grimoire's staff. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. Black Clover is owned by Yuki Tabata and published by Viz Shonen Jump. All images belong to their original owners. The theme you are currently viewing was made by Eliza of ElizaCodes exclusively for Shattered Grimoires.
Kurai watched the stranger examining them, taking time to think. His instincts as an experienced handler of people told him that this man was confident in himself, quite the opposite of the cowed villagers he was used to dealing with. He felt more like his superiors, and that made him all the more concerned for how this encounter was going to end. He recoils slightly at the white haired stranger's next question directed at him, his lip curling up in confusion. "No, I don't own her! She's . . . someone I'm looking after. We're partners."
That was true, in a way. He wanted to keep her alive so that she could kill things for him, and they were partners in that it was just the two of them out there, working together to make sure he didn't die, and she remained useful. Shielding her while she wasn't actively defending herself was more practical than he'd initially thought, now that he'd had a moment to think about it. She wasn't moving much at all, and had the stranger attacked them, it didn't look like she was in the shape to get out of the way. She might have even lacked the self preservation instinct to do so, he really couldn't tell. She certainly talked like she was used to people asking what had happened to her, which was good in this circumstance, but would be detrimental to their cause of blending in and hiding for the foreseeable future. She needed real food, and a real bed. Her leading the way into the town was probably the best solution to this problem, and he turned to follow suit.
The stranger broke him from this train of thought with his louder exclamation. He returned his attention to the man, but he had no idea what he was talking about. He'd never heard of this . . . 'church'. It seemed to have been a good thing, as that declaration was immediately followed by an offer to have their meals paid for. He had thoroughly forgotten to bring anything valuable to trade for food. He was willing to steal for it, but would prefer to avoid leaving a trail of crimes while they were still so close to their home town. He did realize he wasn't confident in his ability to actually acquire the food. It would be most helpful to have someone else, presumably more experienced, to lead the way. He raised his hands to calm his fellow youth, maintaining his position between Aeila and him. "I hate to disappoint you, but I am not from the church, nor am I a hero. If you really want to pay for our meals, I would be grateful. However, my partner here seems to know of a place here, and I'd rather like to try her place for my first time eating in Sosshi. It looks like a beautiful place to eat, so you're welcome to join us there. If not, have a good day, sir."
He sincerely hoped that the white haired strange would not accept his offer. While he wasn't rude about it, he had declined an offered free meal, and some might have found that to be ungrateful. Better to be ungrateful than end up lured into a trap, or worse, captured and dragged back to the mines where he would face a slow and painful death.
Aelia slowly moved towards the village believing that is what she was needing to do, after all, when she had done tasks in the past there were no detours, they didn't stop without reason. The only reason she knew this town is because they passed it every time but it was the first time seeing it as her veil was still normally down until she was inside another building so she was taking in all the information that she could. She stopped looking over her shoulder to the two men seeing if Kurai was following her of deciding to talk to the stranger. She didn't want to get too far away from him, he had told her to stay close to him at all times. Though she seemed to have no survival instincts that wasn't the truth, she would throw others to wolves for her continued existence.
She was broken but she still had the spark of a survival instinct that told her, her life was more important than another, she would protect Kurai because that was her orders but if it came down to him or her it would really depend at that point on if she viewed his life as more important. At the moment she didn't, her orders from her father was to survive and return home always and this is what she intended to do. She listened to the pair not really understanding what was going on, she heard that the white-haired man was offering them a meal for some strange reason, she didn't comment on it but when Kurai turned it down it seemed like it was just a run of the mill thing. She realised that calling him a traitor earlier was becoming less and less likely and so made a mental note to request punishment if not now when they returned back home. Of course, she was too naive to realise she had been spot on with what she originally had thought of the man.
She looked at her red spider lily and watched it glow so changed her course away from the village and headed towards a pulling that she felt. Her movements were silent yet quiet she brought down her veil as she moved towards what seemed like the corpse of a wolf. Kneeling by it she stroked it almost as if it was still alive and a dear pet, the body was still warm meaning the death was still recent. She moved her grimoire down on the ground and moved her left hand over it while her right hand was over the wolf's corpse "Come to my graveyard, we can play together forever." she said gently the grimoire's cover and pages opening the body of the wolf glowing for a moment before it started to quickly almost decay and dissolve what looked like sparkling particles going into her grimoire before the grimoire closed as suddenly as it opened.
The wolf's corpse no longer anywhere to be seen her hands coming together "For those that have come and gone, through love and strife, whether you are forgotten or remembered thanks is given to you all so we can continue our paths undisrupted." she whispered before picking up her grimoire her flower now looking normal once more. Standing she dusted herself off and walked toward the town her veil still down. The two sentences she had spoken were the only ones she had ever been able to speak properly without being trained. They had come to her naturally though she didn't understand the second sentence she done as a prayer she understood the first and it put her at peace to know she wouldn't be alone forever.
She would wait at the gates of Sosshi for Kurai as she had no idea if he had been nearby or if there would be any issues with her wandering off to what she had done, regardless, she knew not to enter towns, cities or villages without her escort by her side no matter the reason. She had done it once for a corpse and she learned her lesson never to do it again even if it would make her stronger.
Word Count: 696 Total word count: 5,122
I can end and prolong the life of all, but I can't change the fate of those who fall. I can't turn back time once death has arrived...
Post by Jin Zhongli on Jan 15, 2021 21:08:04 GMT -5
POW 16 | DUR 02 | SEN 22 STA 15 | CON 15 | ALL 70 SPEED 5m/s | STRENGTH 1/2 junior HEALTH senior | MANA SKIN senior POOL 70/70 | REGEN 5 IC / 10 OOC
ITEMS cool gadgets here
TAGS @tag
520 words || 1,860 total
Jin Zhongli
Zhong li was disappointed, every thought or guess he attempted to figure this duo out proved to be just wrong. He liked to thing he was good at such things, but this encounter only proved he needed more time in the outside world. Maybe take less lives and engage a little more, he would have to see. The rogue rolled his eyes when the golden clad young man confirmed he was not from the church or a hero like Jin had thought.
It made sense though, not many heroes came through this area. And the chances of seeing a hero just save a damsel was pretty slim. It seems there weren't many members of the church left, where did they all go? Back on focus Jin could tell that his invite to eat with them was not sincere, but merely do to being polite. Which surprised him, why be so polite to a stranger this young man had a lot to learn. Jin was polite for a particular reason, he wanted something from them. But what did this young man want? Probably nothing at all, and that was a mistake.
Truth be told Jin was loosing his interest in this duo, since it seemed like they were no one of importance. He need not waste his time on them, there was nothing to gain nor anything to learn. The young rogue let out a sigh, and was about to decline the offer to eat with them. But he saw something from the corner of his eye, something that would completely reignite his interest. He followed a few steps behind Aeila, and saw her red spider lily glow. Was she activating some kind of magic? It didn't seem like ordinary magic though, it was definitely something unique.
He kept his distance but continued to look, she walked over to a dead wolf corpse and started petting the dead animal. It was odd to see at first, but then it all made sense. She chanted some words Jin could not make out completely other than graveyard. Then suddenly the wolf's corpse dissolved into particles and fade away into her grimoire! What kind of magic was this!? This wasn't a simple healing spell, or golem spell. Did she have command over death itself?
Jin for the first time in a while, had a rather serious look on his face. Who was she, more importantly who were they. No more games or riddles. A sudden memory flashed in his mind remembering being starved by his father when failing to kill a target. Was her past somehow similar to his own? Her appearance, her nature, her magic and someone who was looking after her. Jin wanted the answers and now.
He looked back at the young man clad in golden armor, and walked up to him his face a lot more stern and serious than before. "I will join you. And you will tell me who you both really are." Jin's voice a lot more colder than before, he was going to get his answers. Even if he had to force it out of them.
Notes and Spells
"Speech #1e3875" Battle summaries and cool spell stuff here
Kurai followed after his erstwhile 'charge', not wanting to be separated from what he believed was his most certain chance at being safe and making it beyond the reach of his old master. While the odd stranger continued to try to speak to them, he felt confident that not getting distracted so close to their old town was the right move. They would stay just long enough to get food, and directions, then they'd be on their way. Unless of course Aeila decided to do something truly bizarre like follow her randomly glowing flower towards a corpse.
This detour was exactly the sort of attention grabbing thing he was hoping to avoid, and now she'd gone and done it in front of an outsider. While he didn't know much of the magics used by those not from their village, he was confident that most of them didn't do that. It wouldn't be difficult at all to trace their course if she stopped to pick up every corpse they happened to pass by. He stood beside her while she caressed the wolf's dead body in a loving manner. It was definitely unsettling to see how she acquired the wraiths that she could summon. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but this wasn't it. Imagining her doing this to whatever poor soul that had scolded her for questioning him made his palms feel sweaty. If he expected to die soon, he'd be sure to cast himself off a cliff, or get himself burned to a crisp. He didn't want to end up as her play thing.
They continued on towards the town, and it was around that point that the stranger decided it would be a good idea to more forcefully coerce their cooperation. He had no intention of telling this man anything, nor did he much care for the chance of causing a scene within sight of the walls. One witness of her strange magics that could be related to nobody else was enough. They didn't need her to cause more of an uproar by having an army of ghosts form in plain view of an audience . . . if things ended up getting messy, he'd have to be the one to handle it here. He imagined his magic was significantly more common than hers, at least. Not that his magic was good for much of anything aside from being durable and making others miserable.
"Listen, fella, we're not interested in any causing any trouble here. We have places to be and people to see. We have no time for a fight with a stranger that hasn't even introduced themselves when they're asking so much about people he's never met. I'm not sure where you're from, but I'd call that rude. You really don't want to fight with us, and we don't want to fight you, so either calm down or buzz off! The good people of Sosshi don't need to be dealing with this sort of nonsense right outside their doorstep." He exclaimed with minor annoyance, his hand resting on the hilt of the golden sword at his side. He was definitely not about to be intimidated into obedience after so desperately pursuing freedom. Hopefully Aeila would take the hint, and keep going.
He didn't realize she didn't actually know the layout of the town as she'd always been blindfolded, but the smell of food or the sound of many people having a good time would be enough of an indication that they were in the right place. As he came alongside her once more, he took her by the elbow and pulled her along. The town gates . . . not locked. He had a moment of trepidation when pushing forward, a hesitance in his step as he considered the fact that he was sacrificing his freshly gained freedom behind walls so soon. This was different, however. There was no mansion dominating the townscape. There were no armed wizards standing at the walls looking down at him. There were no lines of miners dragging themselves into or out of the endless pits. There were no starving orphans begging for scraps or stealing moldy bread. There was no wicked lord that forced him to turn on his own people in order to have a chance at living an actual life. This was a new town, the dawn of a new day, the first page in this chapter of his life.
"Girl, we're going to secure food and lodging. Stay within arm's reach, we wouldn't want you getting separated from me, now." He harshly whispered the next bit under his breath. "And for the sake of all that is good and free, er, for the sake of your father, don't use your magic in front of other people unless it's an emergency! The person we're looking for will hear rumors and relocate themselves if someone mentions they saw a girl turn a corpse into a ghost!" He looked back at the white haired person. Perhaps he could be useful yet . . . "Well, I suppose an offering of food and mead would help smooth things over. As it just so happens, there is information you could provide us. We can trade. Why don't you suggest an inn." He cast a sidelong glance at Aeila, doing his best to nonverbally communicate that she should go along with what he was doing.
Aelia had remained where she was stood in front of the gateway of Sosshi. her veil was over her eyes, her red spider lily was no longer glowing as she hugged it and her grimoire to her chest. She had no idea what was going on around her, in fact, she had no idea that the two men were talking or that things had even turned somewhat aggressive. What Kurai seemed to believe and what the actual truth was were entirely different, she did, in fact, know the layout of the town they were about to enter. She just knew not to enter it anywhere without her escort or orders because it could be seen as her trying to run away or as an act of defiance both of which came with their own punishments. What she had done in regards to the wolf came to her as easily as breathing did.
She hadn't ever been given into trouble for gaining a new wraith, all it had ever done was make her father stronger. It was why she had been given her red spider lily she was sure. She gasped as her arm was grabbed her grimoire starting to float from her before opening "howling moon." she whispered under her breath from the grimoire a wolf was called forward, her red spider lily once again glowing. The wolf was growling and in a stance that was ready to attack. She was never touched while her veil was down as she couldn't tell friend from foe. It was because of this her escorts never done it and she was taught that if she was touched while her veil was down they were to be attacked without mercy as they were an enemy. This was the situation that Kurai had put himself and Jin in at that moment.
It wasn't until he heard Kurai's voice that she realised she made a mistake, her eyes going wide under the veil. She didn't understand why he would do such an action knowing the consequences. It didn't matter in her mind she would have been seen as the one at fault and she knew it, she was prepared for the outcome that would come from attacking a superior. "Stay close." she confirmed she understood "Allowed to reap." she said, it was her best attempt to show that his order contradicted her own fathers and his word wouldn't countermand that one. "Use when need, no otherwise." this was a run of the mill thing and had he not touched her there wouldn't be a wolf growling at him at current.
Moving her hand out she took her grimoire, her hand going to the wolf just as lovingly as when she claimed it's corpse. This made the wolf stop and vanish back into her grimoire. She started forward walking down the street as if she knew where she was going, she made sure to remain close to Kurai but eventually stopped in front of an inn before stopping completely. It was a beautifully decorated inn, in keeping for the decor of the village. While passing through Sosshi this was the place that they had always stopped and so believed this time would be no different, her veil was down and so she couldn't see. This was through nothing more repetition and muscle memory. She waited for him to enter and tell her if she was allowed to as well.
Post by Jin Zhongli on Jan 31, 2021 20:03:05 GMT -5
POW 16 | DUR 02 | SEN 22 STA 15 | CON 15 | ALL 70 SPEED 5m/s | STRENGTH 1/2 junior HEALTH senior | MANA SKIN senior POOL 70/70 | REGEN 5 IC / 10 OOC
ITEMS cool gadgets here
TAGS @tag
443 words || 2,303 total
Jin Zhongli
Jin's intense blue eyes stared at the young man before him, do to Jin's height he usually did have about a head and shoulder over most. Same could be said for this golden armored man. Was Jin actually going to attack them in broad daylight in front of a whole town, No. He wasn't that stupid, but sometimes when trying to get what you want. You needed to be a little more aggressive and Jin was not afraid to be just that. But the reply he got from this man was interesting, he didn't back down or whimper in compliance. He challenged Jin and met him face to face.
He stated his points precisely and cleanly, he had valid ones, very valid ones. The rogue took one step back and simply smirked, he was impressed this guy had some backbone. But just how much backbone did he have. "Fair enough, fair enough. I humbly apologize for my words earlier. My name is Zhongli and while I don't know you both that is true, you two have my utmost interest." he said in his sincere apology. He took a step forward once again to whisper in the young man's ear. "The appearance of you both will cause for some unwanted attention. If you are indeed hiding." a piece of advice maybe, what he chose to do with it was his own.
Jin watched as he went back to grabbed the frail girl, he was trying to protect her that much was clear. And they were definitely in hiding. She nearly gave themselves away using such a rare magic like that out in the open. Of course clover was a land of many different magics, and elements but not just anyone could turn the dead into pets and weapons like she did. Jin knew some people who would kill to get their hands on that kind of power. Jin stood by and placed his hands in his pockets, he was asked to suggest an Inn. Finally.
The young rogue smiled in response. "Finally we can all sit and calm down, and get to know each other. I agree wholeheartedly. " he started to lead the duo to an Inn he was familiar with, not to crowded didn't attract the wrong attention. It was perfect, or as perfect as they were going to get. Jin walked in and nodded to the bartender before sitting at an open table. A circle one right next to a wall for Jin to rest his back on, he took a seat casually rested his back. And shifted his eyes between the two, they certainly were characters. "So what are your names?"
Notes and Spells
"Speech #1e3875" Battle summaries and cool spell stuff here
Kurai realized he would need to teach the girl how to not stand out like a sore thumb constantly. The veil needed to stop, the standing around like a mindless drone needed to stop, and using such conspicuous and unique magic definitely needed to stop. He wasn't sure what sort of assassinations she'd gone on before where such a lack of subtlety was the appropriate course of action, but if things didn't change soon, there was no way he'd be able to escape the notice of her father. Surely some reason about how constantly revealing their presence would endanger their chances of catching their 'prey' . . . and then she made it so much worse.
She summoned the wolf's spirit that she'd just absorbed, in sight of the town walls, in the town. If, by some miracle, nobody other than this stranger that wouldn't leave them alone hadn't seen her magic, she'd basically announced their presence to the whole population. A dead wolf was in their gates, and three clearly not humble travelers stood around it. He was more than prepared to defend himself, already very tense from the mounting pressure to escape notice. Thankfully, she put the darned thing away before things got too messy. He wondered if she would have attacked their fellow before she attacked him.
Being blindfolded constantly, along with whatever abuse she'd endured, had made dealing with her more of a hassle than she may be worth. Perhaps a change in partners was in order. However, in the back of his mind, he could only imagine what would be done to her if she made her way back to their home after essentially running away. While her existence had become a huge inconvenience, the thought of causing her to be brutally tortured again for something that wasn't her fault did manage to stir up what little common decency lay buried deep in his heart. He grit his teeth, following her through the streets, willing to tough this out for a little longer in the hopes that their arrangement could be improved.
He'd almost forgotten about the stranger, who finally introduced himself. Zhongli, a strange name, but everything outside of his home town's walls was strange. He was glad the man backed down. Aeila was liable to start throwing specters at the slightest provocation, it seemed, so an actual fight between the two then and there would prove most disadvantageous. "You're forgiven. Now if you'll excuse us, it's late, and we'd very much like to have a warm meal before sleeping. Or . . . you're still following us." He rolled his eyes, naturally things couldn't be that simple. It was curious that he hadn't so much as flinched at the appearance of the wolf. Zhongli was either a complete fool, or he was dangerous. Best to assume the worst.
Kurai lead Aeila inside, careful not to touch her in passing lest she decide to defend herself against him again. He tried not to stand out too much, keeping his eyes down and his face calm. His hair and garb made that virtually impossible, but he didn't know how poor his job of blending in was. He'd never needed to blend in before. Aeila drew as much attention as could be expected, but as she seemed to know the streets, maybe nobody would question her here? He couldn't be sure of anything. And Zhongli was still there, inexorably trying to speak with them. There was no way to be rid of the man shy of outright attacking him, it seemed. "You can call me K, and this is my dear friend, A. We're just passing through."
It wasn't as if she knew her magic was rare, how could she? She was kept in a room that made a dungeon cell seem like a place you'd find in a high-end hotel. She realised her veil may be an issue but there was more to it than just what he thought especially within a town like Sosshi that dealt in more far eastern cultures. Then again it wasn't as if he would know it would seem he wasn't educated to be an outside carer for her, not that she exactly knew this but she was getting suspicious by the fact he raised her veil before they were in private and even touched her while it was down causing her to react on instinct. There was also the fact that he ordered her not to gain additional wraiths, there were so many red flags that she wanted to call out but was too scared to do so not knowing if she'd be punished or not.
That was another thing that seemed to confuse her, she had messed up several times and had been expecting punishment but not once had it come. She guessed he could be waiting until they were not in public to do so but then it had never stopped any of her other carers before, it was troubling her. It was true she waited almost like a mindless drone but that too could be explained away as it had been before, had he looked around the town of Sosshi the more traditional side of things had women walking three steps behind their husbands or the likes, there was no physical touching, some women wore veils much like her own and even waited outside until welcomed in. It would be easy for him to see that there was a reason why she was taught in such a manner.
Sure, it was strange outside such cultures but it could just be explained away if questioned and so kept everything wrapped up in a non-suspicious or conspicuous bundle. It even covered public punishments if and when required. She had entered the town when instructed and moved towards an in but made sure not to stray too far completely unaware of Zhongli's presence as it wasn't told to her and he wasn't exactly making noise for her to know. It wasn't until they got to the inn that she stopped and heard Kurai speaking to the other that made her tilt her head a little unsure what to think, it wasn't exactly rare but it wasn't exactly a common thing that happened. She could only wonder if he was going to be accompanying them on this task for her father, if not she wondered why Kurai was giving him even that information.
She raised her hand a little and pointed to the door as if showing Kurai that this was the place that they should be staying before they continued. Whether he felt comfortable or not in resting and eating here was a completely different matter but it wasn't like they had many options as they had no money. Until he himself walked in, she wouldn't, but if he did he would be warmly welcomed by the host and instantly shown to a table out of the way with Aelia following quietly, once seated he would be offered a menu and told he could order as he wished and not to worry about the bill. Aelia herself would sit down quietly and point to her veil almost as if asking if he would be willing to raise it. This came down to the individual carer, some would be fine to lift it now while others would wait until they were out of the public eye completely.
Word Count: 626 Total word count: 6,320
I can end and prolong the life of all, but I can't change the fate of those who fall. I can't turn back time once death has arrived...
Post by Jin Zhongli on Feb 14, 2021 22:45:00 GMT -5
POW 16 | DUR 02 | SEN 22 STA 15 | CON 15 | ALL 70 SPEED 5m/s | STRENGTH 1/2 junior HEALTH senior | MANA SKIN senior POOL 70/70 | REGEN 5 IC / 10 OOC
ITEMS cool gadgets here
TAGS @tag
490 words || 2,793 total
Jin Zhongli
"You can call me K, and this is my dear friend, A. We're just passing through."
Jin heard these words but took his time responding to them, his gaze was on the girl named A. Her demeanor, her magic, her frailty, there was something about her that just caught his attention. It was a little familiar, more so than what he had liked. His blue eyes shifted trying to analyze every detail he could. It was frustrating to him that he could not just outright force the answers out of them, like he wanted. He was trying to get his information by being kind and generous, but it seemed this one named K did not really appreciate his generosity. Even when the rogue thought they had come to mutual understanding, K seemed to still take displeasure with Jin's presence among them.
Finally his eyes went back to K, his face was bored and unamused. "K and A. Just passing through. You haven't done this much have you?" Jin replied to him leaning back in his seat. Jin was completely calm during this exchange, he had no reason to worry or be afraid of anything. He wasn't looking to hurt them, just learn more about them.
Of course to them he was a stranger, he understood that. But they were in a position where they had to make some allies, it so happen that Jin was the first person they met. He was about to speak again, but stopped when he noticed A pointing at her veil. He noticed she wasn't one to speak often and when she did, her speech pattern sounded broken. Almost like she wasn't properly educated on how to speak properly.
Jin pointed to her with his chin. "Is she asking for something?" he asked his own question directed towards K. "Anyways. K. I'm going to be honest and direct with you." he said before leaning in and talking quieter for only the three to hear.
"It's very clear you two are running from something or someone. Obviously she is someone of importance. Now if I was able to figure that out so quickly, how long do you think it would take for others to figure this out. How long until the people that will be chasing you, catch up to you." he said his voice clear and simple. No more playing guessing games, he had his fun with that now it was over.
Right after he said that though a waitress would arrive at the table reading to take some orders.
"You three ready to order? Or you need some more time?"
"I'm ready!" Jin said with a hint of excitement in his voice. "I would like your famous special pancakes! With extra syrup! And tall glass of cold milk!" Jin finished his sentence with his fingers twitching from excitement. The Rogue loved his pancakes.
The waitress looked at K and A.
"How bout you two?"
Notes and Spells
"Speech #1e3875" Battle summaries and cool spell stuff here
The town was so strange. At first, he thought it was Aeila that was going to draw the most attention with her veil and her bizarrely subdued mannerisms, but that was not the case. While there weren't a large number of folks out and awake at the hour that the trio happened through the gates, those that were paid her no more than an initial glance. His striking appearance and the hilt of his gleaming sword at his side, on the other hand, were the objects of curiosity. He was surprised to see that most of the few women out on the streets were similarly wearing veils, and walking apart from any men with them. If this was going to be how the kingdom was outside the walls, he wasn't so sure he was terribly interested in joining it. He could find his freedom somewhere else, surely . . . somewhere with more normal customs.
The inn and restaurant were very fancy, and very foreign. When Aeila was greeted like a visiting distant relative, his breath caught in his throat. This whole town was familiar with his old master. They knew her. This was bad, this was very bad. He quickly wondered how many connections that cruel and wicked man had elsewhere. Was all of this part of his spider web of traps? Was news of his escape already being delivered? Were his agents already closing in? Was he going to die here? A menu . . . was this to be his last meal? He could hardly work up an appetite despite the exotic and savory aromas filling the air. She sat there like nothing was wrong. There was nothing wrong, not for her. This was all according to plan. He could recover from this, they just needed to keep it moving.
He reached across the table to gently lift her veil, leaning closer to speak with her. "What would you recommend from the menu? Since it's my first time eating here, I'd like to get something really tasty, but filling. We'll probably want to keep moving after a bit of rest." He smiled softly, though the vermillion of his eyes was darkened by concern. He had instinctively wanted to reach across and touch her hand as he spoke to her, but after what happened list time, he wasn't about to risk her lashing out when surrounded by what was hopefully civilians.
He returned his attention to Zhongli, the stranger who simply would not stop asking question regardless of the clear disinterest either of them had in answering them. He didn't even flinch at the show of Aeila's magic in defense of herself against her mistaken assailant, a clear sign that he was indeed dangerous. That said, the fact that he didn't recognize either of them might have meant that he wasn't associated with the nobleman . . . when everyone else in the town was fine with him. He presented a unique opportunity, an out, perhaps. If only he could speak with the man alone, but now he couldn't get rid of Aeila, and he'd done that to himself. If he kept messing up, she'd be bound to realize it was all a ruse eventually.
"This is my first time in this particular town, yes. But we're not running from someone, quite the opposite. We're trying to find someone, an old acquaintance of mine. You seem pretty knowledgeable, so maybe you can help us out here." He smiled, the sort of professional business smile those who are used to talking about things not worth smiling about always put on, something Zhongli would most definitely have recognized. "We need to fin-"
And then the waitress arrived, cheerful as could be. In a panic, he simply ordered the first thing that came to mind. "I'll have the burger, please. Medium well." He smiled weakly to her, then, and returned his focus towards this supposedly dangerous man that just excitedly ordered pancakes like he was a five year old. He shook his head, looking to Aeila. "And what will you be getting?"
She had taken her spot inside the booth and had remained quiet the entire time that the two men had been speaking, she didn't interrupt, in honest, she didn't even understand half the things that were being said and the parts she did understand she paid no mind to as it wasn't directed towards her. She was still even when the stranger had asked if she was wanting something, she hadn't been asked and so even though she was the subject of the question she was just a third wheel the entire conversation. She was used to this happening and so paid it no mind, she was a tool to be used little else and she understood that to be her place even if she did wish for more. Those however were merely dreams that faded when she opened her eyes and realised her predicament hadn't and wouldn't change any.
"Thank you." she said calmly as her veil had lifted knowing that it was a kindness that had been given to her and that she should be appreciative of it. This had been a place that she had protected one time she had been brought through even though she had been told not to, the attackers had been obstacles in her way and so they had to be dealt with and so she did what she was trained to. It was because of those actions that she and her 'friends' were able to eat and rest for free. It had nothing to do with a link to home but she just believed that all her carers knew this by that point. She wasn't asked any questions about it so didn't say anything about it.
She had been punished for her actions but they later saw it as a blessing in disguise but it hadn't changed the defiance or the beating that came from it. He looked at him as she was asked what she thought was good, she didn't know and it was shown on her face. The truth was she had the same thing every time she was there and her carers had always ordered different things. It wasn't like she could read the menu, she was illiterate. She had never been taught how to read or write, it was just one more thing she had to depend on her father and his minions to do for her. "Not know." she said simply looking down thinking she may have upset him by not being useful to him. She bit her lip as she was asked what she was going to have, she had never been asked it and it made her feel overwhelmed at the prospect of it all.
The waitress smiled "Don't worry, we know what the lady usually has and we will prepare it for her. Will it be one room or two rooms we are preparing for you?" she asked the trio as she wrote down the two men's orders just jotting down 'little miss' for Aelia's order. As soon as she was told if they would be having separate rooms or not she would take note of that and walk off to get the drinks asked for while handing in the order leaving the trio alone. Aelia's eyes had closed almost as if she was asleep, this wasn't the case just even though it was dimmer than outside it was still brighter than she was used to and so she was allowing her eyes the darkness for now. If she were asked something or told to open her eyes, she would do so without question.
Word Count: 600 Total word count: 6,920
I can end and prolong the life of all, but I can't change the fate of those who fall. I can't turn back time once death has arrived...
Post by Jin Zhongli on Mar 3, 2021 13:02:07 GMT -5
POW 16 | DUR 02 | SEN 22 STA 15 | CON 15 | ALL 70 SPEED 5m/s | STRENGTH 1/2 junior HEALTH senior | MANA SKIN senior POOL 70/70 | REGEN 5 IC / 10 OOC
ITEMS cool gadgets here
TAGS @tag
362 words || 3,155 total
Jin Zhongli
The rogue waited patiently for the two to make their orders tapping both his index fingers together. He was honestly excited about the pancakes, his favorite morning breakfast. But he did notice how the one called A was being treated in this restaurant, the entire staff acted like they knew her and knew her well. Did this K kidnap a famous person? Quite bold of him if he did, Jin shook his head negating such thoughts. She probably wasn't famous, but she was well known at least here. Reading K's body language he was nervous, but he tried to hide pretty well. But Jin knew when someone was nervous, he saw it all the time. Even when they tried to deny it, he could tell.
The waitress confirmed what she already knew what A wanted to eat, considering she was known in this establishment that wasn't surprising. The waitress then asked how many rooms the group would be needing, that was an easy enough question. Jin looked up and held up two fingers with a light smile. "Two. Please. One for me and one for them should be fine, right?" he asked K and A looking towards them. After getting an answer she would move on from the table. When she left A's eyes had closed as if she was sleeping, Jin took notice but wouldn't bother her.
"So K you were about to ask for my help yes? Finding an old friend of yours?" Jin moved in closer not wanting to speak to loudly. "Someone that can help you in whatever it is you're runn- I mean doing." Jin made that mistake with his words on purpose. While he couldn't outright confirm the two, or maybe just the one was running from something. He had a really good hunch about it, conversations with strangers were rarely filled with actual truths. Mostly just lies and half truths, but never the whole thing. Unless one was very foolish, Jin didn't peg these two for being foolish. Maybe just a little inexperienced.
"I can help. With pay of course. Nothing is free. But tell me something K. How well do you know the world?"
Notes and Spells
"Speech #1e3875" Battle summaries and cool spell stuff here
"Eh? No problem. Think nothing of it." The act of removing her veil was more of a relief to him than any sort of kindness. It was still unnerving to have her walking around like some sort of weird doll. He also didn't know she couldn't read. The fact had never occurred to him. A nobleman's daughter, even if made little more than a prisoner in her own home, being unable to read seemed like a given. He still had no idea that's why she wouldn't tell him what she wanted to eat, but he nodded in gratitude at the waitress nonetheless. She seemed to know so much more about his traveling companion than he did.
"Two rooms, yes." While normally he'd have asked for three rooms, he doubted that the girl's caretakers ever let her our of their sight. He needed to keep up the act, even if it meant spending the night in the same room as someone that summoned ghosts. Not to mention she was a girl. He'd never spent a night with a girl before, and while there was no sort of romantic inclinations between either of them, it was still an uncomfortable proposition for him to be in. With her settled in for whatever sort of strange social interaction avoidance technique she was employing, he returned his full attention to Zhongli.
"Help seems like a strong word in this instance. I know enough to keep hunting on my own, but I'm sure A here would appreciate anything we can do to speed things up. We'd succeed either way, but maybe you could assist us in completing our little trip in a more timely manner. As for payment, we didn't bring much in the way of coin. That would have to be seen to later, if your services actually proved useful. Money is not really an object for us." While he had carried a sense of awkwardness or uncertainty up to that point, it seemed that Kurai was finally pulling himself completely together, now that they were seated and he didn't need to worry about Aeila harvesting corpses in front of everyone at the moment. This was the sort of discussion he was most comfortable with, as he'd negotiated all sorts of deals back in the village. Usually, it was to get someone to rat out their comrade to the noble and his thugs.
"So what do you say, Mr. Zhongli? Are you willing to give us some time to get things rolling before asking for payment? I can't tell you much more without your agreement to cooperate." He peered intently at the white haired man, his crimson eyes sparkling charmingly. He was out of his element in terms of terrain, but he wasn't a professional enforcer for years without learning something about how to hold your ground when left flailing in the dark. Push forward, keep the other person guessing, and even the most desperate and haphazard of plans could bear fruit.
Aeila opened her eyes but winced a little as the light hit her eyes, she was still so used to the darkness that even a small amount of light was blinding to her. The waitress had made sure to put them in a corner out of the way and where little light natural light would touch. She tried not to wince but she couldn't help it, the light made her eyes sting making her close them once more "Thank you much." she whispered her voice was shaky but did sound grateful that he had lifted her veil. Due to the stinging, her eyes were watering only making the stinging worse after a while, she did do her best to allow it to affect her afraid that she would upset the two men. She now wished that she hadn't motioned for her veil to be lifted but she was curious.
She listened to what was suggested for the number of rooms she didn't know the difference between what was asked this time and what was normally asked for. It sounded similar but she could have been wrong, she normally didn't listen to things, it was above her. Hearing what she was being called she looked to Kurai blinked looking confused "Yes..." she had no idea what she was saying yes to but it felt like she should be agreeing to whatever was being discussed but it was clear she had no idea what the hell was going on. She placed her grimoire on the table with her red spider lily, she didn't need to hold them at the moment a smile was on her face finally as the pain of the light was starting to ebb. She opened her grimoire and moved to the page of the wolf that she had recently gained.
"Howling moon." she whispered more to herself than the two men who were talking, her hand was lovingly petting the wolf seen on the page. It was clear she had created a bond with the spell, it may have made no sense to most but to her they were once alive and even now as she brought them to her side they once again were within a sense. That was enough for her, the wraiths she harvested, of course, were under her control but she had no idea how to take it as she was never granted a grain of free will her entire life. She cared and loved these wraiths as if they were still alive, it was unusual. Under the table, the wolf would appear its head going into her lap making her smile brightly as she looked down. She wanted to giggle but she remained silent.
She just petted it nodding her head every now and then like she was agreeing to something, she was content and petting its head. A few eyes did look over at the table briefly but they went on as normal. It was almost as if this was a run of the mill thing with the young woman. Eventually, three waitresses came back, two held the food that the two men asked for the third-placed a small bowl of soup, a half roll, a small bowl of rice and vegetables as well as a small fruit crumble in front of her with a glass of water. "We'll bring a bone for your friend." one of the waitresses said walking away from the table while another placed two keys on the table "On the first floor, rooms three and four, they are directly across the hall from each other." she said before walking off with the others.
Even though there was food in front of her Aeila continued to pet the wolf that was licking her hand by that point, she wouldn't have even attempted to try and touch the food without permissions. She wasn't even going to risk that punishment on that one. She was content and happy that much was clear even if she was in pain and out of her natural element. She was like a little girl playing with her pet dog with how she was with the wolf and unlike before it hadn't attempted to try and attack anyone.
Word Count: 703 Total Word Count: 7,823
I can end and prolong the life of all, but I can't change the fate of those who fall. I can't turn back time once death has arrived...
