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| | | Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald |  |
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Kolson
Posts : 3529
Join date : 2017-05-16
| Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald  Sat 06 Mar 2021, 10:30 pm | |
| "Aw, thanks guys. I'll drink to that!" he raise his cup along with them, and takes a sip of wine. "So Brutus, I have to know, how did you meet your wife?" |
| | | | Zeiss
Posts : 5015
Join date : 2007-01-26
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Sat 06 Mar 2021, 10:51 pm | |
| "Through a friend of mine. Maria's family unfortunately had to declare bankruptcy after several failed business ventures, and she had to strike out on her own to survive. She was only hoping to get a job from me, something to keep her out of the street, but once we got to talking, we realized that we shared several interests despite the difference in our age; music, literature, and theater. I invited her to one of Kaur's plays, and it all snowballed from there. What about you? What woman could possibly temper the heart of the Devil of the Citadel himself?" |
| | | | Kolson
Posts : 3529
Join date : 2017-05-16
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Sat 06 Mar 2021, 11:37 pm | |
| Steve takes on a contemplative expression and says, more to himself than to anyone, "Temper? Temper? I suppose Zelk has, in a way." He leans back and digests that idea for a moment before answering the question. "Back at school I would have said it was all good, stupid fun. Round and round we went, chasing each other here and there, up and down and all around. She was my best friend, and nemesis, all in one. The only one who really got me. Who really understood, even though she'd convinced herself that she didn't and that she didn't want to. But I knew. Her smile always gave it away. She was like me, and I love her for that." He can't help but smile as he thinks of her. |
| | | | Zeiss
Posts : 5015
Join date : 2007-01-26
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Sat 06 Mar 2021, 11:47 pm | |
| The entrepreneur listens to Steve talk as he swirls the last of his wine, and after much consideration, raises his cup to him. "To your soon-to-be wife, then. And may you live happily ever after."
The two bodyguards join their employer and raise their cups too. |
| | | | Kolson
Posts : 3529
Join date : 2017-05-16
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Sat 06 Mar 2021, 11:55 pm | |
| Steve raises his glass and says, "To Zelk. And to happily ever afters." |
| | | | RorytheRomulan
Posts : 7109
Join date : 2017-05-17
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Sun 07 Mar 2021, 12:06 am | |
| Konrad pauses respectfully for the toast, and picks up a forkful of salad. "What's the secret to staying married, anyway? Seeing as we all have an interest in our friend's 'happy ever-after', some input from a man of experience would prove invaluable." |
| | | | Zeiss
Posts : 5015
Join date : 2007-01-26
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Sun 07 Mar 2021, 12:20 am | |
| "Oh, it's simpler than you might think," Brutus chuckles. "You must first establish what the responsibilities of each spouse are, and then live according to them. In my case, Maria and me have agreed that I am the one who will provide for the family while she cares for our children when I am away from home. Of course, not every couple works this way, although it is the most common one. For you and your lady, I suspect you might decide on something different." |
| | | | Kolson
Posts : 3529
Join date : 2017-05-16
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Sun 07 Mar 2021, 12:28 am | |
| Steve nods in agreement. "I'm switching careers into something less dangerous. I've been taking singing and music lessons, and we've all founded our own company together. Remember the voice amplifiers from the Arena? That was us. It's an exciting challenge but I'd love to pick your brain if you don't mind? Like, how did you start your own business? What were some things you wish you knew then that you know now?" |
| | | | Zeiss
Posts : 5015
Join date : 2007-01-26
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Sun 07 Mar 2021, 1:05 am | |
| " Ah, my younger days." Brutus finishes his meal and then pushes his plate aside, a wistful expression appearing on his face. " Well, I wasn't the one who founded the Western Islands Shipping company; my first wife was. Phoebe Melan, a very bright young woman with a business degree from the Luxus University. Our marriage didn't last however and we separated a few years after that. But we remained amicable enough that I helped her collect enough capital to start her own company. When she unfortunately passed away, her controlling shares in the company passed on to me, her business partner. Since then, I've done my best to grow the business she started, and it is my hope that she would look favorably upon me if she could see what I've done with it up until now."- OOC:
Please roll Deception to hide your reactions.
- Konrad:
Konrad is again hit with the impression that he's seen Brutus before, but he can't remember where.
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| | | | RorytheRomulan
Posts : 7109
Join date : 2017-05-17
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Sun 07 Mar 2021, 1:21 am | |
| Konrad eats his bite of salad, and turns his attention to his plate once Brutus begins discussing how he inherited the company - by stealing his wife's success, he thinks, as he digs out another slice of pike, pretending not to be too interested.
Deception 18 (AP)
For Konrad's reaction: suspecting foul play, Konrad believes that Brutus Sharp invested in Phoebe's success, and then stole the company out from under her by planning its misfortunes. Leading to Konrad's own involvement. Dammit, where does he know this man from? That face... |
| | | | Kolson
Posts : 3529
Join date : 2017-05-16
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Sun 07 Mar 2021, 7:38 pm | |
| Steve is shocked by the way Brutus is putting it out there but he rolls with it, imagining how sad the loss would have made Fedler and Yen and then transferring those emotions into his performance for Brutus. "Oh, how sad. My condolences, sir. That must have been a very difficult time for you and your family."
Deception 24 |
| | | | Zeiss
Posts : 5015
Join date : 2007-01-26
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Sun 07 Mar 2021, 8:26 pm | |
| There's a short pause before Brutus talks again. "Thank you for your kind words; they mean a lot to me. But please, don't let that spoil your evening. I'm sure there are more lighthearted topics we can talk about."
He smiles to the two mages and waits to see if they have anything else to ask. |
| | | | RorytheRomulan
Posts : 7109
Join date : 2017-05-17
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Mon 08 Mar 2021, 12:24 am | |
| Konrad finishes a bite of food and asks, "Well, to springboard off of what you said last, forgive me if this sounds rather forward but if you'll indulge my curiosity, what passion drives you to be an entrepreneur and create wealth? Inheritance for the boys? Maybe, reducing the problem of scarcity?"
Diplomacy 19
With a couple charitable guesses, Konrad makes an attempt to get Brutus to gush about his plans for his wealth and the company. |
| | | | Zeiss
Posts : 5015
Join date : 2007-01-26
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Tue 09 Mar 2021, 10:56 pm | |
| "You had it right on your first try," Brutus says. "I do it for my children. Of course back when I was younger, it was all about status and money, but as I got older, I realized that family is what really matters. I must admit however that I also want to leave a trace of my passage on this earth, and this company might be what people remember me for. I can only hope that my sons will prove themselves worthy of all the blood, sweat and tears I've put into this company when they succeed me." |
| | | | RorytheRomulan
Posts : 7109
Join date : 2017-05-17
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Tue 09 Mar 2021, 11:10 pm | |
| Deception 25
Konrad searches, first and foremost, for hints of remorse in the man's words and body language. Second, whether or not he's telling the truth. |
| | | | Zeiss
Posts : 5015
Join date : 2007-01-26
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Wed 10 Mar 2021, 8:53 pm | |
| - Konrad:
Konrad notices no signs of remorse from Brutus, and he seems to be telling the truth.
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| | | | RorytheRomulan
Posts : 7109
Join date : 2017-05-17
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Wed 10 Mar 2021, 9:08 pm | |
| "Hmm. I see. I think I understand. I hope they do as well." Konrad raises his glass. "Let me raise another toast - to family." |
| | | | Zeiss
Posts : 5015
Join date : 2007-01-26
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Wed 10 Mar 2021, 10:40 pm | |
| "To family!" Brutus says as he raises his glass, soon joined by his two bodyguards.
The rest of dinner passes rather quickly as the businessman broaches the subject of the Tournament and the part the two mages played in it. He is especially interested in the actions that they took and which he missed because of how fast everything went, and they spend the rest of the evening retelling the events from their perspective. Mr. Sharp of course mentions the strange disappearing move Szef Nadzieja made in her fight against Szef Makara, but judging by the party members' evasive answers, he surmises that it is a secret monk technique that very few people have mastered. This is the prevailing rumor about it anyway.
Soon, it is time to go to bed and he thanks the mages for a very entertaining evening, but not before he asks them to pass on his compliments to the cooks for the delicious meal. Then he and his men leave for their cabin. |
| | | | K
Posts : 3812
Join date : 2017-05-16
| | Subject: Re: Act 3: The Ball - En route to Emerald Thu 25 Mar 2021, 6:55 pm | |
| - Amber and Mihai:
Mihai takes the next few hours after the meeting to greet and get to know Nadzeija's warriors, thank them for their help, etc. When he finally spots Amber on deck, he approaches, slightly anxious about the subject he's about to bring up.
"Hey." - he greets his sister - "Rested?"
"Oh, hi Mihai," she replies, still a little drowsy. "I'm good. What's up?"
With all the fairies flying around the ship and the Myrzen warriors standing on deck, the ship is a lot more crowded than before.
He looks down to the floor as he starts speaking, slightly reluctant - "Listen, i wasn't gonna bother you with this, but..." - then looks her in the eye - "There's something i need your help with."
"Uh, yeah, sure. With what exactly?"
"It's about the job in Luxus. Um..." - he looks around - "Mind we talk somewhere out of earshot?"
"Uh, okay. Where do you wanna go?"
"Hmm, guess there's only the cabins. Mine?"
"Geez. It must be serious if you're so nervous about this."
"Eh, you can make fun of me later if i'm overblowing it. C'mon."
Amber follows Mihai to his cabin and plops down on his bed once he's closed the door behind them. "So, what is it?" she asks as she crosses her legs.
Mihai takes the chair, turns it around and sits, tapping his finger on the rest to keep himself focused - "So, this Shroud thing gives us a real shot now at saving the Duchess but there's one last hurdle i'm not sure we can clear. Duma got his Orb and never suspected something had been wrong with him before. For the Duchess, we don't even have that. I'll have to isolate her into the Shroud like some kidnapper, slap some woven shackles on her while she possibly tries to kill me, then convince her that she's been under threat of mind control the whole time. There's a pretty good chance she just flat-out won't believe me. I know what it's like to be under the Enemy's control through Nick's memories, but doubt Venator's ever been made to do something so radical as attack people she cares about. I have no frame of reference for what it's like to do something out of character and go on with my life, but..." - he looks her in the eye again - "...do you remember the day i showed you the Orb?"
Amber frowns when Mihai begins to explain what this is about, and she becomes a lot more tense the longer he talks. When he finally asks his question, she nods and says, "Yeah, I do. You wanna know if an Elemental was controlling me."
Mihai frowns as well, not at his sister but at himself - "I was never gonna ask you about it. But now... if something feels off to you about that day, i... it could really help."
"Yeah, don't worry. I get it." She then shakes her head. "But nothing feels weird about that day. Nothing at all. And since you're asking about it... I'm guessing you think there was something wrong with me then, right?"
Mihai nods somberly - "The questions you asked. The way you moved, the tone of your voice, it was like... you, but not really you. I probably could have handled that better too, but... do you remember asking me about who was making the Orbs? If it was every Fairy or just Breeze?"
"Yeah," she says. "And then you had me call Sunny out."
"Yeah. I was out of ideas and a little..." - he tries to pick his words - "Thinking about it now, does it make sense to you to have asked those questions?"
Amber stays silent for a while as she carefully ponders his question. "...Yeah, it still does. I was just worried about where those orbs were coming from."
Mihai slouches in his chair with a sigh - "...just like when i was controlled by the Avatar. I remember all i did and can't believe i did it. But at the time, it just..." - he clenches his fist as he remembers the sensation - "...felt right." - he mutters, unable to keep all of the venom from those words.
"So, that's what you think happened to me?" she asks, her shoulders slouching forward.
"Seen some of these Magical entities share different variations of the same ability. I don't think it was the exact same, but... that Avatar guy, he made it a point to act like a slime ball, just really insufferable scumbag. Then just as i'd had enough of him, something happened. I can't really explain it, it's like what i was supposed to feel was being fed into me; suddenly he felt like a swell dude that was joking around. It just..." - he shakes his head, as he stares off blankly - "...i couldn't even think to resist it. None of us could, except for Konrad who already had an Orb. Then... Breeze figured out something was wrong and gave me one. I woke up from it and punched the fucker out." - he goes quiet for a moment, then looks at her and adds - "That was the main reason i decided to give you one. If it could happen to us on any normal day, i... yeah."
His sister doesn't say anything for a while as she tries to process everything he'd just told her. Just when he's about to speak again, she tightens her hands into fists and meets his gaze once more. "So, what now?"
He looks aside gravely and shakes his head slightly - "I have to figure out how to convince the Duchess. Maybe her family's noticed she's been acting different and can somehow persuade her, i dunno. Better still if we could find Edward's agent and stop him before the Ball. If worse comes to worst, i can use the Shroud to take her back to the ship and confine her until we can get her an Orb, though i seriously hope it doesn't have to come to that. Either way, can't let her die at that Ball. If Edward's really trying to start a war..." - he stops himself, trying to choose his words better - "I have to stop him."
"Wait, you want to confine her here?" Amber asks. "That sounds like really bad idea, Mihai."
Mihai shrugs in exasperation - "It is, but i don't know what else to do about it if it gets that bad." - he clenches his fists - "If i want to save her and i haven't found Edward's agent yet, i have to extract her from that Ball. And from the moment i've done that..." - he clenches his teeth - "The hell do i tell her?" - he asks like he's not just being rethorical. He shakes his head in frustration, then calms down - "Forget i said that. There has to be another way. I just..." - he stares blank at the floor - "I need to figure something out before it's too late."
"Well, the Ele—I mean, the Enemy want her because she's the duchess, right? Why not just take that way from her?"
Mihai looks at his sister with a bit of surprise. Then looks down again, in thought - "I... hadn't really thought about that. But... deposing a Duchess is not easy. Especially not for a foreigner. If she had a political enemy that we could leverage, though... she'd lose her value as a target for Edward, too."
"That's a lot better than keeping her gagged in one of our cabins. Besides, we're going to a ball where other nobles are supposed to meet, right? There's got to be someone powerful there who hates her—wait, the king! Femke said something about them disagreeing about a thing!"
"Yeah. The King wants to foster better relations between the Islands, the Duchess is on a supremacy trip--" - the he realizes what she means - "It's a biannual Ball... you're right. He could be there!"
"See?" Amber says with a smirk. "Talking with your sister really makes everything better. All we gotta do now if find a way into the ball and meet the king if he's there."
Mihai chuckles - "Gotta do a little more than that, but yeah." - he shakes his head slightly, but not in frustration this time - "I was so bent on tackling this from one direction, didn't even realize how many options there are." - then manages to crack a half grin - "You're not half bad at this, you know."
Her smile widens. "Damn right I am." Then it recedes when she starts thinking about something else. "Mihai? There's something I wanted to talk to you about."
He gets a little concerned - "What is it?"
She hesitates for a second, but then goes for it. "I've thought really hard about it, and I think I'm ready to be considered an adult."
"Um..." - he furrows his brow a bit - "What do you mean?"
"It means I can go live on my own if I want. I can drink, I can smoke, and I can go spend the night elsewhere too. I know you've always asked me my permission about the big decisions in my life, but... I just don't want you to be surprised if I don't do something you really want me to. Don't worry, I'll still listen to your advice whenever you have some—I always will." She blushes slightly at that. "But starting now, I'll be taking care of myself."
Mihai's jaw drops as Amber keeps talking. His strength leaves his face, and at the end he hangs his head, not wanting her to see the regret in his eyes. He stays like that for a while, not knowing what to say. - "I... i should have taken you out of Villevielle a long time ago. Gone somewhere we could have..." - he clenches his fist to keep himself steady - "You grew up so fast..."
"Mihai? Look at me."
He does.
Amber gives a warm smile to her brother and puts her hand on his. "Thanks for looking after me. It... it means a lot that you did. But don't beat yourself up, okay? That's not what my father would want you to do right now."
Mihai chuckles sadly - "I really wonder what he'd say to me." - then tries to snap himself out of it - "What... what are you planning to..." - he swallows his hesitation and speaks his fear - "You're not planning to leave the house, are you?"
"Nah, silly!" She ruffles his hair and leans back, still smiling. "At least not before I'm sixteen. Besides, life at the Citadel sounds good to me."
He smiles at bit. Then he gets a little lost in reverie - "You know this, but i lost my mom when i was 8. Held a sword since i was 12, was knee deep in the Dominance Wars, that happened all because of..." - he trails off - "...had my room bombarded once with Fire Magic while i was in it, had a whole Invincibilly collection that just went up in flames. I've probably been in more combat than most military personnel. And um..." - he hesitates, but makes himself say it - "I am scared shitless whenever a fight breaks out and i see you in it. I..." - he loses his words for just a moment - "I was so proud of you back at the Warehouse, it would have turned into a bloodbath if you hadn't pulled that maneuver with Sunny. I hadn't really thought about it, but looking back it was obvious you'd spread your wings. I um... i know you'll make your own mistakes, just like i did. And you'll own them, and you'll learn from them, and you'll come out stronger. And you'll get it right, too. And when you have to do something, i know you'll do it even if i don't want you to." - he chuckles - "Hell, i didn't press you any further to go back home because i knew there was no stopping you. Just..." - he struggles to get the words - "I'm always there with you too. You know?"
Her smile softens the longer he talks, and a few tears even threaten to spill out when he compliments her. Once he's finished talking, she stands up from the bed and puts her arms around Mihai's shoulders. "I know," she says. "Thank you."
He hugs her back.
- Fluffle and Mihai:
The sun has begun its descent towards the horizon and has turned the sky into a blend of purple and orange. It will soon be dinner time, but Mihai needs to speak to Fluffle first, who he finds sitting on the mast, talking to other fairies while the wind ruffles their hair. He doesn't seem to have noticed Mihai.
Mihai approaches - "Hey, Fluffle."
Fluffle looks down at Mihai and then says a few words to the other fairies before he flies down the mast and lands on the starboard side of the railing. "Hey, Mihai. How are you doing?"
There aren't many Myrzen warriors standing on deck at the moment.
"Yeah i'm, uh... good. You?"
"As well as I can be. What can I do for you?"
"I need your help with something. Being able to jump into the Shroud just got easier, thanks to Smirk, but there's still only two of us here that can do it. And one of us still hates me enough that he won't give me the time of day, even when it's important. Now, Florolf is free to not like me all day and night, but i can't plan for anything that includes his help if he won't so much as acknowledge that he heard me, let alone say yes or no. I've noticed you've been getting along pretty well with him, even looks like you understand what he's saying. Can i ask you to give him a nudge when i'm trying to lay out a plan that we need him for and he pretends to ignore me? I don't need much, just gotta know when he's onboard or not."
Fluffle tilts his head to the side and carefully considers Mihai's request. "I don't mind helping with that, but why does Florolf not like you? You're so nice to him all the time."
Mihai raises an eyebrow, now that someone finally seems to notice - "Right? I try, but doesn't seem to make a difference." - he lets out a short sigh - "I think he doesn't like me, because me and Fedler... you know. He's jealous, is what i think."
"Wait, what? Jealous of what?" The fairy genuinely doesn't seem to understand what he means.
Mihai tries to explain better, but can't help but stutter at first - "Uh, well... Fedler is my girlfriend. And um... i guess he wanted her to give him more attention, that she instead gives to me. I mean, i'm not a Carbuncle, i don't know what goes on in his head. But if it's not that, i..." - Mihai shakes his head in baffled resignation
"Oooh... I see now." A grin appears on Fluffle's face. "I think I know how to change that."
Mihai blinks - "Huh? You do?"
"Yup! We just need to convince him that helping you will make Fedler love him even more."
"Oh. Well, that tracks. I just wouldn't know how to go about it. Pretty sure he won't listen if i say it."
"You let me handle it then. With time and effort, I'm sure you two will become great friends."
"Um... well, i'm in your hands then. Thanks."
"No problem!" Fluffle says with a smile. "Anything else you need?"
"That was it, thanks. You ate yet? Gonna have dinner with Amber soon."
"No, I haven't. Can I join you?"
"Yeah, glad to."
"Great! Thank you." - The two of them head to the galley together.
- Femke and Mihai:
Evening, in the galley, Mihai approaches Femke near the end of her meal. - "Hey, Femke. You got a minute?"
The young Tyke raises her head to look at him, her lips pressed together as if she had been deep in thoughts until now. "Yes?"
There's no one else here, and at this time of night, the ship is pretty quiet.
"Um..." - he takes a chair - "I never got to..." - he trails off, trying to get the words right - "I'm sorry for barging in on you yesterday, when..." - he stops short of saying it - "Well, i had no idea you might be in there. I'm sorry."
Femke puts her spoon back in her bowl of soup while she thinks about what happened yesterday that would warrant an apology. "Oh, you mean when you saw me naked," she says.
"Um... yeah. That. Konrad was Sam, and i couldn't think of anywhere else we could talk to her without making a scene."
"Do not worry. I understand that you meant well."
He scratches his head - "Right... thanks." - then moves to change the subject - "So, how's the trip been? Tough being away from home?"
Femke gazes into Mihai's eyes, not moving a muscle while she thinks about something, until finally, she pushes her bowl away and joins her hands together on the table. "Actually... I am facing a difficult choice at the moment and I would like some... advice from someone I trust."
Mihai straightens up, and his eyes widen ever so slightly - "What's wrong?"
"It's about the talk I've had with Konrad after our meeting this morning. You saw me in his cabin yesterday, so you are already aware that the two of us are... intimate with each other, correct?"
Mihai's brow furrows a bit, but there's not much surprise on his face - "Yeah. I figured."
He notices that her cheeks are turning red a little bit. "While I cannot tell you the details, Konrad has shared his concern that I may have grown, um, ‘closer’ to him than we had agreed, and he is concerned for my well being."
Mihai's expression hardens in short order, he looks like he's about to say something but stops himself and thinks better of it, calming himself down and making sure his tone is level before he speaks - "Tell me something. Is this the first time you've had someone... you know, intimate?"
She nods.
"Was Konrad aware of this?"
"Yes."
Mihai looks away from her, discharging the anger in his stare at a nearby wall. He takes a breath, scratches his forehead to calm himself down, then braces himself to give Femke the talk - "Ok, first things first: You didn't do anything wrong. No matter what else i tell you, you keep that in mind."
She nods.
"So, i'm gonna try to break this down for you. Maybe you already know this, but Humans often refer to the Heart as a metaphor for the part of your brain that handles emotions. We use that word, because..." - he trails off, realizing - "...well, even i'm not sure, but it does things to us that we can't readily quantify. Even if in our heads we understand all the science behind it, we're usually unprepared for how it makes us feel. This is normal. Now when you get intimate with someone, it's usually for one of two reasons. It could be the physical side of it, when you um..." - he tries to find a euphemism, and fails - "...have sex, and how it feels in the moment. The other reason is much harder to define, because it's about the Heart. You, um... become close with someone, and as you do it becomes harder to be apart from them, whether you get physical or not. Now, sometimes it's both things at the same time. Or it starts as one and then also becomes the other, the problem is..." - he takes a second to gather his thoughts - "Konrad is the type of man who's had... well i don't know for sure, but probably dozens of women in his life. And if you've been that way long enough, you're not in it because you want to find someone to spend the rest of your life with; nine out of ten women will become a one-night stand, or maybe a fling at best. It's just the way it is for some people. Now you..." - he looks slightly pained as he goes into this - "Femke... by any human metric you'd be far too young to start this part of your life. Now that you have, it's a part of you that's here to stay, but... when we first become intimate with someone, it's a very vulnerable time. We feel things he never had before, that we never thought we could." - and he tries to put emphasis next - "And we can't control it." - he lets that sink in for a moment - "And when something goes wrong, well... it's not easy. Ideally, your first relationship should have been with someone who felt about you the same way. Konrad is..." - he tries to word it properly - "Well, he's the kind of man a mother and father will warn their daughter about. That sooner or later, they'll end up with their heart broken. I..." - he looks away for a second before continuing - "I would have warned you about him. Because it was never going to be the same for him that it was for you. He..." - he tries to break it to her easier, but no better words come to mind - "Two adults who've had at least a few years experience with intimacy can actually do that; agree to not get too involved. You were never going to be able to do that, not the first time. It's just something you're never ready for. So yeah, i'm concerned for your well being too, but this is not on you. He knew you wouldn't be ready to have that kind of relationship, and he reeled you in anyway. If i was your dad, this is where i'd go up to him and sparks would fly."
Femke listens carefully to what Mihai has to say and when he's finally done talking, she takes a minute to process everything he just said. "I believe you're wrong about one thing," she says. "I do not believe Konrad thought I was vulnerable to this kind of relationship—not at first anyway."
Mihai frowns, not wanting to overstep himself - "If you say that, i believe you. But..." - he gets stumped for a moment, thinking about what to say - "...that's all the more reason that i don't think he'll be able to make you happy. Femke, you're a lot of good things; but after spending a little time with you, i think we all got a feel for what you're like. And that's not a bad thing at all, it's good that the people that care about you understand how you feel, what you might need, it's one of the things friends are for. I got you, Amber got you, Steve got you." - he once again tries and fails to bring it down softer - "Konrad didn't. And that's the problem."
"That is not the problem I am facing right now."
Suddenly feeling like an idiot, Mihai then asks - "So, what is it?"
"Konrad shares your concerns and he apologized for his behavior, but I am now faced with a choice: continue this relationship, knowing it might cause me pain in the future, or put an end to it."
"Does... does that relationship right now make you happy? Even though you know he's not reciprocating how you feel?"
She lowers her gaze and ponders the question. "I am not clear on what happiness feels like, but I like the time that we spend together. It feels... real." She meets Mihai's eyes again. "I've never felt that way before, and it's unlikely that I would ever experience it outside of this group. The Tykes are not allowed to share information with the majority of the human population, so intimate relationships can't be formed with any of them; except for those in your group."
"What about other Tykes, don't you have relationships? You're clearly able to."
"Not physical ones. It would be akin to incest."
Mihai winces at her predicament, puts his hands on the table to try to gather his thoughts - "I see. That's..." - he looks at her again - "Why the finality, though? In a few months, the Tykes have reached out to us. Faith said that when you were ready to reveal yourselves, you'd come to the Feathers first, so there ought to be a future somewhere in there where you can live with us without having to hide. Am i wrong?"
Her brow furrows when Mihai talks about the Tykes revealing themselves and she unconsciously starts to fiddle with her thumb. "Nothing is certain," she says. "Far from it, in fact." - She looks like she might say more, but stops herself.
He gently raises his hands as if to stop her from saying more. - "Listen, it's very unlikely that you're the only Tyke starting to feel this way. I don't know the specifics of your society, but once enough of you start to want physical intimacy with other people, that dam's gonna break. Now onto your problem, i..." - he fails to sugarcoat it - "I don't see a future for you with Konrad. I wish i could tell you otherwise, but... he's just not that kind of guy. Not that i've ever seen, anyway. I don't want to tell you to give up on something that makes you happy, but... if you're like us - and i've seen enough to believe you are - if you carry on with this and let yourself get ever more attached to him until he feels like breaking it off... it'll hurt. You're going to feel this hole in your chest-- in your... Heart, like there's a piece of you missing. And that pain is gonna carry. Days, weeks, i don't know."
He also looks like he wants to say more, but stops himself.
"That is the conundrum I am facing. I know there is no future with Konrad, and if we do continue this relationship, it is very likely that I may feel distressed at the end of it, but... would it be worth it? I see how you are suffering without Ms. Melan, but if worst comes to worst and you lose her forever... would you wish that what you had never happened?"
"No." - he answers matter-of-factly - "At times i might have a moment of weakness and let myself think that i might. But then i'd remember her. Who she really was, not just her face. And i wouldn't want to let go of her memory. But..." - he shifts in embarrassment, bracing himself for what he's about to say - "I love Fedler, and i know she loves me. And in that sense, you're right, it's rare to find something like that in your life, let alone more than once." - he goes silent for a moment - "I want to believe that you'll yet have someone like that in your own life, even if it looks bleak right now. And yes, what you're facing right now is not easy." - He loses his words again, trying to think of right thing to say.
"When i've been faced with hard choices before, Amber's dad would tell me to try to make choices i think i'll be able to live with. That... when looking back on it a day, a month, a year from now, even if i'm still not sure what the right thing was, i'll still be able to look myself in the mirror and stand up straight. And that at the end of the day, that's all any of us really can do." - he trails for another moment, trying to find the words - "Just... make a decision based on what you actually want. Not on what you're afraid of."
The young Tyke's expression softens for a moment until a small smile tugs at her lips. "This man sounds like a very wise man."
Mihai nods, and can't stop a small, slightly sad smile to creep up the corner of his own mouth - "He was the best. Don't know where i'd be without him."
"...Thank you for your advice. I believe I see things a little more clearly now."
Mihai nods, and tries to be discreet when breathing his sigh of relief. He goes quiet for a moment, not wanting to spring from that to what he actually came here for, but awkward silence wouldn't make it any better - "Listen, i know you've got enough on your plate right now, but there's something... something else, that i need your help with."
She raises her eyebrows in an almost imperceptible manner and says, "Please, tell me."
"Unless something changes, i think the chances of us finding Edward's whereabouts in Emerald are pretty slim. I've a hunch that he made for the Feathers, but that's still a shot in the dark. And our time's running out." - he thinks how to best word the next part - "I know you can't talk about the Tykes, so i'm just gonna talk; you don't have to confirm or deny anything. Back at Nomad's Cove, Faith's team zeroed in on Conan like they knew where he was all along; Conan was completely unfazed about it and knew immediately who they were before anyone laid eyes on them. Then when he and Faith met, for some reason they stared at each other longer than they'd ever need - especially when you're so efficient - and after that, they barely exchanged two words about each other's condition. Right then, that made me think your people can exchange information without talking, possibly over really long distances."
He stops a beat, to let her process.
"If that's true, and depending how far it extends, it'd really help to know if your network's spotted either Fedler, Edwin Reeves or the Barracuda around the Archipelago. And if somehow you're able to get me something on it..." - he trails off for only a moment - "I won't ask how you got it. I'll just say thank you and move on."
Femke doesn't say anything while she maintains eye contact with Mihai, betraying no emotion whatsoever, and a full minute passes before she speaks again. "Unfortunately, if we knew where they were, we would already have shared the location with you."
Mihai takes the news, letting his gaze fall slightly - "Yeah, i thought that might be the case. Thanks for trying."
"However"—she folds her hands together on the table—"there is some information about the organization who kidnapped your friends that I may share with you."
Mihai slightly raises his brow - "Tell me."
"First of all, this organization isn't centered around the Coins. Although the mercenary group is in all likelihood a major pillar of their network, it is only one of many. The information we have about them is very limited because of how elusive they are, but we have come to designate their organization as the Conspiracy."
Mihai takes it in, then nods - "Right, they're from Medial. The leader is most likely currently the King of Lorinth, from what i gather. The same government that tried to capture Conan."
"It is unlikely that mission was the Conspiracy's doing considering they sent your Adjunct there as well. Furthermore, their influence goes beyond borders and private interests. From what little information we have gathered, they operate in secret across the Archipelago, manipulating events from behind the scenes to assure the stability and prosperity of every nation; the current nature of the proxy wars between the nations can most likely be attributed to them."
"Beats fighting a full scale one, and giving the Enemy the upper hand. Makes sense."
"That is what we assumed after we came into contact with you. We've learned more about the Conspiracy in the last week than we have in the last six months."
"What i still don't understand is why they're outside the Dome. I saw Nick's memory, he was standing right under it when it activated. Say they had to keep the Islands' forces at bay for eleven hours after, that's a job for the Navy. I find it hard to believe they'd throw their lives away to come out here and keep the rest of us from tearing each other apart for the next two hundred years."
"And yet, this is what the Conspiracy seems to be doing. Until a week or so ago, that is. You may not think that you have learned much by going to Myr, but we did."
"Marcus' pawns, Wanda called us. And now there seems to be a Conspiracy within the Conspiracy, with Edwin and Wanda trying to force a pre-emtpive strike against the Enemy. Going by what you just told me, that should go against everything their organization's been trying to do for the last two centuries."
"I may have a theory as to why they're changing their methods."
She then recites the first letter the party found in the bunker near Narrowfist.
Brother.
Stanislaw Koski is dead. Old age. The next First will undoubtedly be chosen by combat, and the Enemy will make a bid for it. I will do the same, but if I fail, I will at the very least try to take the Enemy down with me. Otherwise, disaster will befall us all.
This might be the opportunity we were waiting for. If you can convince Jacob of initiating a pre-emptive strike, we could put an end to this long struggle. It’s becoming more and more obvious that not all of us have the mental fortitude to accomplish this task. Our father might remain unwavering in his commitment to our cause, but the same cannot be said for the rest of us. As for Jacob, idealism will be his downfall. We must make sure it doesn’t cause ours.
Mihai thinks on it - "Two hundred years of constant conspiracy would do that to you, most likely. But it might also mean they're cut off, if they're really doing this without their Father's approval."
"Depending on what rank Edward holds within the Conspiracy, he might not need his ‘father's’ support. Which brings me to what I wanted to tell you about; since we now know that the Conspiracy is trying to take control of the governments, we've been looking into other such attempts across the Archipelago."
Mihai's gaze is brought to focus - "You found something?"
"Not yet. But now that we know what we're looking for, it might help narrow our search for Breeze and Ms. Melan."
Mihai considers, then nods - "I've a hunch that Edward... Edwin Reeves will also want to meet Jacob. He would be with Tom Blackcliff, the Commander of the Feathers branch of the Coins. Our team also has some pull with Jace Knight, from a mission we carried out before New Year; wouldn't put it past Edward to use that to get himself access to him. After that, all it would take would be an Orb." - he trails off for a second, then adds - "Actually, if we didn't have this lead on Emerald, i'd make for the Feathers right away."
"We're keeping an eye on the Free Feathers. The Councillors are due to meet at the Citadel soon to discuss a reform of the political structure, following the changes the mayors have enacted on their own."
"Their power's been centralizing for a while now, the last village that had kept it's independence was absorbed into the hierarchy a year ago. It's just what Edward would want, he wouldn't be able to rule the island otherwise - all the more if they're about to talk about reforming the system further. He would probably be able to still gain access to Knight with just Fedler by his side, but he couldn't overpower his security without a full team." - he chuckles dejectedly - "It's solid when you think about it; he can tell Anne the Prime Councilor's a Green Mage, and he plans to force-feed him a clean Orb. And by the time anyone knows better it's too late, Jace Knight becomes Edward Fox." - he mulls over it - "Does the meeting have a date yet?"
"In one week's time," Femke says. "I advice you wait before you head there however. If Edward was really planning to replace the Prime Councilor with himself or one of his agents, he might have changed his plan after he lost the orbs of his allies to you."
"Agreed. But if by the time we're done in Emerald no new lead turns up, i think we should head there. To check on Jacob, if nothing else; maybe they'll know something."
"Until then, the Tykes will do their best to find you a lead." She punctuates this statement with a firm nod.
Mihai nods back - "Thank you."
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