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Post by titee on Aug 2, 2016 12:45:03 GMT -6
Panna had been preoccupied watching the chaos that ensued with the introduction of new recruits. Their group had grown ever larger new, and more rowdy, beginning to reflect the troupe he stationed with in his youth. The man became lost in thought as he reflected upon parallels between then and now, hardly noticing when Nursery Rhyme approached him, the being's small stature certainly not helping.
"Oh?" Panna snapped out of his own thoughts and laid eyes on his new companion. He followed Nursery Rhyme's gauze to his right arm, corner of his lips twitching into a quick frown before a smile was forced onto his expression as he listened to the fable's inquiry.
"Why... That's certainly a good question you pose there," Panna said, rubbing his chin. "He seems like an honest man, I say. But if there's one thing I've learned, its that cha always have to have your doubts. It's a dangerous game too, walking the line between cautious and paranoid. Not alienating the people around you and not putting you blind trust in them. After you get kicked on your ass a few times you start to get the hang of it though."
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Thorns
Aug 2, 2016 16:34:00 GMT -6
Post by Kisaka on Aug 2, 2016 16:34:00 GMT -6
"Sir," she began, offering the same bow from earlier as she approached the man, "I have come to check on the bystander." Delphi turned her attention towards the hooded figure with her wand pinched between her fingertips, "As a practitioner of healing magic within the group, it is of importance I maintain the health of potential recruits. May I ask for your cooperation?" She flicked her wand, "Where does it hurt?" Who was this fancily-clad person? Raei looked over Delphi with curiosity, their posture and attire seeming to beam with 'importance'. Before the blue haired woman could wonder further about the other, the time had come for her to reply. "Oh." Raei's eyes looked to her wand. So she's a cleric? So be it. I won't refuse something for free. Tightening her scarf back around her neck, Raei nodded in reply before bringing an arm up to the right side of her rib cage. "Here. Also, my left elbow and thighs have some scratches and nicks. If the small stuff isn't annoying, I'd prefer those be fixed up as well." Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment, mulling over the word 'recruits'. So that's what everyone here was considered? Or Perhaps some of them were acquainted and some of them were recruits. "I'm glad you're alright." Anden said politely before the woman began to speak again. "As for my plan..." Anden paused, collecting his few thoughts on the matter "I hope to fortify this castle, and make sure it is a safe place to live - that way any survivors following the beacon can be protected here. But after that's done... I want to locate the source of all this. I was in the South when it began, and the thorns came from the North. When I traveled East, they came from the West. Whatever is causing this is further inland, and that's the direction I plan to go. It's practically suicide, but I think with the right people we can make this world worth living in again." Raei listened to Anden speak, nodding ever so slightly, her finger trailing across the front of her mask. "Live here?" An eyebrow raised. While it wasn't a bad idea, the idea wasn't one that had crossed her mind. After looking over the castle for the second time, she could see a bit of potential. However, what he said next was what she was really interested in. Going by what he said, it was no wonder her people were rushed from their land so quickly. The thorns were brutal... And if she chose to fight them along with this group... Well, things wouldn't be any less brutal, that's for sure. "How do you think we'll defeat them? Do you have any plan for the execution? Or are we really going in blind with no idea of what's ahead?" By the sounds of it, he too had no idea what they were up against. And if that was the case... She'd been better off going somewhere else for more information. This was going to be a waste of time. Her head tilted down, her eyes looking to the ground and then back up. "Who's children are those? Yours?" She asked towards Anden, then looking to Delphi afterwards. The healer didn't seem to be watching them so she doubted any of the little ones belonged to her either... But she had to ask.
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Thorns
Aug 2, 2016 18:06:37 GMT -6
Post by zenguardian on Aug 2, 2016 18:06:37 GMT -6
"Why... That's certainly a good question you pose there," Panna said, rubbing his chin. "He seems like an honest man, I say. But if there's one thing I've learned, its that cha always have to have your doubts. It's a dangerous game too, walking the line between cautious and paranoid. Not alienating the people around you and not putting you blind trust in them. After you get kicked on your ass a few times you start to get the hang of it though." Nursery Rhyme pondered Panna's words. There were so many fine lines in the world: The lines between life and death, love and hate, hope and despair, and just as Panna said, caution and paranoia, among many other things. He found himself nodding in agreement. Panna probably didn't trust any of them about as far as he could throw them, and considering his current disability... well, it couldn't be very far. "Oh I see!" Part of the reason why he chose to appear as a 10 year old is because a) that age is what most people associate him with, and b) people tend to naturally trust children. It didn't matter if Nursery Rhyme's existence was an entire enigma to other people. Just the simple fact that he was small was enough to slip past the iron walls of a person's doubt overshadowed that fact. Nursery Rhyme drew his eyebrows together. He didn't like the fact that it seemed as though he gained trust by using underhanded tactics, but it couldn't be helped. An older body has less energy to burn and more problems. "I," he began, "I'm choosing to believe that everyone here has the means to the same end. It's not the same as blind trust, but rather I think it's a combination of what you said. Y'know... caution and paranoia. It's right on that line." Pausing for a brief second to glance at Vel'ari and the people gathered around Anden, Nursery Rhyme turned back to Panna. "Thank you for your opinions, Panna." He extended a hand out towards the man, smiling. "Let's work together, yes!"
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Post by cassiroll on Aug 2, 2016 20:29:42 GMT -6
Leander sniffed and rubbed away the remaining tears in his eyes as Nursery Rhyme left him, "Thank you, Rhyme," He called after him as strongly as he could with his still weakened voice. He made up his mind to stop being so sad about everything going on and to try and make some new friends. He looked around for someone open to speak to who didn't look absorbed in a conversation already. She looked down to see him slamming his head on the ground and stepped back. It wasn't her place to tell him to stop. All she could do was groan at this person's childishness. Although, person was a bit of a stretch.... His eyes fell on the strange plant woman, someone who he didn't feel like he might hurt by accident like Nursery Rhyme. He got up off the ground quickly and brushed off the dirt that had accumulated on his backside. He went right up to her and grabbed one of her hands in an effort to shake it. "I am..." He trailed off when he was surprised to find the texture of her palm similar to that of the vines he'd been stroking earlier. "...Oh." He raised her hand to he face and pressed it against his cheek. "Nice..." He noted.
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Post by funnybunnyjay on Aug 2, 2016 21:32:44 GMT -6
Pema listened to Anden explain his plan and believed his plan to be a good one. Just to be safe Pema used his sound powers to listen to Anden's heartbeat in order to tell whether or not he was being honest, but it seemed as if Anden was telling the truth. The stone monk had no useful information to offer and no questions to ask either, so he decided to simply leave the conversation and meet some of the other survivors. Poppy watched the sudden burst of action play out, remaining seated on the ground with confusion painted across her face. Everything had happened so quickly the bard was still fuzzy on the details of what exactly prompted the golem to tackle the other newcomer. Perhaps they knew each other and that was the rock man's way of greeting his friends? Whatever the case was, it seemed that there was little to no ill intent behind the action, so Poppy just smiled and began playing her lute again, this time a much more jovial tune than the one Delphi had overheard. Pema noticed Poppy playing music by herself and thought that it would be a good idea to walk over and greet her. He walked in front of Poppy and politely bowed as he said "Greetings! It is a pleasure to meet you. I apologize for the commotion that I caused earlier and I hope that you are willing to accept me as your ally. My name is Pema and I am a monk from Kasa. I wanted to tell you that the music you are playing is lovely. Would you mind if I joined you?" Pema sat down next to Poppy and used his sound magic to imitate the sound of a bird call, causing a small chubby bird to fly onto his left hand. The man made of rocks looked at the bird as he said to Poppy "The animals of the forest enjoy the sound of slow and soothing music. Would you mind playing 'wolf of the river' with me?" The song Pema requested was a very well known song that even an amateur could play. He held up his right hand and attempted to make the sound of a violin with his sound magic, but it was obvious that he wasn't as good at playing music as Poppy was. He was playing the melody a bit slower than it should be, as if he was trying to remember the notes as he went along and he would play A sharp when he should have been playing the B note. As he started up the song he said to Poppy "You're a bard correct? So I believe that means you can enhance the abilities of others through magic that travels with the sound of the music you play. I can use sound magic myself as you can see, so perhaps I can increase the sound of your music to increase the effects of your bard abilities. If my assumptions are correct then perhaps we could be quite helpful to our team if we were to work together."
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Thorns
Aug 2, 2016 22:33:14 GMT -6
Post by MonkeyandMooseInc on Aug 2, 2016 22:33:14 GMT -6
Pema noticed Poppy playing music by herself and thought that it would be a good idea to walk over and greet her. He walked in front of Poppy and politely bowed as he said "Greetings! It is a pleasure to meet you. I apologize for the commotion that I caused earlier and I hope that you are willing to accept me as your ally. My name is Pema and I am a monk from Kasa. I wanted to tell you that the music you are playing is lovely. Would you mind if I joined you?" Pema sat down next to Poppy and used his sound magic to imitate the sound of a bird call, causing a small chubby bird to fly onto his left hand. The man made of rocks looked at the bird as he said to Poppy "The animals of the forest enjoy the sound of slow and soothing music. Would you mind playing 'wolf of the river' with me?" The song Pema requested was a very well known song that even an amateur could play. He held up his right hand and attempted to make the sound of a violin with his sound magic, but it was obvious that he wasn't as good at playing music as Poppy was. He was playing the melody a bit slower than it should be, as if he was trying to remember the notes as he went along and he would play A sharp when he should have been playing the B note. As he started up the song he said to Poppy "You're a bard correct? So I believe that means you can enhance the abilities of others through magic that travels with the sound of the music you play. I can use sound magic myself as you can see, so perhaps I can increase the sound of your music to increase the effects of your bard abilities. If my assumptions are correct then perhaps we could be quite helpful to our team if we were to work together." Poppy had been lost in her own music when the stone monk approached her, the girl smiling immediately and waving for him to sit with her. "Oh yes! By all means! It's a pleasure to meet you, Pema! My name's Poppy!" She placed a hand over the strings of her lute to silence it quickly as she listened to the golem imitate a bird call, calling for a plump bird to land on his hand. Poppy stared in wonder at this feat, her eyes sparkling and her face in an enormous grin. She was so busy staring at the adorable bird that she nearly didn't process Pema's request. She quickly regained her composure and chuckled. "Why, of course! I'm always up for taking requests~!" She began to strum the familiar tune, the song being one of the first she'd ever learned given its simplicity. She grinned as the monk began playing along, albeit amateurishly. She allowed him to play out of tune as it hadn't bothered her, and she considered the possibility he'd realize the fault after listening to her play it. "Yes, I am a bard! Best bard in the world, according to me and Nyle!" She chimed, a hint of pride behind her words. She listened intently at what powers the monk had possessed and nodded her head vigorously. "Yeah yeah!!! That'd be amazing!! That'd make my job way easier!!" She cheered. "While I don't have TOO much upper body strength, my leg muscles are as hard as... well, rocks from all the running I do around the battlefield!!" She giggled. "But if I could amplify the sound!? We could help so many people way more efficiently!!" She smiled at the monk.
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Thorns
Aug 2, 2016 22:46:14 GMT -6
Post by norimo on Aug 2, 2016 22:46:14 GMT -6
Without even an introduction or further inquiries the woman waved her hand towards the damage expectantly, and Delphi nodded. It wasn't anything new, both the injuries and the informality without previous acknowledgement. Her lips parted as her voice lowered to a whispered as to not interrupt their conversation. The hushed mutterings of an incantation flowed out before the dim light sprung forth from her wand, the brightness wrapping itself around the woman's waist, elbow, and thighs before dissipating into nothingness.
A sigh escaped her, barely audible to those except herself. She promptly returned the wand back in its socket among the tassels, preparing for her departure when Raei peered at her with a cocked brow. Ah, that's right. The subject of having mere fledglings stand their ground for them had yet to be addressed. Whether or not Anden had brought them along or they miraculously evaded an untimely fate upon the path over was an enigma to her as well. Regardless of the answer, Delphi wasn't sure if their combined caliber was enough to keep them out of danger. However, it was also a strong possibility the young ones didn't have a place to go back to either...
She swung her head over her shoulder to steal a glance, only to notice a pair of approaching figures. One of them being the fire mage who appeared to be at the mercy of the little girl stringing her along hand-in-hand. Delphi raised an eyebrow, but turn to face them nonetheless. ...She truly was a child, and while children weren't necessarily a problem as themselves- she didn't know if how much the girl would be smiling in due time. If anything, it was a nice change to have an individual greet her for the sake of doing so. Delphi sneaked a peek through her hood at the woman behind girl, who offered a halfhearted smile and wave.
"Storm Fly?" the words came out gently, softening her tone as she carried on, "A unique name if I ever heard one. Thank you for the kind words. I wish you the same." While it appeared she had initially been done speaking, she moved to speak once more "Loukios imparts its blessings as well." Delphi's eyes wandered to the pair behind her, who had just began to discuss the children in question. "Here," she outstretched her hand to Storm, "I have not met everyone yet, would you care to introduce me to someone?" she asked, hoping to lead the girl away from the two to avoid dodging the matter. "Perhaps the gentleman in the hat?" She cocked her head in the direction of Panna. "There looks to be someone your age as well with him..."
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Post by funnybunnyjay on Aug 2, 2016 23:22:11 GMT -6
"Yes, I am a bard! Best bard in the world, according to me and Nyle!" She chimed, a hint of pride behind her words. She listened intently at what powers the monk had possessed and nodded her head vigorously. "Yeah yeah!!! That'd be amazing!! That'd make my job way easier!!" She cheered. "While I don't have TOO much upper body strength, my leg muscles are as hard as... well, rocks from all the running I do around the battlefield!!" She giggled. "But if I could amplify the sound!? We could help so many people way more efficiently!!" She smiled at the monk. Pema managed to get the hang of playing the song a little bit better as they continued to play it and it seemed as if his statement about the animals enjoying this type of music might have had some truth to it. The small bird tweeted and looked as if it might've even been bobbing it's head to the music. Pema then said to Poppy "Well it's a pleasure to work with the world's greatest bard. I'd say the music you play certainly lives up to that reputation. My legs are hard as rocks as well, because... well they are quite literally rocks." He chuckled a little at his own joke and then said "You know what else is hard?" It seemed as if Pema was going to tell a dirty joke. He lifted up his right hand and pointed to his sword and told Poppy "My sword is hard! It's not thin at all, making it quite heavy but it's great for defense. My stone body and large sword give me a powerful defense, so I can stay on the front lines and stop them from getting to you while you stay and the back and play your songs." Pema then turned to the bird next to him and stared at it with a somewhat sad look in his eyes. He was thinking to himself about how likely it was for this bird's life to be taken away from the thorns. To know that nature is killing animals in the form of thorns out there in the forest for seemingly no reason at all saddened him. Poppy seemed trustworthy, so Pema decided to ask her a question that had been bothering him for quite some time "Why do you think the thorns are attacking us? I once believed that everything in nature served a good purpose, but now... I just don't see the good in thorns. Some seem to believe that the thorns are being created by a spellcaster, and I hope that's the case, but what if it's not? I fear that perhaps the thorns were created so that nature could defend itself. Human-like creatures like us have been destroying the forest for generations to gather wood, use animals for clothing and furniture, and many more things that do not contribute to the cycle of life. We've been destroying the forest so quickly that perhaps this is the forest simply trying to defend itself. What if we're trying to kill nature that is simply trying to survive? Are we really fighting for good, or are we only fighting for ourselves? Ever since the thorns appeared these questions have been bothering me. I would want to help this bird that rests on my hand but... I don't know if I am fighting with or against this innocent creature."
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Post by Emily on Aug 2, 2016 23:24:18 GMT -6
His eyes fell on the strange plant woman, someone who he didn't feel like he might hurt by accident like Nursery Rhyme. He got up off the ground quickly and brushed off the dirt that had accumulated on his backside. He went right up to her and grabbed one of her hands in an effort to shake it. "I am..." He trailed off when he was surprised to find the texture of her palm similar to that of the vines he'd been stroking earlier. "...Oh." He raised her hand to he face and pressed it against his cheek. "Nice..." He noted. Vel'ari turned her attention to Leander as he approached her. Huh...someone that's taller than her and has a third eye. She's never seen one of those before, but then again, she didn't take to kindly to many people outside her 'circle'. Noticing the out of ordinary gesture, her face immediately heated up and she snapped her hand away from Leander. "W-What are you doing?!" she sputtered. It wasn't just humans that were dull and had no manners. It was everyone but her clan!!
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Thorns
Aug 2, 2016 23:41:17 GMT -6
Post by titee on Aug 2, 2016 23:41:17 GMT -6
"I," he began, "I'm choosing to believe that everyone here has the means to the same end. It's not the same as blind trust, but rather I think it's a combination of what you said. Y'know... caution and paranoia. It's right on that line." Pausing for a brief second to glance at Vel'ari and the people gathered around Anden, Nursery Rhyme turned back to Panna. "Thank you for your opinions, Panna." He extended a hand out towards the man, smiling. "Let's work together, yes!" Panna hand to bend down to shake the fable's hand, yet did so firmly. "Always a pleasure," he gruffly responded before springing back up and tucking a few loose brown and grey strands back in to place. Panna briefly considered tying back or cutting his unmanageable mess of hair before quickly reminding himself that he was still in the middle of a conversation. "Some of them... " Panna cleared his throat, "Some of these kids look a bit too naive to think that way. I certainly didn't as a kid, I just acted however I wanted and trusted whoever my gut told me."
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Post by MonkeyandMooseInc on Aug 2, 2016 23:58:02 GMT -6
Pema managed to get the hang of playing the song a little bit better as they continued to play it and it seemed as if his statement about the animals enjoying this type of music might have had some truth to it. The small bird tweeted and looked as if it might've even been bobbing it's head to the music. Pema then said to Poppy "Well it's a pleasure to work with the world's greatest bard. I'd say the music you play certainly lives up to that reputation. My legs are hard as rocks as well, because... well they are quite literally rocks." He chuckled a little at his own joke and then said "You know what else is hard?" It seemed as if Pema was going to tell a dirty joke. He lifted up his right hand and pointed to his sword and told Poppy "My sword is hard! It's not thin at all, making it quite heavy but it's great for defense. My stone body and large sword give me a powerful defense, so I can stay on the front lines and stop them from getting to you while you stay and the back and play your songs." Pema then turned to the bird next to him and stared at it with a somewhat sad look in his eyes. He was thinking to himself about how likely it was for this bird's life to be taken away from the thorns. To know that nature is killing animals in the form of thorns out there in the forest for seemingly no reason at all saddened him. Poppy seemed trustworthy, so Pema decided to ask her a question that had been bothering him for quite some time "Why do you think the thorns are attacking us? I once believed that everything in nature served a good purpose, but now... I just don't see the good in thorns. Some seem to believe that the thorns are being created by a spellcaster, and I hope that's the case, but what if it's not? I fear that perhaps the thorns were created so that nature could defend itself. Human-like creatures like us have been destroying the forest for generations to gather wood, use animals for clothing and furniture, and many more things that do not contribute to the cycle of life. We've been destroying the forest so quickly that perhaps this is the forest simply trying to defend itself. What if we're trying to kill nature that is simply trying to survive? Are we really fighting for good, or are we only fighting for ourselves? Ever since the thorns appeared these questions have been bothering me. I would want to help this bird that rests on my hand but... I don't know if I am fighting with or against this innocent creature." Poppy's smile faded as Pema relayed his existential question, the bard's fingers freezing in place and thus stopping the music. She sat there for a minute, contemplating the monk's words and trying to think of a viable retort, one that would paint the thorns as the villains. But in reality, there was no reason to believe that. Humanity has been consistently destroying nature and animals' homes for so long for their own needs, so it would only make sense that nature retaliated after some point, right? Poppy scratched the back of her head as she struggled to think of a response. "Well, uh.... to be honest, I wouldn't say that's completely off the table... There's always the possibility that nature is just defending itself after ages of industrializing. But, to say that they're innocent for defending themselves is far from true." Poppy seemed to have a newfound confidence in her answer as she continued. "The way I see it, nothing is completely innocent. That bird in your hand? It could've eaten a worm for breakfast. Now, that worm was a life that the bird took without a second thought because it wishes not to starve. Does that mean the bird is in the wrong?" Poppy questioned, although it seemed her ponderous statement was merely rhetorical. "I guess what I'm trying to get at is.... There's a distinction between good and innocent. Innocent implies that you've done no wrong, but 'wrong' is a debatable topic in and of itself. People can be good and be far from innocent. Everyone makes mistakes, no one is pure. But in the case of the Thorns, they've taken the lives of people who had nothing to do nature's destruction, and therefore those people were innocent in that regard. The thorns kill indiscriminately, slaughtering anything and everything in their path and show no signs of stopping. I think its fair that we retaliate against that." Poppy began strumming her lute again. "I guess at the end of the day, there isn't really any solid answer... The thorns could be killing simply to defend themselves or it could be the work of someone evil with the desire to watch the world crumble. At the end of the day, its better not to focus on WHY they're the enemy, because if you dwell to much on it, it'll consume your every thought. And THAT could be more dangerous than anything the thorns could do." Poppy shut her eyes as she listened to the notes fill the air once more, letting out a deep sigh. "I don't know. I don't like to focus on the good and the bad. I prefer to stay in the moment, that way I don't think myself to death." She chuckled dryly
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Post by cassiroll on Aug 3, 2016 0:14:49 GMT -6
"W-What are you doing?!" she sputtered. It wasn't just humans that were dull and had no manners. It was everyone but her clan!! "..."
"G-Gha..G-G-Gha...." The giant seemed to be struggling with his words as he held his hands in place where the other creature's palm had been moments before. The tears he'd wiped away only moments before came pouring down his face again at her harsh rejection of his touch. Everyone else had been so nice when he touched them! And this sort of contact wasn't strange at all in his village. Why would she pull away like that? He hadn't hurt her he'd been so careful!! His still frozen hands shook a bit before he brought them up to cover his face in shame. "I-I was just--!" He hiccuped, cutting himself off. His voice boomed incredibly loud, his normal whispering tone being lost to his emotions. "Your hand felt so nice--and I---I-I wanted to--!!" He took a deep breath before uncovering his face and screaming at her with close to his full volume, something so intense lesser beings could even be knocked over by it.
{Spoiler - Click to View} "BULLY!!!" He turned and ran back to the wall, sitting back down with a loud thud. He grabbed a bunch of the vines off the wall and threw them over himself as though he were trying to hide in the comfort of their texture. He continued to cry quietly, her negative response to his touch clearly being something important that he took great offense to.
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Post by Emily on Aug 3, 2016 0:31:57 GMT -6
Vel'ari stood dumbfounded, watching the one person who looked like an adult to her run off and hide in vines. She snickered lightly, unable trying to hold it back. She covered her mouth with one of her fingers, but she couldn't hold it. Oh my god, he's so stupid."BAHAHAHA!! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
She couldn't hold back her laughter, nearly doubling over. A vine rose from her hand, and wiped a tear away for her. She stopped in her tracks and realized how the others would see her as rude. Well, they were pansies, but they were pansies that would most likely keep her from dying for at least a little while. "Erm....uh....." God the word was so hard to get out. She stepped over to Leander, and kneeled down. "S-sorry...." UGH SHE FELT SO DIRTY SAYING THAT TO A CHILDISH PSEUDO-GIANT LOWLIFE. OH THE DISHONER, THE WRETCHEDNESS, HOW COULD SHE STOOP TO THIS LEVEL. She was obviously feeling shame, but it was for all the wrong reasons.
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Post by cassiroll on Aug 3, 2016 0:47:26 GMT -6
"Erm....uh....." God the word was so hard to get out. She stepped over to Leander, and kneeled down. "S-sorry...." UGH SHE FELT SO DIRTY SAYING THAT TO A CHILDISH PSEUDO-GIANT LOWLIFE. OH THE DISHONER, THE WRETCHEDNESS, HOW COULD SHE STOOP TO THIS LEVEL. She was obviously feeling shame, but it was for all the wrong reasons. Leander pressed his face into the wall, as though to crush the remaining tears from his eyes. "No." He spoke firmly, although his volume was back at it's careful whisper. He made an obvious effort to inch to the side, away from her, pulling more vines along with him that only added to his coverage. "You are disrespectful and rude and I do not like you and I wish for you to never speak to me again." He continued, a slight waver in his voice. He fell onto his side, still facing the wall, and curled into a fetal position. "You embarrassed me in front of the rest of the group and I do not appreciate your outburst just now, so go away!"
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Thorns
Aug 3, 2016 1:32:45 GMT -6
Post by zenguardian on Aug 3, 2016 1:32:45 GMT -6
Some of them... " Panna cleared his throat, "Some of these kids look a bit too naive to think that way. I certainly didn't as a kid, I just acted however I wanted and trusted whoever my gut told me." Nursery Rhyme opened his mouth to respond to Panna, but found himself cut off a loud bellow, the likes of which sent a shiver up his spine. He bristled as the noise seemed to penetrate his bones, leaving a dull vibration that left him feeling weary. Against his will, he stumbled forward into Panna. "BAHAHAHA!! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" The screaming had apparently come from Leander, who at some point had began interacting with Vel'ari. The giant had taken off in a run, the ground trembling with each pounding footfall. He'd landed against the castle wall where he opted to cover himself in the vines in the hopes of vanishing amongst the flora, but not before Vel'ari imparted a few more words to him. Nursery Rhyme had no idea what incited such a strong reaction from Leander, but he was hurting, and someone had to help diffuse the situation before it got any worst. "L-lee!" he called out. Regaining his footing, Nursery Rhyme thanked Panna once more before rushing over to Lee, using his tiny body to block Vel'ari from interacting with him further. "Lee? Are you... okay? Are you hurt?" Before getting an answer, however, he rounded on his heels, looking up toward the plant woman from earlier. "What did you do to Leander? You realize he's one of the few people gathered here to help us battle the thorns, yes? Or are you purposefully trying to sabotage us after all?" Nursery Rhyme's words didn't carry anger, but they did have a certain tautness to them. He was perceptive, and thus was very aware of strong emotions in words. Ever since she'd arrived, Nursery Rhyme noticed that Vel'ari's words were laced with derision through and through. That's the reasoning behind why he had approached her earlier... to see if her contempt was directed explicitly towards the plants or to those that had gathered. It seemed to be both. "Answer the question."
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