Prepare for the #LodanRespawn2024 Existing characters may choose to be displace from/have memories of different timelines, thereby allowing returning members the option to retcon their whole character. These changes are the result of the "Unnatural Fog" plot device that is running between now and the Respawn. The plot is simple: no matter where your character is, that place is shrouded in a thick fog that suspends time, but not thoughts or memories, so even if they're repeating the same day over and over again, they continue to remember, so each time feels like a new day. For those retconning OCs; this is where new versions of themselves have the opportunity to replace the old versions. Official lore and tree updates will be announced asap
As she felt the hand land in hers, a soft smile came to Max’s face. With the hand in hers she began walking a bit briskly, but not too quickly. First they needed to get to the theater district, and then from there they could head to the dorms and try to find Edelweiss. Mala could do well in CAEsAL, but Max wasn’t exactly one who could go about recruiting people. Well, she actually didn’t know if she could but it was safer to assume she shouldn’t.
“I want to help you,” she said over her shoulder towards the other girl, just in case her motives weren’t clear enough already. Just a bit of walking, a bit of talking, and things would be okay. Mala just needed to stay with her that long.
“But not trapped now. No need help.” Hand slipped out of others, paused, confused. “Wanted me to come. Going to play. Not like women. But are you women?” Mala repeated, bending forward, as if to crouch, but strangers. Strangers looked to her. Stared at her. And she leered back. Growled, crouched low, glared at Max, hissed at other, reaching for bone. “What want? What want in return? Gave already for bindings. But now, what want?”
When Mala slipped from her grasp, Max’s first reaction was to reach for her knife, the trusted knife. But she stopped herself and took a breath, raising up both her hands so that the other could see she wasn’t holding anything. That Max didn’t want to hurt her.
Taking a slow breath, she spoke slowly to Mala, hoping sincerely that the girl would understand her intentions. “I want to see you smile and see you be okay. No more being scared or afraid. I want to see you be happy and comfortable.” She paused, turning one of her open hands around to offer it to Mala. “Please, let me show you this place. It’s a good place.”
"I only go out to get me a fresh appetite for being alone." -Lord Byron
Mala inclined her head. Not scared. Not afraid. Just cautious. Girl strange. But wanted to show her. Wanted to take her somewhere. If need be, had bones. Could defend. But strange still. Didn’t take hand. Straightened. Ushered for her to walk, but this time. No hand. Stay back. Cautious.
Nodding, Max retracted her hand and began walking again at a similar pace. Every few steps she glanced over her shoulder to make sure the other was still following her.
If Mala would follow her all the way to their destination, they’d pass under an iron archway leading to a large building. At that point, Max would attempt to lead the girl inside and get her situated to the place and introduce her to the guild.
On the other hand, if Mala slipped away during the travels, then Max would simply sigh and carry on her way.
"I only go out to get me a fresh appetite for being alone." -Lord Byron
Mala followed. Darkness came. Crouched low. Tugging at bone in dress. Wondering. Cautious. Passed under metal. Looked at building, teeth, clenched- back, arched, close to ground. “What is place.” Felt dirt under palms. Crack of grain, crack of mud. Girl wanted her to be ‘happy’. To be safe. But others had promised too. When young. Took her in. Women, in black and red. Didn’t like their safety. Tasted bitter. Touched too much. Held her under. So questioned. Questioned girls safety, and her place. Watched, clasping dress. Wanting to pull. To yank bone.
Post by Edelweiss Fjäril on Dec 12, 2015 18:40:22 GMT
She had been at the reception hall from the dorms, sorting through some papers that recorded the newest residents. The events in the Hovel some time ago, now aggravated even further by Sveden's mortar attacks upon the city, caused an influx of new members to the guild that bordered overflowing and it required some extra brain effort to find ways to fit everyone in. While nibbling on the plate of cookies (alright, she was nibbling on the cookies, not actually the plate) Ms. Hallows had brought for her, she spotted something in the distance through the window. Red hair. On the head of a extremely slim girl crouching on the ground outside. Edelweiss watched the locks of soft sunset tone that awkwardly tipped and moved as the unknown girl warily looked around, someone whom she guessed was Max standing closeby. And a small smile made its way into the leader's lips. What were the chances...?
Intending to take but a short break, she sorted the papers into a neat pile on the registration desk and headed out to meet the two gals outside. The weather was cold, she could feel it even through the sleeves of her indigo suit, and it probably felt even more so to anyone who wasn't wearing multiple layers of clothing - so they better walk inside the dorms to get warmer before starting to freeze. "Hello Max. Who did you bring with you?"
“A safe place,” Max started to say, unsure of how else to explain it. Her explanation was interrupted (somewhat to her relief) as none other than Edelweiss appeared.
Nodding to Edel, Max relaxed a bit in the leader’s presence. “Hello, this is Mala. Some guy was giving her a hard time, trying to make her wear this corset.” She held the garment up. “I helped her out and said she could come here to be safe.” Max shifted her weight around, suddenly feeling nervous. “Was that okay?”
"I only go out to get me a fresh appetite for being alone." -Lord Byron
Post by Edelweiss Fjäril on Dec 13, 2015 6:44:44 GMT
At first Edelweiss just listened to Max's explanation, then once it was given she stared at the piece of clothing in the blond girl's hand as one ought to stare at a pile of horse crap. Corsets... couldn't blame Mala for not submitting herself to their squeezing hug. Normal people needed to breathe to live. "Well, we can burn this cruel constricting contraption created by crude colts. Or sell it. Either way someone else will make use of it." She commented with a sigh, then let out a light snicker when Max asked if that had been ok. "It's alright. You're not the only one to bring in new people. We're a bit full, but can still fit a place for her."
The redhead then turned her attention to Mala. The hair on her head seemed slightly oddly placed, so likely a wig, and she was extremely thin - yet couldn't really be called ugly; a sort of raw, untammed charm. Like a stray child. Edelweiss could only wonder exactly how Max found her, but in the end, it didn't matter. "Welcome to the CAEsAL dorms, Mala. We might take a while to get you a room, but meanwhile that you two might want to get inside where it's warmer before you both catch a cold. Had dinner yet?"
Looked around. Space open. Too open. Didn’t like it. House ran high. Cold. Wanted Sava. Then stranger appeared. Crouched closer to the ground, barred teeth. Girl offered bindings. Unsettled. Woman, fearful? Dangerous? Stepped between Max and stranger. Hissed, but woman laughed. Now, unsure. Looked cautiously at red hair. Red hair like own hair. Approached woman. Reached up to touch. Tugged at strands. Ignored questions. Pulled hair, but didn’t slip. Not like her own. Pouted, tilting hand, continued to pull. “Fake? Fake?” Mala questioned, continuing to pull.
Max took a step back while Mala inspected Edel (even hissed) but couldn’t help but giggle a little when the girl thought that Edel’s hair was fake. “Her speech isn’t the strongest, but her mind’s there,” Max mentioned, still watching the amusing scene. The mention of going inside was quite appealing. Familiar faces would be there, as would food. The food was the best part, honestly. No more needing to swipe it, but rather sitting down and earning it. Felt much nicer this way. Less guilty.
"I only go out to get me a fresh appetite for being alone." -Lord Byron
Post by Edelweiss Fjäril on Dec 14, 2015 3:30:43 GMT
"...My hair isn't fake, no." Edelweiss replied with an awkward laugh, raising a hand to cover Mala's and tug it away from her hair, then lifting her own hairbangs out of the way so that Mala could see the line where the strands started growing from her head. She had to mentally retreat her earlier thoughts of Mala resembling a stray child; a stray toddler, maybe. What with the hair-pulling and all that. And that seemed to amuse Max as well. "See, it actually grows from my head."
"All power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." - John Dalberg-Acton
Red woman held hand. Pulled it away. Not fake. Grew from roots. Like normal hair. Color, strange. Mala rose. Towered over woman. Ran hands through. Felt scalp. Soft. Prickly. “Not fake.” Mala patted. Hugged head. Nuzzled, buried face in locks. “Smells nice.” Not edible. Knew. But wanted to taste. Took a little into mouth. Felt like hay. Didn’t taste nice.
Okay, Max couldn’t help but snicker a little more as she saw Mala rise up and hug Edel’s head. She’d take that as a good thing. Hopefully it would mean that the wild girl would stay in the guild. Max would like to see that happen. As for what to physically do next, however, she was at a lost. “Want some food?” she said towards Mala, hoping that would get the girl to separate from the leader. Even though it was an amusing sight.
"I only go out to get me a fresh appetite for being alone." -Lord Byron
Post by Edelweiss Fjäril on Dec 15, 2015 7:24:47 GMT
It was an... inusitate experience to interact with Mala, that was for sure. With the way she kept touching everything, eyeing and sniffing everything, and putting random things in her mouth like a baby, Edelweiss would forever see her as an enormous underfed infant now. Oh well. One of the things one ought to love about lodan: it's a place where a 6ft tall toddler can nibble a guildleader's hair and no one gets in trouble for it - depending on the guildleader at least. In the redhead's case she couldn't help but snort at Mala's demeanor, though she did lift her hands to free her hair from Mala's grasp (and mouth) once again and try to fix it some, brushing the messed up strands with her own fingers and tying her hairtie again.
"Well thank you." She replied with an awkward snicker at the cumpliment about her hair smelling nice. Mala kind of was right on a couple points: Edelweiss' hair did tend to smell nice/tasty since she heavily favoured using fruit-scented bath products - mainly apples, peach or pomegranate-scented shampoo - since those were the only ones who could fully rid of any blood smell in a single wash. It was still good to comfirm those didn't make her hair actually taste edible though. "Anyway, inside with you both, before you get sick or freeze. It's too cold outside to just stand here."