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Seven Years, Bad Luck [Jared]
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 6:01 am
by Salen
55th Ash, 4622
Salen was thinking about the events that transpired at the party; the anger that roared within him only left him in a much more terrible and bitter state, especially when he had felt responsible for Rene dragging others into his problems that he'd rather deal with on his on. He would stare at the mirror for a moment as he glared at his reflection for a moment. His anger became more noticable as he would begin to channel his weave further, eventually forcing the mirror to split and crack within a second. He was getting stronger, but that didn't make things right for Rene as he sat in their room.
He could hear the sounds of Andre teaching before he smiled joyfully; there was some way his presence grew upon him somehow, with his intuitive ways and how much he could teach within a second, it appeared that the grumpy man that he reflects himself as others was nothing more than a big softy, full of knowledge, full of power. He sighed for a moment as there were so many questions in his head, knowing he had his mind played with too much and thus resting the responsibility of a kidnapped Hugo on his shoulders. The question was, should he tell Bertrand and risk himself from getting killed by his arrogant friend, or should he bottle everything up and sort the problem out himself.
Salen's questions of morality was beginning to bother him, clouding his mind with negative thoughts once again as he paced around the room. The greater interference in his mind appeared to be the tortures that she would imbue upon him. He couldn't cope knowing that he needed to do something, but Rene wasn't having any of it. He had sent Synthar and Cordelia to spy on them, but that wasn't helping his anxiety.
His anger would come back in a flash, forcing him to flip the table as the whole situation appeared to be provoking him "So, he expects me to just sit here and do nothing!" He said, shaking his head "Let the fucking pansy wet his pants I suppose, oh who am I to bother, he's probably going to die anyway, knowing the Veir's current status... That's what the bitch always does, prey on the weak and innocent until they have no soul left... Fucking hell, she condemns me, but I think she should take one look in the fucking mirror herself..." He ranted angrily, almost as if anyone that could walk past his room, feel the intense anger of Salen's wrath.
He was furious and had just about enough of the shit he was going to deal with "Rene, you're very good at dragging people into my problems." he paused for a moment as he opened a bottle of brandy, shaking his head before uttering his words of sarcastic disapproval "Congratulations, someone's kidnapped and now it's your fucking fault..." He began to gulp the bottle of brandy down with an audible 'ahh' as he looked at the cracked mirror "Wait a go... Something else on my conscience..."
Re: Seven Years, Bad Luck [Jared]
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2022 4:45 am
by Gloomcrest
To say that the Soiree's aftermath was terrible was an understatement in Jared’s personal opinion. The thief didn’t expect quick combat to ensue, nor did he like that he was in a poor state of their so-called opinion, kidnapping Hugo amidst the scuffle, as much as the thief had tried to manage the battlefield with what little resources & information he had at the time. So it is only fair to say that anger occupied a small section of his thoughts.
Jared filled the remaining space of his mindscape with doubt as he thought about how he could have done better in that altercation, as the thief was better at avoiding combat rather than playing into a skirmish. It is rather fortunate that Jared could stay for a couple of days living in Rene’s estate as it was explained to him by his retainers & himself that training was an order & the amber-eyed thief couldn’t agree more. However, his headspace would no doubt hinder his growth during their sparring sessions which his trainers in question would often exploit.
“*Grumbles…* Avoiding combat & getting an advantage is preferable to being surprised….”
The Alistian Nightfallen magus couldn’t help but grumble under his breath as he was making his way back from the kitchens; Making up a variety of treats & meals for the past couple of days as he was getting sick & terrible of the semi-decent food that was being conjured up Rene’s staff. There was a lot that could be worked upon but then again, who is he to judge? Based on what he saw, appearance mattered more than taste, and while artistry in food is a talent in its own right, with dedication & practice, a dish could look elegant & taste wonderful.
One of the dishes he was going to bring into the room was a light meal that consisted of lobster bisque with pieces of cooked lobster that had been sauteed & simmered in some dry white wine whilst it was infused with diced garlic, thyme, tarragon & cayenne pepper for a bit more complexity which was garnished with bits of cracked pepper, a drizzle of heavy cream & some finely sliced chives with a side of lightly toasted refine white bread which was fluffier than Jared would usually make when he was alone. Still, the fact that he could be killed by a mere flick of the wrist or a simple distance by any of the Entente was enough to put the thief on edge.
As Jared approached the room that Salen, Rene & Andre were occupying, for the time being, he sounds of anger from Salen as he vented his frustrations. The thief waited for a moment, standing in front of the door, letting his mind race as he questioned how to enter the room without potentially being obliterated, but once the fiery voice died down; the Alistian cook took a moment to breathe in before taking his way through with some bisque, toasted bread with a generous portion of compound butter (mainly comprised of lemon zest, garlic, salt, black pepper & thyme) that he had made in the previous night.
Upon entering & seeing the mess that Salen generated in the time, he was away preparing some meals, Jared quickly strides over to a nearby available table that would not get tossed so easily before setting the feed down. His nose twitches as the lingering aromas of wood & alcoholic notes stain the air; A pleasant smell but something that the thief wouldn’t consume as being inebriated doesn’t suit the thief, nor does he want to find out how he would function as a person during a drunken experience. Besides, a lowborn thief had little time to enjoy the finer things in life, but besides the point; Jared stays off to the side, staying silent yet his thoughts rambling as he thinks of ways to further improve on his situation as he knows very little about what he was going up against.
Re: Seven Years, Bad Luck [Jared]
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2022 4:28 pm
by Salen
Salen looked at the smaller male who had prepared food for Salen, he smiled with some relief of excitement, he sprung forward and saw the contents of the food, before he stopped for a moment "Wait, theres just one bowl? Have you eaten?" He asked the little thief as he sighed again "Sorry, I'm just... Angry, I didn't mean to scare you..." He said with an apologetic smile as he moved around the room freely. Salen wasn't drunk yet as he would be all over the place, unable to stand; he was an incredibly lightweight when it came to alcohol, even though the negative effects would erode from his system; the psychoactive effects would remain, leaving him in an intensely awkward stupor. He looked down at the lobster and smiled, raising an eyebrow as the beautiful, glorious colours of the food made his appetite rumble.
Salen was hungry, but thats only because he hadn't eaten since the events had occurred; his appetite stifled by the shifting anxiety that he was feeling, now replenished with a simple and friendly gesture from a smaller and humble robber boy "Forgive me, I could use a little company... If you don't mind... Join me." He said, offering a friendly gesture as he pulls out a chair for Jared in a chivalrous manner as he looked up at the male "No? Too tense?" He said with a friendly smile as he walked across the room, his bottle of brandy in his hand as he stood closer to Jared "I... I apologise for my rash behaviour, as you understand... I'm not in the best of moods and I can imagine you aren't too." He paused as he remained silent, not wanting to sound awkward as his eyes meet Jared's once again.
"As you know, Hugo was kidnapped... And I'm torn because I feel like someone dragged you all into my problems, it seemed I have to accept responsibility for it." He said for a moment "The truth is, I don't want anyone else getting hurt. I've hurt enough people enough to make my life a moral dilemma. My lover, Tiberius use to say he could handle himself, save me from deep shit and took care of me when I needed, but he never once showed me his needs, his wants... Like they didn't matter" He paused for a moment as he tilted his head for a moment in thought before looking back at jared, smiling.
"Sorry, perhaps this is too much of a heavy topic... We should perhaps... Get to know each other better. I've seen you on the expedition, I know you cook so well, but I never actually got a chance to hear from you, so... Enough about me, I wanna hear what you have to say."
Re: Seven Years, Bad Luck [Jared]
Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2022 6:55 am
by Gloomcrest
As Jared takes a moment to watch Salen, the brief smile brings some joy to the thief, as shown by the slight crease in front of his charcoal black facecloth. Seeing the beautiful assassin take a moment to examine his food before posing a question about his portion, Jared could help but chuckle.
“I have already eaten my share; I tend to eat alone & besides, more portions are available for yourself, Rene & the others. Also, there is no need to apologise; Just stressful times, and sometimes we need to vent it out, nothing to be ashamed of.”
The amber-eyed thief crosses his arms as he leans back into the wall as a sort of coping mechanism as he is still in unfamiliar territory, and anyone with some keen insight would note that Jared’s position within the room was closer to the window, which allows for a quick escape if he needed to.
Even then, the thief felt a bit safer within the confines of Rene’s estate, and it didn’t help that everyone here had some sort of stunning feature that he could not explain despite how much thought he put his mind to it.
“You know… I don’t blame you for feeling anxious; Anxiety is a sign of a perceived threat and should be channelled into something greater… I know that I need further practice if I want all of us to remain safe, but that is wishful thinking, haha….”
The nightfallen magus starts to scratch the right side of his arm as his hands are covered up in bandages that have been slightly soaked in blood; possibly due to the extensive amount of training that he had done while he was resting at the estate & perhaps working himself to the bone when no one was around.
“If you need some company, I'm more than happy to, though I thought your friend was filling that role.”
Jared let out a light chuckle before wincing as his bruised ribs decided to flare up; Quickly recomposing himself, the amber-eyed magus couldn’t help but feel tense as his mind continued to race at hundreds of miles per hour as he was trying to piece together what sort of plans & tactics that are needed to get the upper hand with this mysterious lady whom he only met in the Soiree.
Jared’s eyes had a sort of shimmer to them as Salen’s gaze paused over his own; if one could describe it, Jared’s eyes had a glimmering citrine or amber-like quality that often surprised people since it wasn’t a standard eye colour to have. While in reality, his eyes were brown, it was in the lighter spectrum.
“Ummm… As I said, there’s no need to apologise; We all have it tough here and sorting out our problems. We can’t compare our burdens since we have not walked a mile in each other’s shoes after all…. I know; Getting dragged into shit happens more times than anyone would like to admit, some mild & others terrible, but it can’t be helped.”
Despite being calm about the situation, Jared’s emotional status was rather sensitive about the topic as well, merely being stoic about the case & trying to act as a stable rock for when someone needs it. The thief could recall many times when he had to act as a pillar of support and now was no different.
“It sounds like your lover was a wonderful person; in the end, we all have flaws, whether ugly or not, but it is what makes us. Despite all the struggles, I wouldn’t change it for the world; painful, yes, but I wouldn’t be me if I decided to change every mistake I have made & flaws I have acquired.”
Jared couldn’t help but smile as his face cloth shifted, his arms returning to their crossed position as Salen suggested details of their past.
“To be honest, I don’t have much to say. I am a lowborn who struggles to live on a day-to-day basis, making ends meet by any means necessary, albeit I do have morals to avoid killing another unless it is to preserve my own life or another I care… Thieves don’t get paid for killing people after all.”
The alistian thief couldn’t help but give vague details about himself as he worried too much about how he presented himself to others; After all, Jared wasn’t much a talker in the first place & often said things that could be considered abrasive to some when he was only speaking his mind about the situation after some thought.
Re: Seven Years, Bad Luck [Jared]
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2022 5:23 pm
by Salen
There were many feelings running high in the aftermath of the event. Anger appears to be the most prominent of all, followed by resentment and fear, particularly with how the Entente was so versed in dragging others into their elaborate plots so they could gain things, but for what? Was it to scapegoat others into their plots. It was weird how a few lowborn and one lower Veir were the victims of such a great force, but was there some sort of hidden political agenda that lingered? Salen questioned it heavily in his mind as he appeared to be in trance for a moment as he proceeded to dreamdive into the mindscape once again, voyaging in Jared's memory palace for a brief moment. He eventually stopped channelling and returned to reality.
Salen could only smile for a moment as he reminisced for a moment, but he couldn't help the bloody mess he made was only an attempt to enact vengeance in vain. He couldn't help but also feel a slight concern for Jared as he was wondering why he collapsed, the question was why did he mentally blank out like that? What drove him into such a frenzy of rage, anger and hate? He knew it was the way the woman had tried to provoke him as a way of destroying his morale, to further taunt him; but her taunting actions only left her a mangled corpse, violently decimated by the pinpoint blade of a dagger, striking with venomous flail, until there was nothing but a pool of blood. The woman was consequently butchered and yet Salen didn't feel like he accomplished anything from that violent episode.
"I mean... I killed the woman who was sent after Tiberius; if only I knew before that it would go this far, perhaps I could've helped him... I should've been there for him more, even if he did push me away so often." He said with a shrug as he sighed, reminiscing on the guilt "And yet, it seems my problems just make a big mess... Rene claims he can revive my house but what if... I'm not ready... What if I fall at the last hurdle, what if I'm left with a den of wolves to deal with, always watching my back?" He paused as he took a cigarette from his pocket and the lighter that Tiberius gave him; with a flicker of light, he lit it and dragged a pull of the cigarette.
"I suppose that's life, you have to get use to it... Survival of the fittest... Even loved one's are vulnerable to such a concept for we aren't invincible, but human." He took another pull of his cigarette. "Well, truth is we shouldn't be killing people but it's our survival instinct... We only thrive on it because of the society we live in, bred on seeking to keep the power from circling, until eventually people get too powerful and start reigning tyranny across the realm and until people realise that, it'll never change for we are fueled on avarice, malice and selfishness."
Re: Seven Years, Bad Luck [Jared]
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2022 11:21 pm
by Gloomcrest
It takes a moment for Jared to understand what Salen is possibly thinking based on the range of facial expressions and body language provided to the thief. While he was not an expert in understanding one person's various motives and desires, he could at least obtain a brief glimpse into someone’s emotional state and make an educated guess.
From what he could gather, there was a lot of emotional & mental pain coursing through the assassin’s veins. While the thief couldn’t understand the amount & quality of pain he was going through, he could at least emphasise with the good-looking man, staying quiet as Jared did not want to disturb his thoughts as he was sifting his internal thoughts.
As Salen briefly dreamdived into the Alistian thief’s memory palace, a glimpse of something spectacular was being presented to him.
A lone young man who had his legs crossed and pulled towards himself, encased by his arms, wearing some semblance of clothing in the form of ragged linen sitting in the dark beside a simple, dimly lit lantern; looking into the distance of the Alistian shores as the night sky gleams with various jewels that blink the ethereal canvas of black contrasted by in the fading hues of peachy oranges & soften yellows.
A soft melody was being played as the young man hummed to himself as if trying to distract himself as his stomach grumbled.
Seeing Salen smile for a moment, Jared couldn’t help but tilt his head slightly as if something interesting had appeared in the half-Human/half-Sil’Norai’s face before it quickly faded.
“Something on your mind? It seems like you need to get it out of your chest.”
As Jared listens carefully to what Salen has to say, It does take a while for the thief to respond as he was trying to be tactful about his issues even though he didn’t know how serious these issues ran deep.
“While you managed to avenge your lover’s death, you aren’t a seer, and no one is. The tapestry of life is written as it is, and we can only alter our fate by moving forward. While it can be quite painful to live through those, these experiences can only change us and how we change as a whole is what we can control.”
Jared was speaking as if someone had lived quite enough to at least part some sort of wisdom that could be taken on or ignored.
“Don’t blame yourself; there is so much you can do, and we aren’t omnipotent beings. We are all a hot mess that is barely keeping it together. I will sometimes admit I question whether or not I will be able to make a change in the world, but I have come to realise that I can only affect things around me; I don’t have many ambitious goals like some people; I merely want to live the life how I want to live rather than it being dedicated by others.”
As Salen takes a cigarette from his pocket and lights it with his lighter, which he could tell held some importance to the wounded man; Jared nods as he waits for Salen to finish his puff of smoke before continuing his talk about how life is & survival of the fittest.
“Life can be cruel, don’t get me wrong, but it can also be wonderful even if you don’t see it yourself… For every wound inflicted & every scar that is left behind, it makes you realise what you cherish, I guess… So apologies if how I speak might agitate you as I haven’t walked a mile in your shoes, and I don’t know what I could have done if I were you to be sincere.”
Listening to Salen did give the thief some insight into how he works as a person, someone who had to endure so much for no reason, and Jared could relate to that as his own life experience had an as similar road.
“I will admit, I feel like I have nothing to show compared to everyone here; I can only cook & take; not the best qualities for a man to have, I guess.”
Jared couldn’t help but chuckle, but his amber eyes showed glints of pain as if he was speaking much about himself.
Re: Seven Years, Bad Luck [Jared]
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 5:29 pm
by Salen
Salen's brief moment in the mindscape of Jared's only seemed like the man had been living in a land of innocence, but he didn't cry from the Engrams around him, even though there was a temptation to cast Junction upon them; Salen wasn't the type to pry information that easily, unless the subject was either a threat or a security risk. He sighed to himself as he shrugged, before looking out of the window "I suppose you're right... Noone can predict what's going to happen; it's just... It's unfair but yet again... I..." The half Sil'Norai paused as he remained in a reflective stance, looking downwards and thinking about his own actions, how they have influenced him and how they have changed him "I'm sure I'm not the only one who goes through this, but who am I kidding..."
He sighed for a moment as he shook his head "Sometimes I wonder, why the hell am I here? Why am I living through such a grave hell when I could just end my suffering entirely... But I guess that would mean I would die as a nobody... Who wants that?" He questioned as he turns his head towards Jared for a moment before taking a deep breath, a tear slowly slides down from his face "I should've been protecting Tiberius, but he was more concerned about protecting me... I didn't even get a chance to see him before his death and now... I... What have they done with his body... Necromancy, I know that's the answer to everything... Harvested his eyes, gouged them out just so they could look pretty... I bet they had fun doing that..." His voice became venomous and embittered in disgust as he remembered the lengths Entente men and women would go to look pretty.
"Fuck them all..."
He sniffled and sobbed for a moment as he looks at Jared "I'm cleaning up the mess, I've made... I'm not leaving anyone behind, I think we should go after Hugo..." Salen appeared to be panicking about the things that he endured during his time serving Dahlia's whims, he could remember the physical and mental torture that he was put through to prove himself, followed by the attempt of maddening his mind and playing with his thoughts, creating jealousy between Tiberius and Salen so that they would one day turn on each other; all of her plans had backfired, but Salen's mind had already had enough of the torture, he wasn't about to let someone else endure the pain "We have to help him, before it's too late... He's young and naive... And a bit stupid... But I can help him, I believe I can and I can help you too..." He offered.
Re: Seven Years, Bad Luck [Jared]
Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2022 2:45 am
by Gloomcrest
Jared couldn’t help but ponder for a moment, seeing that Salen turned his gaze to a nearby window, speaking about the unfair nature of life but at least admitting that he wasn’t the only individual that was suffering in silence. Salen wasn’t wrong, and life isn’t fair to all, yet at the same time, the struggles to live & find some semblance of peace, hope or even comfort in its many weird shapes & forms.
“Indeed; no one can look at the tapestry that is currently being made for all of us & even if we did, we would probably fall to our demise much sooner; As much of the issues that may stem from someone else, in the end; it is you who gets to decide what truly matters to your core.”
The thief takes a moment to stare up at the ceiling, briefly thinking about the many things he could say as words could be as sharp as the knife’s edge & deluding in one’s self-sabotaging thoughts is venomous in its own right.
“Someone told me long ago that beauty fades; that is why it is beautiful; I didn’t think of it much at the time, but the more I ponder about it, I understand where they might be coming from. We are all our works of design, and we all have something we can strive for or fall victim to, but as I would put it; Life can give you lemons, but you get to decide what you can do with it, just like raw ore waiting for its potential to be moulded or clay waiting to be shaped into something else.”
Turning his citrine-coloured gaze over to Salen once more, hearing him speak about his purpose of being here, the apprentice thief merely shrugs before speaking up.
“I don’t know, wouldn’t we all like that grant question to be answered; To be perfectly honest, we exist now & every second spent is what you make of it. In my opinion, time is a one-way transaction; You can’t buy more time since our lives are determined by something beyond our mortal comprehension, and that is how it is, I guess… but hey, some people are okay with dying as a nobody; I don’t strive to make a name for myself, I merely want to live how I want to live. Just like a bird who can fly freely into the sky without a care in the world….
As Salen was talking about his dear lover Tiberius, Jared couldn’t help but wrap his right arm & hand around his left arm, unconsciously grasping at his leather armour as if his memories were flickering to something that Jared may have buried long ago or actively trying to suppress but still trying his best to act steadfast for when needed, the thief could serve as someone that anyone could lean upon despite himself needing support as well albeit he would never admit it.
“We can only do what we can that is within our capabilities; better to work at the problem slowly & pick apart the mess. I agree that we should look for Hugo, but despite the dire situation, We can’t go in blindly, or else we wish to become a nobody as someone waves their hand over the candlelight & snuffing the flames outs.”
Jared couldn’t help but grin underneath his face cloth as Salen describes Hugo’s personality, which does some like the man in terms of broad strokes. Still, there is probably something more profound that the thief doesn’t know or Hugo isn’t willing to share, and Jared was a patient man, letting people feel OK to come out of their shells when needed.
“I need to train; if I don’t, I would only hinder our progress, which is my stance on the matter, and as much as I want to get Hugo out of his situation, We just don’t have enough information & resources to conduct an operation that big. All I managed to get was those emblems during the fight & I don’t even know what they are for… Hell… Everything seems like a blur, and it irritates me that I couldn’t help Hugo more….”
Re: Seven Years, Bad Luck [Jared]
Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2022 6:52 am
by Salen
Jared's words of wisdom appeared to have bolstered Salen's initiative; he wanted to do more and he knew the first part of the plot would be to train him up. He seemed somewhat scrawny and small for a thief, but height had advantages and disadvantages in some cases. If he was caught, he could be an easy target for others, so it was best to train him in the arts of war and defense. He sighed and turned his head towards him "I'm training with Andre tomorrow, join us..." He simply offered as he got up from his seat.
"We'll worry about one thing at a time... I think it's best if you rest, replenish yourself, we don't know what lies ahead of us yet." He said as he walks off; the questions of his own judgement would linger on as there is still alot of work to be done, especially when dealing with Dahlia as a threat. Jared may have provided a comforting vibe for Salen, but that doesnt change the fact he still has a responsibility; the defeat of Dahlia Senerite was on his mind as the woman is now in a much more vulnerable position. She may think she has the backing of the Empire now, but eventually people will see her true colours and she will lose what was built on lies, deceit and coercion of others.
The Black Dahlia is no more, for she is just a shell of great power, broken by the careless practices of her plots.
Re: Seven Years, Bad Luck [Jared]
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2022 10:15 am
by Fortuna
YOUR REVIEW❊
Salen
Lores
Mentalism: The Weave - Shattering an object
Mentalism: The Weave - Grows Stronger with Training
Etiquette: Maintaining Composure.
Etiquette: Being thankful of cookery services.
Rhetoric: Finding the right words in certain situations.
Psychology: Basic Understanding about emotions.
Psychology: Feelings of Guilt.
Psychology: The Five Stages of Grief.
Sociology: Basic Understanding about relationships;
Tactics: Setting up basic goals;
Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Points 3XP magic 7 XP non magic
Comments:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jared
Lores
Cooking: Making Lobster Bisque;
Investigation: Insight to Body Language;
Rhetoric: Providing Comforting Advice;
Rhetoric: Suggest Planning;
Etiquette: Maintaining Composure;
Psychology: Basic Understanding about emotions;
Sociology: Basic Understanding about relationships;
Tactics: Setting up basic goals;
Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Points 8XP nonmagic
Comments: Enjoy you two!
