UUU: "Sunshine and Rainbows"

Cast: Sally (Nerf) and Lucifel (Dea)

TLDR:

Support Points Earned: 3 (effects of Seed of Untrust)

[11:33 AM] Nerf: The gentle sound of the waves crashing against the shore was the only thing to disturb the quiet peace of the morning, it's rythmic tempo acting as a lullaby to whoever was listening to it. On a beach that was not too far from where the Pack had set up camp, a lonely figure sat on what appeared to be the only bench in the entire vicinity. Resting on her lap lied an open book, aptly titled "17 ways to murder your husband an get away with it", a popular black comedy novel she had been meaning to read for a while. And yet, despite how perfect the place was to sit down and relax, she didn't seem to be able to concentrate, her mind constantly flying to all the business she should be attending to instead of reading. After reading a page for the third time, and realizing she had yet again missed what was that it said, she violently closed the book and threw it to the side, her face forming an angry frown.

[12:02 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: "'Go to the beach,' she said." Lucifel murmured to himself, stalking towards the shore. "'You need the sunlight,' she says." That much couldn't be dismissed. Lucifel was without his ever-present black suit, and instead wore naught except for a pair of pitch swim trunks. His pale frame and thin build were even more obvious than usual when bared to the morning sun. "Well, at the very least I got here early enough so that there's almost nobody here." Lucifel muttered inwardly as he scanned the shore, and only noting a single occupant on the only bench. "Small comforts." The criminal tossed his bright red towel over one shoulder, and in the other hand, secured his grip on his Limited Edition Jetsetter Ultimatum Drive floatie. Bracing himself, he spoke up as he approached the bench. "Excuse me." Lucifel replied, trying to project an air of confidence at the bench's occupant. "Do you mind if I set down my towel he-" The information broker blanched as he saw the bench's occupant. "I uh- well, that... Erm, that is to say- E-excuse me." Face coloring slightly, he pivoted around and very pointedly began walking away.

[12:25 PM] Nerf: As if the universe had just decided her mood was not yet bad enough, Sally would now have to add the unexpected presence of Lucifel to her list of worries. Great. Just who I wanted to see. For a moment, the Branded toyed around with the possibility of just letting him go away without saying anything, letting her silence speak over her own words. And yet, she discarded that idea almost immediately. Annoyed as she might have been, she knew very well how ridiculous that entire situation was. To not be on friendly terms with Fel was a thing, sure, but the complete lack of communication with him was simply unacceptable if she wanted to ever find the Dagaz. On a team were fighters were plenty and investigators scarce, to not be sharing and discussing any information she found with one of the few people she could trust to know what to look for was only going to put her at a disadvantage, and the odds were already stacked enough against her as it was. Because of this, is that she swallowed her own pride and extended the first olive branch, although admittedly a very frail one: "Oh, I don't mind." She spoke in an impersonal voice. "Better that than having you run away scared every time that you see me."(edited)

[1:03 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: Lucifel stopped up short, and spoke without turning. "I'm not scared. Erm, well, this isn't about that. I'm just... trying to respect your wishes." The young man looked over his shoulder, face contorted into a grimace. "I angered you. You didn't seem to want to associate with me anymore. So rather than risk worsening the situation between us, I decided to simply let you be." He hesitantly stepped closer, distrust evident on his features. "That is what you wanted, right?"

[1:20 PM] Nerf: "Sigh...", had Lucifel been looking towards were Sally was, he would have caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a sad look on her face. "You really don't get it at all, do you?" Quickly as it had come, the sadness dissapeared from her face, being replaced by a more prideful expression, as if she had suddenly remembered she was still angry at him. "Just so you know, I never asked you to avoid me. I would expect you would at least be capable of keeping things professional between us, but it seems even that is asking for too much", the volume in her voice increased slightly as she continued. "Besides, what makes you think I care enough about you to be upset? Now, stop acting like a child and running away. If we are going to be working together, then I need you to cooperate, not avoid me. That should be obvious even for you."

[1:47 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: A confused expression crossed Lucifel's face at her sudden change in demeanor, only to be replaced by a pained wince as his associate continued her tirade. "You- You're completely correct." he replied, nodding stiffly. "To act in such a fashion was entirely unbecoming of my station. I hope you'll forgive me for my presumptions of your feelings, so we can move onwards and return to our previous relationship - That is to say, business associates." Lucifel had reverted to his usual tone, and likewise masked his expression behind his ever-present thin smile. In the aftermath of his earlier attitude, the facade rang more hollow than usual. After setting down his inflatable Jetsetter, he offered his free hand to Sally. "So, what do you say. Can we forget all of this, and return to way things should have always stayed?"(edited)

[2:08 PM] Nerf: This time, unlike many others, Sally didn't meet Lucifel's smile with one of her own. Rather, what was there was the sketch of a smile, ready to either appear or be erased away at the smallest push. As she moved in to reciprocate the handshake, her hand stopped centimeters away from the banker's, intentionally delaying the reconciliation so she could make an aclaration before agreeing: "Easy there. I only offered to keep things professional between us. But to go back to how things were?" By her tone it would almost appear she was mocking him. "I'm not letting you get away scott-free so easily. After all, I believe you still owe me a proper apology before I can do that. And I think I am being generous with that condition." Her hand still frozen in place, Sally waited for the criminal's response, not a hint of what she was thinking about appearing on her expression.(edited)

[9:16 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: His eyes narrowed, and he pulled his arm back slightly, though his hand still remained open. "Do tell, what kind of 'apology' did you have in mind? If you're hesitant to accept my heartfelt bid for forgiveness, I can't imagine what would appease you instead." An eyebrow quirked. "So? What do I need to do in order to regain your good graces?"

[10:40 PM] Nerf: "Oh, nothing complicated." She reassured him. "Hmm, perhaps something like..." Pausing for a second to decide how far she should be pushing her luck when it came to her demands, Sally then recited an apology as if she was prompting the gentleman to repeat after her: "I, Lucifel, am sorry to have put in doubt your good intentioned friendship, as well as falsely accusing you of trying to take advantage of me. I recognize I was at fault here, and I promise it will not happen again." There was an akward pause for a moment, before the criminal opened her mouth again, unable to resist the temptation to take the chance of making Fel humilliate himself a little more. After all, if things were truly going to return to how they were, then didn't that mean she should start making fun out of him again? "I also admit that the loss of your lovely company has left me completely heartbroken, and thus is that after several nights of crying myself to sleep I'm left with no option but to crawl and beg for your forgiveness. I hope your infinitely kind heart will also be generous enough to pardon the miserable being that I am." This second part was said at the same time a smirk started to form at the corner of her lips, her joking tone making it evident repeating it was only optional.

April 8, 2018

[9:47 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: "My, my. 'Crying myself to sleep? Why, I'd never!'" Lucifel was finding it hard to hide the hints of a real smile now. "Because, of course, I run out of tears by the time night falls, due to crying over you all day." The statement was punctuated by a sagely nod. "As much as I simply adore getting on my knees and begging before the likes of beautiful women such as yourself-" He stealthily glanced to either side to make sure they were still alone on the beach. "-I can't help but think that doing so would feel a bit off considering the circumstances. Perhaps I would be appeased if..." Lucifel paused for show, running his fingers across his chin thoughtfully. "If the target of my undying affectionate affectations admitted that she may have slightly overreacted." When Lucifel met her gaze once again, he still grinned playfully, but his eyes shone in a more serious light. "I may have slighted you by thinking the worst of you. But was it really so slanderous as to provoke your response, especially given the nature of our... unique relationship?"

[11:37 PM] Nerf: "What!?" Sally's expression changed as if she was pretending to be horribly offended. "Overreact, me? You are the one that has been avoiding me for months! I would have accepted your apologies if you had just bothered to give them! How is that my fault..." As if suddenly realizing her rebuttals were not leading anywhere, the criminal cut herself mid sentence before speaking again, this time in a more appeasing way: "Still...I guess maybe I should have thought about how bad you are at this kind of stuff. I suppose I am partly to blame for expecting you to know the basic rules of human interaction." The way she said this made it seem as if she was merely stating an undeniable fact, and not insulting the man in front of her. "Like for example, that if your words offend someone, the appropiate response is not to avoid them until eternity." "However," she lifted her head with some pride, "I believe you still don't understand the issue. To distrust each other is only natural, if not to be expected. You could even say it would be an insult not to at least act with some caution when we are around each other", the Branded conceded. "But in this game we are playing, appearances are of utmost importance. Even if we expect the worst of one another, those are things that are better not spoken, for what we do behind the scenes should never be an excuse to forget about our manners. Talk of betrayals and empty accusations are proper of lowly criminals, people who don't see their jobs as an art, but as a mere way of subsisting." As she continued, her voice started to become more passionate, as if she was teaching an important lesson to her counterpart. "Tell me Fel, why do you believe I would dedicate some time to you, even when I know how dangerous it is? You could say I have something to gain from it, sure, and you could even be right in some cases, but that is not getting the full picture. More often than not, the answer is simply that I'm bored."

[11:38 PM] Nerf: "You'll see," she explained after a short dramatic pause. "The unfortunate truth is that for someone as myself, normal human interactions are something unusual. Those who know who I am fear me, and as such can never be themselves when facing me. And for those who are unaware, it is me that can not be genuine, and instead have to conform with deceiving them, acting as if I was not the person I am." "But with you, those things are different. It is not fear what makes us be cautious, but the mutual respect we have for each other. And even if we are still only wearing a mask, we are both aware of what lies behind it, and as such, the deception is only apparent." A full grin now decorated the Sally's face. "It may all be a farce, sure, but that doesn't mean I don't treasure it. And if you cannot play your role on it, if you insist on breaking the spell and bring me back to the cold reality where I am just a criminal who is not allowed to develop a true friendship, then what do I have to gain from our arrangement? Your problem, Fel, is that you forgot the rules of the game we are playing."

April 10, 2018

[11:04 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: Lucifel plopped himself down next to Sally on the bench. The gesture was casual, uncalculated, and without Lucifel's usual air of polite grace. After tossing his towel on the back of the bench, he sat momentarily, contemplating how to respond. "It's not so much that I forget the rules of the game... as the fact that I value my own life and livehood over this constructed 'farce' of ours. Sure, I'm more than happy to participate in our little battle of wits from time to time. But you're not satisfied with that. As you said yourself, you want to develop a 'true friendship'." The criminal propped his thin arms up behind his head, and leaned back further in the seat. "And that was where I drew the line." He glanced over to Sally. "I enjoy your company. I really do. But too much rests on my shoulders to risk getting close to you." Lucifel smiled sadly. "Looking back... that's why you were so upset, huh? You reached out to me, maybe even as more than simply a distraction from the tedium. And I reciprocated by reminding you of the harsh reality of our relationship." He chuckled. "In hindsight, perhaps I could have handled that slightly better." "All the same, I stand by what I said last time I spoke to you. I'm sorry, but until the day comes when we can really trust each other, I won't be able to join you in this 'true friendship.' of yours."

April 11, 2018

[12:22 AM] Nerf: As she listened to Lucifel's words, Sally's attitude remained impassible, though there was something odd about her expression, as if she was bothered by something yet couldn't quite put her finger on it. This would continue even after the businessman had stopped talking, the silence filling the air for a brief moment before her face suddenly lightened up, being followed by a large grin that gave the impression she had just realized something important: "Liar." There didn't appear to be much of a confrontational vibe in her statement, but rather the irreflexive words of one that blurts what's on her mind without giving it much thought. "You are not scared of getting close to me...you are scared of getting close to anyone!" By the look on her face, it appeared as if she was stating the most obvious thing on the world. "Your life? The responsability on your shoulders? That's bullshit! I could be the most harmless person in the world and you'd still be scared!" In a motion that was more abrupt than necessary, Sally stood up from her seat, grabbing her book before speaking again, this time in a more relaxed fashion. "Of course, none of that is my business." She attempted to placate whatever possible reaction there could be to her accusation. "As long as the extent of our relationship is clear, whatever you do with your life has me unconcerned. I have enough problems myself to care about yours." Giving her back to the Sea as if appronting to leave, the Branded woman stopped to face Fel one last time before adding: "Well, now that we have talked over our little...impasse, I believe it is time for me to leave. Although...", she hesitated briefly, "...if you don't mind a piece of unsolicited advice, go put on a shirt. That look really doesn't fit you at all."(edited)

[11:15 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: Lucifel winced. "Come on now, I may not be too receptive towards other people's, but I assure you I have feelings. They're feeling pretty wounded right about now, but they definitely exist." He glanced up at Sally, crossing his arms in a subconscious effort to obscure his thin body after her underhanded commentary. "I'm not scared of everybody. I-in fact, I have plenty of friends! Probably more than you. Like- like..." The pale man struggled with the thought before giving up, signaled by a despondent exhalation. "Like plenty of people you don't know. I don't know why I'm trying to validate myself anyway." he huffed. "Your words might have some truth to them, I admit. But my caution doesn't bother me in the least. Rather, I'm proud that I'm willing to go so far for to ensure that a person of my position stays safe." Lucifel puffed out his chest. It was barely noticeable. "The world's information networks would be thrown into disarray were I do disappear. I had hoped you would cut me some slack, taking that into consideration." He cocked his head slightly. "Wait, are you mad at me still? I'm getting discrepancies when picking out your words and body language. And now you're running off all of a sudden." Lucifel narrowed his eyes and leaned inwards slightly. "Some clarification for the less socially adept of the two of us, please. We're allies again, right? I'm sorry I don't trust you unduly, but I hope it doesn't compromise our little association." The young man's eyes sparkled hopefully.(edited)

April 12, 2018

[9:57 AM] Nerf: Upon hearing Lucifel's question, Sally stopped walking away, though she didn't turn around this time. Tilting her head to the side as if she was thinking about her answer, the criminal then shrugged off nonchalantly. "I suppose we are. I'm not trying to make enemies here." In contradiction to her own words, she subtly moved her hand towards one of the pockets in her blouse, taking advantage of her position to hide her movements from the red haired man. From there, she slowly pulled out what appeared to be a small dart, spinning it around with her fingers as she did so. Truth to be told, her weapon of choice was not a very scary one, the needle at the tip being unable to cause much more damage than a bee's sting would have. And yet, with a little poison or a properly placed curse it could easily turn into a deadly weapon, and given her own reputation, Sally was sure Fel would not want to be hit with it. As she readied herself to attack, the Branded woman had a brief moment of doubt. The game she was playing was a dangerous one, and even if she could easily prove her weapon was for the most part an inoffensive one, she had a strong feeling Lucifel would not be very pleased at the prospect of being used as a dartboard. However, those thoughts were discarded almost immediately. What she was doing was risky, sure, but she also had a lot to gain. If her suspicions were right and the businessman was in fact not as defenseless as he pretended to be, then maybe this would be all it would take to force his hand and make him show his cards. After all, if words were not going to make him talk, then perhaps it was due time to try with some action.

[9:57 AM] Nerf: "Still...", she interjected before her silence could give way to suspicion. "There is something I don't understand. You claim to be very careful about your safety, but I just don't see it. You don't have any bodyguards with you, nor do you seem to be carrying any weapons. Worse than that, you have repeatedly met with me in private, where I could easily attack you if I wanted to. It's almost as if you were..." Sally never got to finish her sentence, her sudden attack cutting through the conversation like a knife through hot butter. Turning around at a surprising speed, she threw the dart at her target with deadly accuracy, giving very little room for any sort of reaction but a reflex-based one. Now, show me what you've got...

[12:01 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: Lucifel instinctively raised his right arm, conjuring a shimmering black knife to intercept and deflect the speedy projectile. Almost lazily, he glanced down at the weapon crackling with energy in his hand, before looking back up at Sally from where she stood a few feet away. "Ah." he replied belatedly. "I suppose I should have seen that coming." He slowly rose to his feet, a frown forming on his lean features. "My compliments on the gambit. Though if I may, I can't help but remark that your actions seem a bit hypocritical after your earlier speech." With his other hand, Lucifel swept his messy hair free from his eyes. "You claimed that I couldn't adhere to the rules of this little game of ours- Before you yourself shatter all illusion of the part I play." After a moment's consideration, Lucifel dispelled the knife, only to replace it with a thin-bladed sword that looked vaguely familiar. "And now you've gone and stolen priceless information that I really can't have floating around." He leveled the blade at her, looking more than a little regretful. "If its any consolation, I genuinely enjoyed your presence, Sally. I'm not going to take joy in what comes next."

[12:52 PM] Nerf: Instead of being surprised by this bizarre display of magic, Sally simply stared at Fel with anger as soon as she saw what appeared to be a replica of her own weapon on Fel's hand. "I knew it!" She exclaimed as she jumped away from him. "You were just pretending to be defenseless!" Unfortunately, such a knowledge would come at a very steep price for her if she didn't do something about the blade that Lucifel was now pointing at her, her mind working as fast as it could trying to think of a way to escape without exposing herself to an attack. Instinctively, she reached her hand towards her boot were a knife was hidden... ...and changed directions at the last second, instead going towards one of the pockets inside her cape. Immediately after, she raised her closed fist in front of her mouth, revealing what appeared to be a small whistle made of some sort of bone, and blowing it before her opponent could get a chance to stop it. Under normal circumstances, the sound that this would have made would have resembled the song of a bird, unlikely to call the attention of anyone but those who knew about it beforehand. But those were not normal circumstances. As she blew through the whistle with all of her might, a high-pitched noise covered the air, the tune far too different from that of any bird, and loud enough to call the attention of whoever was in the nearby camp. "Don't count me out yet", she challenged her former ally with a self-sufficient smile on her face. "My gambit is only starting."

[4:47 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: The less-than-helpless gentleman glanced back at the camp in the distance, before returning his attention to his opponent. "Enforcing a time limit, eh? How troublesome." Lucifel dropped into a fighting stance, slowly edging forward. "Sure, I'm perfectly capable of finishing you off immediately, but I feel it wouldn't be giving you your dues." Lucifel braced himself, drawing the deadly training sword backwards in preparation for a strike. "And just between the two of us? I've always wanted to see would triumph in a fair fight." He feinted a stab forward, before abruptly halting his momentum and backflipping behind the bench much more graceful than one would have expected the skinny youth capable of. Drawing a leg back, he reinforced it with a black layer of shimmering force identical to his sword, before slamming it into the back of the bench. The impromptu projectile skidded violently across the soft sand directly at Sally, discarding the towel set upon it.

[6:04 PM] Nerf: Doesn't that resemble... Her own thoughts would have to wait for later, for the unlikely projectile aimed at her demanded her full attention. Caught by surprise by the speed it was moving at, Sally had no option but to roll over to the side, feeling the bench fly next to her at a distance that was far too close for comfort, it's sheer momentum pushing her further away. Now, there was no room for doubts: Lucifel was definitely willing to kill her. Of course, that didn't mean she didn't intend to fight back. As she spun over her own body, her hand was already reaching towards one of the several knives stashed in her belt, throwing it at her contender at the same time she got back on her feet. "Is that so? Because I'll warn you, I've never lost a fair fight..." Before her projectile could even reach it's target, the knife shattered into a thousand small pieces, producing a blinding cloud of light at the same time. Against what could be normally expected, the tiny but deadly shards carried their momentum forward, raining over Lucifel as if infused by a will of their own. "...or fought one, for that matter."

[7:11 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: The blinding flash sent Lucifel staggering backwards. The criminal grunted in pain and dropped his sword in favor of bringing both hands to rub at his blinded eyes. A smile came to his face at her banter, and he chuckled at her show of spirit. "What a coincidence. I-" Lucifel's words were cut off as the hail of shards fell upon him, opening thin cuts across his body. Quick as a whip, he leapt backwards, easily opening an additional 10 feet between the two of them with inhuman agility, causing the majority of the shards to fall on the dry sands of the beach. The crimson-haired man used the extra distance between them to take the time to slowly and lightly massage his eyelids, alternated with blinking methodically. "Impressive." he replied as his vision slowly returned. "A flashbang and a shrapnel effect? I've not seen the likes of those before. And I suppose you can say I still haven't!" He seemed in a great humor, despite the nature of the fight or the numerous cuts across his body. "I'll have to take a look at how they're constructed when I'm done with you. Perhaps I can replicate them and add them to my repertoire." As if in demonstration, he snapped his fingers crisply, summoning another copy of the sword he dropped earlier... which then promptly sparked out and vanished. Lucifel swore under his breath and repeated the gesture, which only resulted in the weapon vanishing even faster, prompting in his watery eyes to widen in what was unmistakably a shocked expression. "Seriously? Now?" He squinted in Sally's direction, and was able to make out the form of the black sword he conjurered earlier, planted blade-down in the sand directly between the two of them. The near-naked and now weaponless Lucifel carefully stepped forward towards his dropped weapon, carefully watching Sally with his damaged vision.(edited)

[8:23 PM] Nerf: Instead of making her more confident about her chances, Lucifel's struggles to conjure a weapon only managed to get Sally to raise her guard, as she tried to find the trap in what in her eyes could only be a trick to distract her. Without taking her gaze away from the banker, she listened carefully for any strange noises, half-expecting him to conjure a weapon at her back in any moment. And yet, nothing seemed to come for her, at least for the time being. When the red-haired man started moving towards the dropped sword she didn't have to think it twice: a second knife came flying out of her hands, aimed directly at one of Lucifel's legs. Unlike her previous attempt, this one didn't involve any strange tricks, instead simply relying on the fear of her pulling a similarly underhanded tactic again making her adversary not react properly to it. As if to reinforce that idea, her throw was accompanied by another retort: "Ha! Then how about you try to replicate this one!" Without waiting for a reply, the criminal started to run away, trying to use the distance she had gained to buy some time, or at least move the fight to a place where she wasn't such an easy target.

[8:54 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: This time, Lucifel shielded his eyes and avoided the dagger with plenty of room to spare. No way he was taking chances. When the didn't feel any signs of an exploding dagger, he opened his eyes to see Sally running full-tilt away from him, and actually making good time despite the soft sand. "Dammit." There was no easy way to close the distance between them without flying, and Lucifel was hesitant to perform such an overtly superhuman act in an open area. "Hey Sally!" he called out. "I've changed my mind! Let's just talk it out instead! If you come back, I promise not to try and kill you!" Lucifel put on his most genuine, award-winning smile.

[9:39 PM] Nerf: "Yeah, sure, and my mother was a dragon!" She replied while still running at full speed. "Drop those weapons first and I will consider it!" The latter part was, of course, a lie, but in the off chance Lucifel would actually be stupid enough to do it, she decided it was still worth a shot. As she moved through the sand at a fairly impressive pace, she set her sights on reaching the stone ladder that lied just a short distance away from her, knowing she'd be able to run much faster once she left the sand behind. Just a little more...

[9:57 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: "I- I... I don't even have any weapons! I surrender! Come over here so you can take me prisoner!" Deciding there was no other option, he took to flight and pursued her at a pace impossible for somebody slowed down by the sand. Ahead of him, he saw Sally attempting to reach the boardwalk. If she reached it, Sally would undoubtedly be able to stay ahead of him long enough to reach people she could alert. He increased his speed. By his estimation, he'd be able to reach her just as she got to the ladder...

[10:18 PM] Nerf: The moment she saw Fel levitate up in the air to chase after her, Sally quickly realized two things: the first, that there was now no doubt about the criminal's secret identity. The second, that her situation was a lot worse that she had initially thought. And to make matters even worse, luck was not on her side this time. Just as she was about to reach the ladder, she felt the looming presence of the Ingwaz behind her, barely being able to jump to the side to avoid him. Cursing at the ladder for not being a couple inches closer, the Branded woman stood up from the ground and moved her hand towards her belt yet again, only to realize she had run out of knives to throw. Damn it! Why couldn't I have brought more! Realizing how limited her options were now that her escape route was blocked, Sally drew the dagger that was hidden in her boot, it's unnatural glow menacingly warning Fel to keep his distance. "You are really annoying, you know? Alright, come and try me if you dare."

[10:31 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: Lucifel drifted to a stop a few feet away from her, breathless from the exertion. His cuts had already started to mend, but the remnants of dried blood still remained on his skin. At her comment, Lucifel seemed hurt. "T-try you? I assure you, that's not my intention. Look, I'm really sorry." He raised his empty hands in surrender and slowly walked towards her. "Please, put down the knife. I don't mean you any harm." The younger man was beginning to tear up. "Please, you have to understand where I'm coming from! You could have driven my entire life into ruin! I didn't have a choice." He took anther hesitant step forward. "But that wasn't the only reason I was scared, Sally. I was also- also scared of my feelings for you." Lucifel shivered slightly at the courage it took to admit it aloud. "I tried to repress my feelings for you and erase you... but now I see! I see what it is I truly want." "...And that's you, Sally." His bright red hair glowed softly in the morning light as the breeze caught tousled it, and his smoldering eyes met her unflinchingly. "Sally, I- I think I love you." He took a step forward until the they were only an arm's distance apart, and carefully reached out an arm towards her free hand imploringly.

[11:20 PM] Nerf: "Don't. Get. Close. To me." Rather than reciprocating Lucifel's approach, Sally took a step backwards, using her weapon to keep the distance between the two. During the entire maneuver, her eye didn't move away from her opponent, in a not very different way than a cornered animal would have looked at it's attacker. "You tried to kill me. Don't think you can sweet talk your way out of this. Wan't me to put down the weapon?" Sally let out a sarcastic laugh. "Then let me go. Give me just one reason why I should trust anything you say." Taking yet another step backwards, she raised her weapon as if to prove she truly meant her words. And yet, this time a glint of sadness could be briefly caught in her face, as if the words she just had heard hurt just as much as the weapons that were being wielded. "You think that is what I wanted to hear? It seems you still don't understand me at all."

April 13, 2018

[3:00 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: "Apparently." Lucifel replied, dropping all romantic pretense. "I don't understand, that should have totally seduced you." he complained. "I'm supposedly handsome enough, I'm rich, I'm male, I'm not wearing much clothing, and we even have unresolved sexual tension!" He counted the points off on his fingers. "I don't get it; I've got every possible factor in my favor. From what I've read about Beorc, you should have been smitten immediately!" "Unless..." he looked around the premises comically before leaning in for a whisper. "You're not into girls, are you?" Straightening back up before a knife strike could be delivered to his face, Lucifel frowned. "Waiiiiit. Wait. You don't think I'm actually trying to kill you, do you?" He scratched his head idly. "Because yeah, I can see how that would be a bit of a turn-off."

[6:56 PM] Nerf: This time Sally couldn't manage to do anything but stare at the man in front of her with an expression of disbelief, unsure if she should be feeling angry, sad or amused at the ridiculous speech she was hearing. Slowly lowering her weapon after taking yet another step back, she finally collected her thoughts well enough for a reply. "You are insane. You are utterly and irremediably insane", she declared absolutely convinced that could be the only possible explanation. "What on Kyria's name were you thinking!" She managed to scream once the fear gave way to indignation. "Is this what people are to you? Mere toys to play with? How else did you expect me to react after attacking me like that! And don't even get me started on that seduction nonsense..."

April 14, 2018

[9:21 AM] Deallocate | In Jail: "Wat." Lucifel seemed dumbstruck by the tirade. "Uhm. I think I know what the problem here is. I meant to address the other Sally." he deadpanned. "You know, the one who attacked me first. The one who was smiling and snarking while I deliberately attacked you non-lethally. Which, I might mention, you reciprocated by throwing knives. He held up his slowly healing arms for her to see. "Pray tell, where are the vicious wounds you sustained in this 'fight to the death' in which I chased you around without even attacking?" "So please, any time you want to return the Sally capable of coherent thought processes, I'd greatly appreciate it." He stepped back and rubbed his temples, as if staving off a headache. "Wow, just this is certainly one for the books. I've been accused of a lot of stuff. But this is the first time I've had somebody freak out after attacking me. You can't just decide after the spar that you didn't want to do it. That's not how that works."(edited)

[1:19 PM] Nerf: "Really?" She raised an eyebrow with skepticism. "And what purpose did this game of yours serve? Should I be reminding you that it was you that just said was going to kill me? Or could it be that you are just changing tactics after realizing I'm not the easy prey you thought I'd be? Because as I see it, you have every reason to want to get rid of me." Sally followed her questioning with a dramatic pause, before sarcastically adding: "Unless, I am completely mistaken and this little secret of yours is not something you are trying to keep hidden at all costs. And if that's the case, I'm sure you'll just let me walk away from here, instead of standing in the way of my only escape route, won't you?"

April 15, 2018

[9:23 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: "Oh yes, certainly." he replied with a straight face. "I'll just let you waltz off and sell what you learned to the highest bidder- Yeah no." He snapped his fingers, spurring half a dozen levitating blades into existence. "Oh, kudos on not falling for it when I pretended I couldn't summon more stuff earlier." Lucifel pulled one out of the air and flipped it idly. "And as mentioned earlier, I'm totally not gonna skewer you. These are just here for the implication." The statement was whispered from behind a hand from the angelic man. "Here's what's gonna happen, sweet stuff. You cough up something of similar importance that you'd hate for me to reveal. And then we each go on our merry ways, knowing that the threat of mutually assured destruction would prevent us from ever loosening our lips."

[11:32 PM] Nerf: "I think I liked you more when you were professing your undying love for me." She stated with some irony as she stared at the floating blades with caution. "I assume my word that I'll keep quiet in exchange for not being sliced up like a fish is not enough, right?" Taking a dangerously long pause to stall for more time as she considered her increasingly limited options, Sally then let out an angry sigh as she pretended to be considering the businessman's terms. "Hmm, and how exactly is this a fair deal? You speak about mutual destruction, but I don't see how that's the case. If anything, I believe were your secret to be revealed, people would only come to fear you more. That is, if there was anyone crazy enough to believe me in the first place." "Besides...", she moved to the most obvious question in her mind. "What guarantees you won't kill me as soon as I tell you what you want to know? If my promise of keeping your secrets is not enough for you, then I don't see why I should trust your word that you won't get rid of me as soon as you get what you want either. You sure don't expect me to be this stupid, right?"

April 18, 2018

[10:09 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: He sighed, with evident exasperation. "You're certainly right about that. I expected you to be smarter. If you die, any secrets associated with you are worthless." He leveled his gaze. "I can't blackmail you much if you're rotting in a grave, can I?" "As for my own secret, I have little reason to impose fear in my customers; in fact, I aspire to be as approachable as possible." Lucifel said with a thin smile. "But my true motive lies in disguising my true nature from my own kin. I assure you, I'd jump up a few notches on Jetsetter's priority list should he know my true nature." He coughed pointedly. "Incidentally, it's for that very reason I make myself scarce whenever he stops by."(edited)

April 19, 2018

[10:08 PM] Nerf: "I don't think you understand my point", she retorted while ignoring the gratuitous insult. "A secret that could destroy me is a secret that could also be used against my Nest. Even if I were to die, if my reputation takes a hit, then that will also affect those who used to work for me. And you have plenty of reasons for wanting to take advantage of that." Defiantly staring at the Ingwaz before her, Sally spoke to him with disdain: "I doubt you will be able to understand this, but not even my life is worth selling my people over. If I were to give you a weapon against them before dying, I would never be able to rest in peace." As she pronounced what she knew could very well be her last words, the criminal couldn't help but feel herself shudder. And yet, on the outside she appeared calm, not a hint of the fear that she had recently displayed showing. "It's a pity, honestly. But I don't think we have a way out of this predicament unless one of us dies." Before Lucifel even got a chance to process what she was saying, Sally opened her left hand to show what was quite literally the last trick up her sleeve. With a casual, seemingly harmless movement, she threw what appeared to be one of the multiple pebbles that lied in the beach at the businessman, a dim glow being the only evidence of the enchantment that had just been placed on it.

[10:08 PM] Nerf: At first, it seemed she had missed her target, but such an idea would soon get corrected. Instead of landing on the banker, the pebble simply floated in the air before it could reach him, serving no immediately evident purpose. And yet, if one was to pay attention, he'd have noticed that the levitating swords had been slightly pushed back, as if being repelled by some invisible force. Aware that this little trick of hers would only be able to hold the weapons back for mere seconds, and that was if she was lucky, Sally charged forward without wasting a moment, her dagger hidden under her cloak making it hard to see where she was going to strike. Don't waste this chance, she thought, hoping to be able to get a finishing blow in that short window she had before the flying swords tore her to shreds.

[11:19 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: "You're right; I don't understand. If you die, you can't even see your group ever again. It's pointless to sacrifice for something you'll never even be able to experience!" He was forced to hastily backstep as she advanced on him, intent clear. When the first of her slashes lashed out at him, Lucifel was too slow to draw a sword up to block the strike, mainly due to the stone's interference. He threw himself backwards at the last minute, escaping the brunt of the blow, though still taking a gash to the chest. He fell with a dull cough to the sand, clutching at his chest in pain. The redheaded man called an ornamental sword to his hand, awkwardly warding off Sally's myriad blows with notable lack of skill. "Dammit Sally, don't do this!" In a sudden burst of strength, Lucifel leapt to his feet and delivered an exact performance of the strikes she had attacked him with mere seconds ago. The fast bladework was compromised only by Lucifel's heavier weapon, but the final strike still struck true against his opponent. Only instead of Sally's chest, the taller man opened a thin gash on her forehead. "If you keep this up, I can't defend myself without hurting you!" Seemingly coming to a resolution, Lucifel banished the half-dozen weapons floating in the air, as well as the one in his hand. Offering a small smile, he spread his arms wide. "So, I'm pretty sure you could impale me nice and good before I had a chance to pull forth another weapon, even if I could. But you won't strike down an unarmed man." he said, as if reassuring himself more than her. "And what's more, I must be slightly dear to you at this point. I've invested a lot of time into hanging out with you. It's natural." Lucifel stepped forward, arms open and defenseless. "Come on, put down that weapon so we can discuss this like civilized folk."

April 20, 2018

[2:51 PM] Nerf: The moment Lucifel began fighting back, Sally was forced to retreat, aware that she couldn't match her opponent in raw strength. Caught by surprise by the banker's sudden burst of energy, she had no option but to akwardly attempt to dodge his attacks, his weapon striking dangerously close to her body in several opportunities. As she finally managed to distance herself out of his reach, she could only think how lucky she was to have gotten away in one piece... ...or so she believed. Before she could even charge back in for another attempt, she felt the warm touch of her blood running down her face, staining both her clothes and the sand below her. In a moment, her entire vision was covered by red, the profuse bleeding of the small cut on her forehead responsible for her temporary blindness. Cursing her own misfortune as she attempted to cover herself from a strike she could not see coming, she couldn't help but to think what a ridiculous way to die that was. At least, for the half-second before she came back to her senses. In a desperately rushed maneuver, Sally reached for her eyepatch, forcefully ripping it off, just in time to allow her to see an attack...that never came. With her surprisingly functional right eye now exposed, the strange patterns around it that unmistakably signaled her as a Branded were now fully visible, as was her blatant confusion upon seeing her weaponless adversary. Trying to ponder if this was yet another trick, Sally stood frozen in place for a brief moment, before tightening the grip on her weapon as she angrily shouted: "What the hell do you think you are you looking at?! I guess I really have to kill you now!"

[3:00 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: His smile grew. "Of course you do. Go on, protect that Nest of yours." Feeling more confident, Lucifel took a step closer. He was easily within arm's reach. "Killing an unarmed man should be easy enough to do if it means protecting what you love. Why- I can summon weapons from nothing at all! You can even tell yourself that I'm never truly unarmed, and that you only struck down a dangerous monster to protect yourself and your own. I'm told humans are great at coming up with excuses for their sins."

[4:26 PM] Nerf: Whatever Lucifel's plan was, Sally was fairly sure getting stabbed was not part of it. And yet, that's exactly what happened, her dagger diving into his abdomen as soon as he gave a step forward, making a small, but deep cut. "Oh." She looked mildly surprised upon seeing the Angel's pained expression, as if she wasn't expecting him to just stand there as she stabbed him. "You did actually mean it when you said you didn't want to fight. My bad."

April 23, 2018

[8:40 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: "Urk-" Lucifel choked out, taking a step back in pain. Glancing down at the wound, he was rather surprised at the rate at which he was bleeding. Damn, why did I think going without armor was a good idea? The man sat down hard on the sand, clutching his hands to his torso in an inefficient attempt to stop the blood loss. "And apparently you meant it when you said you would try to kill me." he coughed. "So I suppose I can't say I should be surprised." Lucifel looked up at her while scooting back slowly, before stopping as he apparently noticed something for the first time. "You- you're branded? And you operate in Naxos?" He choked out a laugh. "Talk about ironic."

April 24, 2018

[2:54 PM] Nerf: "Hello pot, my name's kettle," she replied with an unamused expression. "And you are not going to be living for long if you don't learn to shut your mouth." Crouching next to Fel to get a better look at his wounds, Sally nodded to herself after her examination. "Hmm, it doesn't look that bad," she sentenced. "But could you try not bleeding all over the place? People are gonna arrive soon, and I'd rather not have to explain what happened." "Speaking of which..." Sally walked away from the Ingwaz to go wash the blood from her own face in the sea, "...we should leave this place before that happens. That is, unless you prefer me to finish the job and hide your corpse somewhere. That'd probably be easier...", she thought out loud.

April 28, 2018

[3:46 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: He hmped after examining his wound. "True. But it'll likely scar." Lucifel held out a hand expectantly. "Come on, give me something to wrap it with. If you're going to complain about me bleeding, the least you could do is do something about it. And all I've got are my shorts."

April 29, 2018

[4:33 PM] Nerf: "Hmm, I suppose I'd prefer if you kept those on," she conceded. "Fine, there you go." Using her weapon to cut a piece of her own cape to be used for such purposes, Sally went back to where Fel was, wrapping it around his wound after cleaning it a bit, without giving him a chance to complain. "Come on, stay quiet," she reprimanded him as she tightened the improvised bandage around his torso. "Oh, by the way, you are buying me a new cape, and it better be a good one. Now, do you think you can walk?"

May 1, 2018

[9:05 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: He snorted disdainfully. "Or course, I can walk." The young man immediately rose to his feet, only to almost immediately topple over.

May 2, 2018

[5:20 PM] Nerf: "Yeah, I can see that," Sally replied sarcastically. "And I suppose flying isn't an option either." Going back on her own steps to pick up the discarded eyepatch from the ground, she tied both broken ends together as she adjusted it back in place, carefully covering her brand with it before returning next to Fel. "Just...lean on me. And don't try anything funny. You and I are going to have a very serious talk once we get out of here."

[10:00 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: "Oh my. A serious talk?" Luficel said sarcastically. "If our recent conversations haven't been 'serious', I'm not sure I'd live through the experience of a genuine one." He hobbled against her shoulder and the pair slowly made their way back to the camp. "...How in the hells are we going to explain this?"

[10:00 PM] Deallocate | In Jail: ===END RP===