Open [The Seaside Market] Bend & Break

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[The Seaside Market] Bend & Break

Postby Shakune on January 11th, 2015, 8:11 pm

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Kindness was rare in harsh Sunberth -- and in during a gang war, practically unheard of. A person helping another to their feet was more than likely to stab the poor soul in the back, or pick their pockets. So when Shakune felt someone touch her, she flinched and threw herself down and back, trying feebly to escape. Her vision was still blurry; the woman who was apparently trying to help her was no more than a fuzzy figure of pale skin and dark hair.

But she got to her feet, and Shakune had the faintest idea that the woman beside her had helped in some strange, unexpected way. The black-eyed woman threw a fleeting smile to the other, daze and confused, but knowing that for some reason she had found an accomplice in this chaos.

"Where to?" She repeated the words slowly and slurred, her lips moving slower than her tongue. Twisting her head, Shakune glanced around her, but winced. Her neck burned painfully, her head felt ten times heavier than normal. Her vision - though still blurred - could make out the flashes of silver blades amongst the otherwise dark shapes in front of the two women. They were surrounded; people stood on stalls, crouched underneath them ready to spring out onto their foes.

Where to?

The question was her anchor, attaching Shakune to the chaotic scene in front of her and stopping the courier from floating away and ignoring her need to escape this inferno. "I live somewhere." She said blurrily, hand gesturing to the left, then the right. She knew she lived somewhere, somewhere close to the market but far away enough to be a haven.

Where to?

Her black eyes scanned the crowd desperately again, landing on the face of a bearded fellow. He was a man who, had Shakune seen him in any other setting, she would have swaggered over to and attempted to bed. A smile that was almost drunk crossed her lips as she swayed to and fro gently, admiring this brutish male who swung a cut glass like a warrior.

A tiny, sensible voice shouted in the bag of Shakune's mind: this is not the time. Flee!

Her burning loins were cooled instantly, and the courier began scanning the muddling crowd once again. What she was looking for was unclear to Shakune: a friend, perhaps? Someone to help her?

She spotted the pale Konti: the woman who she was certain had said her name earlier. "My friend!" She exclaimed, suddenly panicked and fearful for the stranger's safety, "my dearest, dearest friend!"

Onwards she ploughed, elbowing and shoving her way through the battling people as if she were fighting her way to the bar in a tavern. For some reason that would forever remain unknown to Shakune, her delirium and confusion had attached the utmost importance to the Konti. She had said Shakune's name after all, and that meant that Shakune must know her, care for her. The fact that the half-breed knew absolutely nothing about the woman completely evaded Shakune. She now had one mission: to get to her friend, the complete stranger.

Throwing a desperate look back to the dark-haired woman who she was dragging along with her, Shakune shrieked, "I have to get to my dear friend!" When she reached the Konti, Shakune embraced her tightly, before leaning backwards and gripping the other woman's shoulders with the greatest conviction. Her face was deadly serious, her words slurred and her balance completely off. "I think we should leave, friend."
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[The Seaside Market] Bend & Break

Postby Ayviss on January 13th, 2015, 1:30 pm

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She lived somewhere. Great. Ayviss refused the urge to let the woman fall, annoyance mixing together with a hint of fear. The fight, the screams, the sound of swords and daggers clashing... It all frightened her, simply because she couldn't really expect to survive something like these. But she had to keep her head clean, and she had to have some kind of ally. Maybe this 'somewhere' was close, a place where she too could go to get away from all those. And Hollard... Ayviss' heart tightened, and she felt happiness and worry at the same time. She still needed to get revenge. As much as she would love to see him die, it wasn't the time. Not yet.

But more than that, she wanted to stay live. And so, she focused her mind on her situation once again. Then, before she could do anything, the black eyed woman screamed, and Ayviss looked at her, surprised. What was she talking about?

She was dragged between the crowd by the delirious woman, losing the third woman, not able to keep track of her on the crowd. It didn't matter anymore. Ayviss let herself be dragged, dodging a knife that was thrown in her face, and trying to get out of the middle of one of the swords fight. The sword made a small cut on her arm, her reflexes not being good enough to completely evade the blade, but she just cringed and kept walking towards the other's friend, whomever they were. Maybe they had a way to escape this place, or knew somewhere they could be safe. It was her best bet for now. Her shoulder was aching, and she groaned when the other pulled her a little harder, the sharp pain making her bit her lip in an attempt to stay quiet. Not that it could really be heard in the confusion that was the market.

Finally, they reached a white haired woman with scales in her face and arms. Ayviss was surprised for a moment, before remembering her mother telling her about them. A Konti. Ayviss had never seen one before, but now was not the time to study the other. She stepped aside, so a falling man wouldn't collide with her, and looked at the Konti, while trying to keep the black eyed woman from falling again.

"Do you have anywhere where we could go now? Unless any of you know how to fight, I think it's a terrible idea to stay any longer." she said, both to the Konti and the dark eyed woman, hoping that one of them knew a way out. She had managed to get a cut and a pain in her shoulder, that she wasn't sure how long would last, and Ayviss knew that the longer they stayed, the easier was for them to get hurt. She really, really had to learn how to fight.


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[The Seaside Market] Bend & Break

Postby L'orlei on January 14th, 2015, 1:21 pm

L'orlei was just beginning to regain her composure when she was surprised by an embrace from a complete stranger. At first she thought it was the end, that someone had come to kill her, but the words coming from the person's mouth were anything but hostile. Friend? Dear friend? Who was this person. Shakune, her gift answered, but that told her little. She vaguely recalled the name from before, but names were constantly sounding in the back of her mind, especially in a crowd like the one they were in, and she usually tuned them out. This one she did remember a little, perhaps she had actually spoken the name? It didn't matter, in the chaos of things, she had probably shouted a lot of names. But this person seemed to think it meant they were friends, and considering the situation they were all in, L'orlei had no problem with having a friend.

"Shakune, yes. Yes, we should leave."

Another woman was there, Ayviss, and she was asking if they had anywhere they could go. L'orlei's eyes flitted to the water for just an instant, but thought the better of it. The water was a safe haven for her. If she could reach it she could disappear beneath the rippling waves until the fighting was over, but she had friends now, even if she did not know them. She could not leave her friends to die, even though they probably would anyway. But that just made it all the more impossible for her to leave them. Rak'keli would never forgive her, nor would she forgive herself, if she left behind her friends to die.

"I.. I have a room at the Sunset Quarters. We could hide there. But.. I'm new here, I don't if I can remember how to get back. I found it the first time by luck."

L'orlei tried to remember the path she had taken to get herself to the market, but with all the noise and fighting going on she could not recall. She was used to Mura, which while not the simplest place to get around, was a place she had lived her entire life. Everything in Sunberth was new and different.

"Do you know how to get there?"

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[The Seaside Market] Bend & Break

Postby Dale Hawthorn on January 14th, 2015, 10:11 pm

Much like his entire life the ground had slipped beneath him in the violent tumble. A stream of blood, the shine of metal and a pale opened hand. These were the sights that flashed before him during the scuffle before soon all that faced him was in fact the face of his enemy. She was a feisty one; he had to give her that at least. Any sense of noble combat that he might have expected to have experienced from the once knights that were the Sun's Birth was no longer the case.

The rolled around in the dirt like children though nothing about their ferocity suggested simple rough housing. A fist to the gut, a skull to the cranium and a knee to bollocks. She had become dirtier with her fighting and soon Dale found her on top, completely losing any weight advantage as she scrambled for her blade that had gotten lost in the struggle. With a triumphant smile she her hand clasped around her blade and quickly made a dive for Dale's own throat.

It was only a life on the street that gave him the speed to deal with an all too familiar situation. With one arm he blocked against her own to prevent the blade coming closer while with his other hand he gripped the sharp blade. It was not a choice without consequence, the blade cut into his own flesh as pain erupted from his palm and fingers like a white hot brand on his skin. He was still the stronger through gender but they appeared to be at a stalemate with her on top but slowly, with each second that passed the blade edged closer to his tender throat.

With renewed intent given by the brush with Dira herself with his hand he diverted the blade from its target at cost as he felt his own sickeningly warm blood drip over his face. His resistance finally gave way as the blade came down, not on his throat but to strike the ground just a hair's breadth away from his own throat. The force she had placed behind the blow sent her off balance, allowing Dale to push her off himself and turn the tables once more. As fast as he could he pulled out a dagger that had kept tucked between the gap of his trousers and rammed the sharp blade into her throat like she would have done to him.

Her face contorted in wild pain, she squirmed and thrashed beneath his weight but it was no use. He tugged the blade, releasing the pressure that let her live as long as she had in suffering and a new tributary joined with river of blood that ran so fast through Sunberth's streets. He climbed off her body as she continued to gargle and splutter on her own blood before he silenced her by stamping his boot on her throat with a sickening crunch.

For a moment his face looked serenely out at sea of chaos that had flooded the Seaside Market as if it were a dream. It was only the sight of the cowering women still in sight that brought him to his senses. "Are you thick or somethin'?!" He shouted at them "Fuck the Sunset Quarter, nowhere is gonna be safe now! Just get the Hai out of 'ere!"

He flicked the still bloody dagger around and chucked it hilt first to the dark skinned leader of the group before raising his bleeding hand with a pointed finger "That's the nearest way outta 'ere, stab anyone in bollocks who gets in your way, I ain't leavin' my Brothers to die to save your sorry arses. And I want that blade back by the way, I ain't gonna forget your face..." He said, not intended as a compliment as he WAS unnerved by those pitch black eyes that seemed so soulless to the human.

He turned away, untying the dirty rag around his wrist only to tie it once more around the palm of his hand to stem the bleeding. "Women..." He muttered, bending down to pick up the dirty, bloody cutlass from the ground as he prepared once more for a fight.
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[The Seaside Market] Bend & Break

Postby Shakune on January 15th, 2015, 1:47 pm

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The Konti said her name again! To Shakune, this reinforced their friendship, though now her mind was starting to clear and she was beginning to doubt this. Still, she flashed the Konti an appreciative smile.

Somewhat miraculously, the three women were largely being ignored by most of those involved in the fight. Perhaps it was all too obvious that they were by no means part of this gang war. There would be no prize for the heads of three innocent women who had come to the market to purchase goods. But something in the back of Shakune's distorted mind was a little peeved about this. Had she not spent the last two years building herself a hardy reputation? Those nights spent in the taverns drinking as much as the sailors, holding her own in a bar fight, had all contributed to her status as a standalone, independent woman who could either castrate a man or give him a night he'd never forget. And now she was chipping away at that reputation, making herself seem like any other woman who squealed at the sight of blood.

Then again, being dead wasn't great for one's rep, either.

Now someone was paying them attention, and Shakune held the handle of her Khopesh protectively, for all the good that would ever do her. Her grip loosened though, when she realised that it was the attractive bearded fellow who she had admired earlier. He was helping them! What a gentleman.

Before Shakune could think of some witty reply to his gruff words, he threw something at her, and she caught it clumsily before realising what it was. A dagger, for their protection. She nodded her thanks, made to leave, but then turned sharply back to the man: "Maybe I can do something else to your bollocks later tonight?"

It was hardly a romantic gesture, but she hoped her intentions had been made clear. Courting was not something Shakune believed should be gentle or polite, especially in the middle of a bloodbath

The decision was made, and after throwing a clumsy punch to a man in her way - and almost breaking her knuckles on the back of his head, Shakune began to slide through the crowd, frequently glancing back to her companions. "What're your names?" She called back to them, her voice smoother and more controlled that previous.
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[The Seaside Market] Bend & Break

Postby Ayviss on January 16th, 2015, 4:34 pm

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Ayviss was caught off guard by the dark haired woman's comment. She was flirting. In the middle of a fight. Instead of running away. She blinked, a few times, before shaking the thoughts out of her mind. The half blood heard the man mutter under his breath, and send him an angry look before following the two other women. She kept sending quick glances behind her and to her sides, trying to dodge anyone who came too close.

Ayviss pushed a random woman away, hard, her elbow connecting with the other's ribs. She heard the scream of pain, but there was nothing she could do, really. She just needed to get out of there, to find Hollard and go home. After that, she just needed to wait for this fight to end. Maybe it wouldn't, but then, she lived far from the Market, and maybe it would be too much trouble to start invading houses.

She was pulled away from her thoughts by the voice of the dark eyed woman. She was asking for names. Ayviss frowned, not sure if it was really the time for such pleasantries. However, these two were the only allies she had, even if temporary, and it would be best to just go along with it, even if she thought it was pretty stupid. There was nothing that connected her with the other two women, and to be rude and ignore the question would do her no good.

"Ayviss." she answered, after shoving another person away with her elbow. She then grabbed her dagger with her left arm, wincing once again due to her shoulder. It was starting to get annoying.

Ayviss closed her hand firmly around her weapon handle. Even if she wasn't any good with a dagger, she was even worse without one, so having a weapon, and maybe pretending to know how to use it, would make it easier for her to leave.

Looking back once again, the half blood's eyes widened when she saw Hollard, near the man that had given them his dagger. He didn't seem to be fighting, and was probably trying to escape from the crowd too, but it made Ayviss hesitant to go on. She could follow the other women, and risk her owner dying and, with him, her chance to get revenge. Or she could go and try to rescue him, and risk being killed in the process.

Before she could decide, she was thrown in the ground once again by a man who fell on top of her. He was a alive, hand reaching for his fallen weapon. Before Ayviss could decide if this was really the best course of action, she shoved her dagger in the man's throat, cringing a little when she felt the blade perforate the skin. The half blood shoved the man away, taking her dagger and getting to her feet again. She looked around, sighing with relief when she noticed she could still see the two women and her owner, too.

Decided, she tried to reach the two women once again, shoving people aside with all her strength, stepping aside from the fallen corpses, before she finally reached them and felt a little safer again. She didn't really know why she felt safe at all, with two strangers, but it was still better than being alone. And she still valued her life more than some revenge.

Ayviss only hoped Hollard wouldn't die right then, but she cared about it less than she cared about getting out safe.

"Are we close..." she began to ask, before letting her voice die in her throat. Close to where? She didn't even know where they were going. She didn't know the city at all, just a few locations, and not enough to get around. Without meaning to, Ayviss suddenly felt really relieved that she had those two she could at least call allies. For now, anyway.

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[The Seaside Market] Bend & Break

Postby Autumn Leithea on January 17th, 2015, 12:04 pm

The furor was in its final stages, blood and bodies covering the ground wherever she looked as the crowd grew less and less thick with combatants; an all out war running out of steam. Autumn kept her newfound friends to the back of her so as to protect them as best she could, trying her best to fight by hand rather than blade. Even in the throws of battle Autumn could not bring herself to permanently hurt anyone.

Autumn untied her belt and twisted it around her hand, ready for anyone and anything. She glanced back at the young women behind her to make sure they were okay or had escaped, they were still there. Autumn didn't know how long they would last. She noticed a body around one of them, and a pained look eclipsed her face knowing what the girl must have done in order to keep her life.

She turned to face the battle and found that a cluster of people were marauding through the crowd, killing anyone in their path as they went, and they were headed straight for her and the women behind her. Autumn knew she couldn't take them, even if she were armed, there were too many of them and they were built heavier than the rest. All of them were carrying large weapons in their hand. Autumn had to think fast. They seemed very much like gang members, being so strong and hefty.

It was then Autumn had a wave of inspiration flow over her.

"DAGGERHANDS!" she bellowed.
"TO THE SEA!"
A roar of acknowledgement erupted from different parts of the crowd. Just as Autumn thought, Daggerhands from all parts of the ongoing bloodbath turned and headed for the sea, their enemy counterparts following after them to fight them.

It didn't end the fighting where they were, but the vast majority of the fight had moved on to the sea.

As the majority of the fighting in their area cleared up, Autumn looked around. Such a loss of life pained her. Bodies of people, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, children of some parents that would never see their child again. Autumn almost cried, but stayed strong, holding back tears in the wake of such a despicable occurrence. She turned to see her friends still waiting for something and moved through a few light groupings of battle toward her friends. The crowd had now cleared almost till the point of being able to see, to get her bearings, and Autumn saw the way to her home.

"Girls, lets go, we can go to the Tent City, I have a place there, we'll be safe there."
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[The Seaside Market] Bend & Break

Postby L'orlei on January 18th, 2015, 2:16 pm

There was just too much going on. The Sunset Quarter wasn't safe? Nowhere was safe? Had the fighting spread across the entire city? And was Shakune flirting with the man who helped them. The same man who just moments ago had murdered another man in cold blood. What kind of place was this where one moment people are killing each other and the next they are giving them daggers and telling them to run?

L'orlei had no idea how to answer Ayviss's question. She wasn't sure if they were close or not, but they fled anyway. She hoped they were going in the direction of her rooms. At the very least if they found it they could get inside and bar the door. The three of them should be able to hold off anyone trying to get inside, or she hoped so. L'orlei was not a fighter, but she could at least brace herself against a door if somebody tried to get in.

"My name is L'orlei. I think my rooms are this way.. I think."

Suddenly a fourth woman spoke up, or rather shouted, loudly, ordering the Daggerhands to the sea. What were Daggerhands? Was this woman their leader? If so, why was she fleeing with the rest of them. Autumn was her name, L'orlei's gift told her, but that did not give her any insight as to how she could order these "Daggerhands" about. If her name had been Mrs. Daggerhand, maybe, but for now it just left L'orlei confused. She did have a suggestion though. A Tent City did not sound very secure, but Autumn, whoever she was, believed it would be safe.

"If you think it is safer than my room. I'm not sure of the way anyway."

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[The Seaside Market] Bend & Break

Postby Shakune on January 19th, 2015, 7:10 pm

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Everything was happening too fast for Shakune. Her head was clearer now, but her memory of the past ten chimes or so completely eluded her. The crowd began to disperse, slowly at first and then suddenly. She began to recognise the corners of buildings, the familiar uneven surface of the market cobbles. Her confidence swelled, her head ached, and Shakune's hand gripped the dagger from the bearded fellow.

It had all happened so quickly that Shakune was perturbed, confused. In one instance, she had been squabbling her way through a crowd with two other people, the dark-haired woman and the Konti - with sickening realisation, Shakune grasped how much of an utter arse she had made herself seem in front of the latter.)

But now there was a third woman, calling them girls - Shakune's nose wrinkled at the mere thought. She was not a child, to be ushered into safety when there was no longer any danger. With something close to longing, she glanced over her shoulder to the waterside, black eyes darting from stranger to stranger as she tried to identify the male who had given her the dagger.

Her head burnt still, and the last remaining intelligent neurons in Shakune's brain told her to seek medical advice. "I hit my head." Again her words were bleary, a little slurred. Her eyes were unfocused - but her lack of pupil or iris would hide this fact from others. "I need to sit down." They had not travelled far, but nonetheless Shakune stopped suddenly and leant against the nearest wall. She doubled over and vomited passionately into the snow, one hand on her head and the other supporting herself on a half-rotten barrel. Her black eyes looked up to the women and she wiped away a remaining splash of spittle from her mouth, "any of you doctors?"

oocI was thinking we should wrap this up pretty soon. Say... 1 more post per person? And please remember to stick with the posting order: Myself, Ayviss, L'orlei & then Autumn. :)
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Last edited by Shakune on January 23rd, 2015, 11:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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[The Seaside Market] Bend & Break

Postby Ayviss on January 22nd, 2015, 9:47 pm

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oocSorry for the wait, guys...
The woman who had tried to help Shakune was back, screaming to the Daggerhands to go to the sea. A smart move. Well, Ayviss didn't really know if the woman was part of these Daggerhands or not, or if she had said that only to clear their path, but nevertheless, it had worked. The crowd and the fight were moved closer to the sea, the shouting and threats still audible right then, but the danger having finally passed. Ayviss groaned to herself, trying to think on the best course of action. The woman who had just appeared told them to go to the Tents. Ayviss didn't know where that was, and now that the fear for her life had passed, her priority was to find her owner, not cower in some tent somewhere.

"I'm not. Ayviss answered Shakune's question. In fact, she knew nothing about medicine. Maybe some antidote or other, but nothing that could help the woman with her head.

Her eyes traveled to the few people still in the Market, and widened when she saw Hollard once again. He was limping, but otherwise seemed fine, and walking away from the place, probably back to his house. It was time to follow. She didn't know the way from the Tents, and she certainly didn't want her owner to think she had decided to escape. And she wasn't fearing for her life anymore.

"It has been..." what? A pleasure? Ayviss was sure the others would disagree. It had been anything but a pleasure for them. "Thank you, truly, for helping me. All of you. But I must go now." she said, meaning every word. They had helped her, and for that, she was grateful. She wished she could take them home with her, but knowing Hollard, he would only turn them into slaves. Not the best way to say thank you.

Turning her back on them, she ran as well as she could, bumping into the few remaining people in the Market that stood on her way, until she finally reached her owner. She was breathing heavily, not well enough to talk, so she simply touched her owner's shoulder. Hollard turned back, his eyes betraying the surprise he was feeling. He said nothing, and Ayviss took another deep breath before she followed him home, sending a last glance to the three other woman, sincerely hoping they would be alright.

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