Dark night, Dark words.

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A lawless town of anarchists, built on the ruins of an ancient mining city. [Lore]

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Dark night, Dark words.

Postby Shakune on April 15th, 2015, 10:39 am

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53rd Spring, 515AV


Bouncebackability.

Was that a real word? Shakune presumed not, but she'd heard it a lot recently. Many people told her that she had demonstrated real bouncebackability since the start of the new year, and she found it hard to disagree. In those fifty-or-so days, she had overcome an infected wound, undergone painful therapy, and finally resumed a somewhat normal life. Her leg still felt stiff at times, particularly in the morning. And after a long day out and about, the courier would panic whenever she felt that whisper of pain in her muscles. Perhaps her injury would never heal completely, and she would forever start her day with a slight limp.

She could deal with that; a temporary limp was better than being dead.

Thankfully, business had almost returned to normal as well, though Shakune had lost a few clients since her injury. Baker's Butchery and Bakeshop, for example, had sent a letter stating that they no longer had need for her courier services, thankyouverymuch. The message had stung, even after Shakune had thrown it into the fire in a fit of rage and frustration. So petch them, then. I hope their new courier puts maggots in the meat and shits in the pies.

But all was not lost. Thanks to her unique appearance and service, most of Shakune's clients had remained loyal. Some had even visited her, though at the time the courier had been embraced by fever and infection, so she hadn't truly appreciated their kindness. But she valued such loyalty all the same.

And tonight, she had a particularly important job. She was to deliver a letter to the Knife in the Dark. The genderless individual was the greatest mysteries of Sunberth, and Shakune had only socialized with him once before. At the time, their meeting had been cut short when a group of drunks had shown up. When Shakune had glanced to the drunkards back to the masked individual, Knife had simply disappeared, leaving no trail behind her.

Shakune hoped the meeting tonight would go better than this previous experience. But there was no promise. For starters, Knife's location was purely rumor. There was no definitive promise that he would show up, or even that she would acknowledge Shakune's presence and allow himself to be seen. If the situation was not right, or if Knife suspected Shakune of foul play, the courier would end up wasting her entire night standing on street corners and in shadows.

There was no point dilly-dallying any longer, though. Shakune left her home cloaked in darkness, thanks to the clouds that concealed Leth and his moonlight. Discretion was not necessary for this job - it was compulsory. If Shakune went about her business in a casual manner, her night would be a wasted one. She would need to head towards the location of Knife's apparent arrival as stealthily as possible. Any attention Shakune drew to herself would be unwanted.
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Last edited by Shakune on April 15th, 2015, 12:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Shakune
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Dark night, Dark words.

Postby Shakune on April 15th, 2015, 11:06 am

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Shakune needed to head north of the city, towards The Den. It was rumored that Knife would appear somewhere in that vicinity, near the borders to the Rotten Ruins.

It did not please Shakune in the slightest to be travelling in that direction. In fact, she had vowed to never step foot within the Den again, after nearly being captured by slavers and killed at the end of the previous season. But business was unavoidable, and if she was ever going to display her apparent bouncebackability, now was as good a time as any. At least there was a profit to be made.

The Quarter was as quiet as it ever got; a few dodgy-looking individuals wandered around, potentially looking for a vacant property to break into and rob. Shakune tried her best to blend in, but her foreign appearance had the nasty habit of catching unwanted attention. Even if she kept her eyes lowered to the ground, someone would notice their blackness, their strangeness. She was easily recognizable, and with the constant advertising of her business, Shakune had made it very hard for herself to be secretive.

She skulked low and close to buildings, trying to hide amongst the thin shadows that hung about the quarter. This would be the easiest part of her journey; the city commons would most likely be heaving with drunks, criminals and whores all trying to pass the night away in as profitable but enjoyable way as possible.

Fortunately, Shakune's home was not far from the borders of the Quarters, so she was soon away from the residential area was plunging her way through the city proper. It had been nearly two years since she took up residence in Sunberth, and though she knew her way around the place relatively well in the daytime, travelling around at night was a whole different experience. Alleyways seemed to disappear, whilst the homeless, the drugged or the horny occupied others. If Shakune was to remain unknown and unseen, she needed to avoid these alleys in favour of the empty and quiet. However the two were not synonymous: a silent alleyway could conceal a murderer or rapist, quietly waiting for his or her prey to wander down. No; she needed to be smart, to be sure of herself and, most importantly, to be ready to run.

For the time being, Shakune walked quickly, though she made sure her feet did not land on any broken glass. Voices and footsteps surrounded her, echoing off the damp walls and alleyways that surrounded the courier. There was no immediate need to be completely silent, not until she came closer to where the Knife should be. For know, she needed to focus on being unseen by anyone she knew.

Shakune passed the gallows, and for a tick she paused to regard the macabre stage. There had been a hanging the previous day and now the rotting body lay on the platform, devoid of all clothes and personal belongings. They had been taken from the corpse before the poor bugger had even turned cold. Such was the way of Sunberth. With a sniff, she moved on.
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Dark night, Dark words.

Postby Shakune on April 15th, 2015, 12:45 pm

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It was when she was passing the Pig's Foot that Shakune took her greatest care. She did not simply stroll past the tavern - that would be moronic. She sidled past the noisy establishment, through alleyways and windings paths, keeping the inn on the left to make sure she didn't just travel around in a circle.

"I reckon my Rebecca's been fucking the neighbour again."

"Shyke, really? I'm sorry fer'ya, mate. I truly am."

The courier froze at the mouth of an alleyway. Two men stood next to each other, urinating against the wall and slurring their words. Shakune couldn't tell how close they stood near the opening of the alleyway, so she stayed put for the time being. She carefully leant against a barrel, applying her weight slowly so it wouldn’t creak or shift too much.

"So anyway, I reckon I'm guna pay 'im a visit tomorrow. If he's in, I'll beat him. If he's not, I'll beat his wife."

"His daughter's lookin' pretty sweet these days. You need some help deliverin' justice?"

The first man laughed, "nah, thanks."

They stopped urinating in unison, like a pair of synchronized dancers, and began to shuffle their way back towards the tavern. Shakune lingered for a chime, watching the pair tripping and laughing together. Only then did she cross the mouth of the alleyway, not allowing herself to loiter any longer.

The winding paths carried Shakune further into the city, twisting and turning until she had to pause to consider whether or not she was lost. But no: she noticed Brega's house, and instantly recognized where she was. A half-naked man and a completely naked woman stood outside the brothel, enticing passers-by with their smiles and figures. Shakune passed by quickly, eyes down, brow furrowed. The woman called after her, "where you off to in such a rush, honey?" But Shakune didn't turn around, regardless of how fantastic the whore's breasts had been.
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Shakune
I drive a hard bargain.
 
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Dark night, Dark words.

Postby Shakune on April 15th, 2015, 1:14 pm

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The Rotting Mansion was still an impressive building, even if it was now completely devoid of life. Shakune walked past it slowly, keeping herself pressed against the opposite wall as if she was fearful that the building might reach out and grab her.

But it didn't, and soon Shakune had left the Rotting mansion behind her. She was now facing the Den, and could see the outline of the Blood Pits. A cold shiver passed through the courier, accompanied by the memories of what had occurred last time she had been here. She'd almost been caught, killed. And worse: Shakune had murdered someone. Seeger had been a slaver hired by Goldfinger to test the courier, to see whether she was worth his investment. Her killing him had been unexpected, apparently, but it had saved her life.

That didn't make it any easier for Shakune to deal with, though. She still found his reflection in the mirror sometimes, and in a crowd she swore she could sometimes hear his voice calling her darling.

She remembered how she had slid his own dagger into Seeger's thigh, how the muscle and tendons had snapped and frayed like poor quality material. And then she had stabbed him again, and again. The slaver had fallen down, crying in agony until he had simply died.

"We'll keep these petchin' revolutionaries down, I swear by it."

The harsh voice broke Shakune out of her trance, and she dived into the shadows, back pressed against the wet wall. Two mercenaries wandered leisurely down the road, heading towards hr. The courier's eyes were immediately drawn to the sword hanging at the hip of one merc, whilst his thick-necked companion swung a mean-looking handaxe.

"Aye, we will. Big Sister won't have been slaughtered for nothin'"

The second man spat noisily in agreement

So they were Daggerhands, hunting the city for someone to pin the death of their comrade to. If they suspected Shakune - and why wouldn't they? - she wouldn't stand a chance. She had left her home weaponless, figuring that the Knife wouldn't reveal itself to her if she were armed. But now Shakune longed for her khopesh, even if she was a piss-poor fighter. Any weapon was better than no weapon.

But that didn't matter now. More crucially, Shakune needed to find a suitable place to conceal herself. Where she stood now wouldn't hide her from a pair of keen-eyed Daggerhands. Even worse, if they caught her hiding, they would assume she was hiding from them.

She darted down the closest alleyway, stooping low and crouching behind an empty beer barrel. Shakune allowed herself a tiny sigh of relief, and lent back on her hands to keep a steady hold.

But the shift of her position knocked over the planks of wood behind her. They clattered down noisily, echoing off the alleys around her.

The footsteps came to a stop. A sword was drawn.

"Here we go."
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I drive a hard bargain.
 
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Dark night, Dark words.

Postby Shakune on April 15th, 2015, 1:32 pm

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Shakune found herself praying to Akajia and her shadows.

Swallow me whole, spit me out anywhere else in the world. Protect me, save me. Please. She begged, hands clasped together and blood rushing around her ears.

The Daggerhands were walking slowly, trying their best to be quiet but their footsteps were heavy. It was torture. Shakune wouldn't have time to change her position, and she couldn't think of any clever excuse to explain herself. Perhaps the letter hidden between her breasts would be enough? Neither of the Daggerhands could probably read though, and even if they did, who was there to stop them from killing her anyway? The entire gang was fearful and desperate, like a cornered animal. And threatened beasts had the habit of lashing out.

"I reckon it was down this one."

The voice sounded like it came from the mouth of Shakune's alley. She stopped breathing.

"Nah, it came from that one, you arse."

"You deaf? It came from down there. And we're here now, so we might as well check it out."

Their footsteps turned down the alleyway. Shakune had approximately thirty ticks before she was discovered. For lack of anything else to do, she counted them.

On fifteen, one of the Daggerhands paused to cough up a mouthful of phlegm. Shakune heard the wetness plop onto the cobbles flatly.

On twenty, the other Daggerhand said in a singsong voice: "this is the wrong alley-y-y."

On twenty-two, his friend sighed and came to a sudden halt. "Look, we may as well check your alley then. You've made too much noise down 'ere as it is and if anyone was hidin' here, they'd have the sense to flee."

Not true.

Their footsteps began again, but carried the pair back up the alley. Shakune, crouching behind her barrel, remained miraculously unseen.

"Probably a petchin' cat anyway."

Her legs wobbled and she half-collapsed into a pile or rainwater and urine. Shakune stretched her legs out, wiggling them to reignite her nerves and skin. They ached painfully from crouching so unnaturally, but the courier barely noticed. She was too busy gasping for breath and thanking the Gods.
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Shakune
I drive a hard bargain.
 
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Dark night, Dark words.

Postby Shakune on April 15th, 2015, 2:27 pm

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She needed to move quickly, in case the Daggerhand pair returned. She could no longer hear their footsteps, but Shakune caught the garbled sound of their distant voices. When she stood up, her legs buckled and Shakune had to grab the bricks behind her to steady herself. That first step was careful and slow. Her legs trembled and almost gave way again, but thankfully didn't.

After travelling less than two feet in as many chimes, Shakune pushed herself. She straightened her spine, tried to walk normally but her close encounter had rendered her into a quibbling mess. Her steps were clumsy and desperate; Shakune walked with one hand on a wall until she reached the bottom end of the alley. With her concept of time and distance so warped, the courier felt she had travelled thrice as far as she had. In actuality, she had covered a tiny distance. The Daggerhands could still return at any moment, and if they did so now, they'd see a damaged-looking shadow hovering at the opposite alley mouth. They'd no doubt charge at her, slicing her up and running her down all at once.

She pushed herself forward, half-hobbling. Having come out the alleyway at the wrong end, Shakune now had to take a left turn at some point to bring herself back on track. But she had no clue which alleyway the mercenaries had chosen to examine. She couldn't hear them, but that didn't mean they weren't down the alleys closest to her.

Gods, they could even be standing right behind her.

With a paranoid glance, Shakune confirmed that she was not being followed.

But that didn't remove her immediate need to leave. She hurried onwards, pausing at each alleyway mouth to glance down it, to ensure the Daggerhands were not there. Eventually, Shakune slipped down an alleyway, edging further in until she peered around the opposite opening. The mercenaries were nowhere to be seen, which disturbed Shakune more than she had expected. At least she knew where they were when they'd been almost on top of her.

Her progress was slow, but eventually Shakune found herself midway between the Blood Pit and the Rotting Mansion. If Knife was ever going to appear, this was Shakune's best choice of places. The corner was narrow and darkened, with all buildings in the immediate vicinity empty. Shakune considered where best to hide. In one of the buildings, perhaps? Getting into them would be a major issue. Most of the windows were bordered up, but a few had already been broken into or had fallen through from wood rot. She didn't trust the ones that were open; any murderer or Daggerhand could be loitering amongst the darkness within.

No: Shakune opted to hide in the open. The shadows were thicker here, and she managed to find a relatively good place to hide fairly quickly. This was no coincidence, she felt. The knife was hardly going to appear in a well-lit, busy area.

She settled in for the long haul, crouching down on the ground but in a more comfortable position than previous. How long it would take for the Knife to show herself, Shakune did not know. It could take a tick, or several bells. Stupidly, the courier had bought nothing with her other than the letter she was to deliver. How would she occupy herself?
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Shakune
I drive a hard bargain.
 
Posts: 352
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Dark night, Dark words.

Postby Shakune on April 15th, 2015, 2:56 pm

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It didn't matter. After ten or so chimes, Shakune saw movement. The figure seemed to float out of the shadows in a way she had seen nobody move before. The courier was entranced, but wary. She made no sudden movements, opting instead to slide up the wall slowly, until she stood up straight and stood at full height.

The Knife wavered towards her, slowly and not at all directly. Shakune stepped forward, but her footsteps made the Knife freeze. For a tick, the courier was fearful he would disappear. But the figure lingered, her masked face fixated on Shakune in an unblinking stare. Neither of them said anything, not until the Knife had somehow ended up standing inches away from Shakune.

"I have a letter." She said to the mask, offering the hand with a shaking hand. And then, just for clarity, Shakune added: "For you."

A hand snaked up from the Knife's side, and it snatched the letter away from Shakune's grasp. He unfolded the parchment and stared down at the words it revealed. Could Shakune hear her reading the letter aloud? No; however close the Knife had been to her, the courier had not once heard any breathing from behind that mask. Was the Knife even a person?

The answer was unfathomable.

Slowly, the enigma turned to Shakune, head tilted as if it was asking a question. A long moment went by, then the courier remembered something.

"Will you sign this -- please?" She retracted a second page of paper. This one contained only a few words; it documented that Shakune had a letter to deliver, and who to. "So I can receive the rest of my payment." A meek explanation.

The Knife took the page, as well as the subsequent quill Shakune also proffered. But he wrote nothing, instead investigating the parchment just as closely as she had done with his letter. The slowly, the Knife turned away from Shakune and stepped backwards.

"Wait, no!" She called out desperately, reaching out to touch the Knife. Shakune froze just as her fingertips brushed his cloaked arm. The Knife glanced down his arm, as if Shakune's touch had somehow soiled her, then reeled slowly around to face the courier again. Shakune dropped her arm away, like a child caught in the middle of stealing a snack. "my payment. Please.." She implored, desperation fringing her voice.

The Knife gifted Shakune with the tiniest of nods, and returned the parchment and quill to her. When the courier glanced down, there was a faint, but very real signature on the page. The Knife's handwriting was perfectly legible, but completely plain and boring.

Most importantly, though, the signature was Shakune's only proof that the Knife even existed. For when the courier looked up from the page, the figure was gone.
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Shakune
I drive a hard bargain.
 
Posts: 352
Words: 281911
Joined roleplay: August 21st, 2014, 10:43 am
Race: Human, Mixed
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Medals: 2
Featured Contributor (1) Sunberth Seasonal Challenge (1)

Dark night, Dark words.

Postby Dravite on June 26th, 2015, 1:21 am

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Shakune

XP Award:

  • Stealth: 4
  • Intelligence: 1
  • Observation: 5
  • Logic: 1
  • Persuasion: 1
  • Rhetoric: 1
  • Detection: 1


Lore:

  • Medicine: Living with an old injury
  • Bouncebackability, such a strange metaphor
  • Rejection stings
  • Knife: The mysterious man-woman
  • The Den: Beware of slavers and crooks
  • Intelligence: Keeping your wits about you
  • Stealth: Standing on broken glass will give your position away
  • Observation: Mind your step
  • Sunberth: Never talk to strangers
  • The Rotting Mansion: An impressive building for its time
  • Sunberth: Stepping outside unarmed is like signing your own death-warrant
  • Akajia: The Mistress of Shadows
  • Knife: Person or enigma?


Penalties:
N/A

Loot:
A piece of paper signed by ‘The Knife’ as proof of delivery and the stranger’s existence.

Notes: Good evening, Shakune. Fantastic little story you have here! How intriguing this ‘Knife’ is. I would love to learn more! Just the kind of feeling you want to leave your readers with I’m sure. I was able to spot a bit of Lore I hope you will find useful. Let me know if you think I have missed anything here and be sure to edit your grading request!

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Dravite
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