Solo What You Don't Know...

... makes you weaker

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The Diamond of Kalea is located on Kalea's extreme west coast and called as such because its completely made of a crystalline substance called Skyglass. Home of the Alvina of the Stars, cultural mecca of knowledge seekers, and rife with Ethaefal, this remote city shimmers with its own unique light.

What You Don't Know...

Postby Ennisa on November 30th, 2019, 6:25 pm

48th Autumn 519 AV
"speech"
"others"


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Gods. Ennisa dotted the 'i's slowly. She set her pen down and wriggled her fingers thoughtfully. She picked her pen up again, and slashed lines through all the 't's she had missed. Absent-mindedly, she accidentally crossed an 'l'. Not that she noticed. Her attention was too focussed on the hushed conversation between two of her co-workers. She ear-wigged whilst also working. It meant that she did neither of the two things well, but their conversation seemed important, so she continued in this manner as she listened.

"Did you hear the news? The Crone's dead. Dead. That mage-killer is brazen."
"Doesn't it scare you?"
"No, not really. I'm not a mage."
"Aren't you?"
"Nope."
Ennisa concentrated as she jotted down the notes of the male foreigner she had spoken to earlier, and her attention drifted from the conversation as she wrote. The man had been a bit of a jerk, but in the end she had been pleased to eventually get him to do everything she needed him to. She scrawled his name with a flick of the wrist - Ssilesen. A weird name for a weirder person. She remembered the man in her mind's eye; a tall, pale-skinned man, a man whose eyes glistened with an inner fire that had initially made her uncomfortable, then profoundly fascinated. It was only his dismally frustrating chatter that had put her off. She zoned back to reality as the blonde girl said something else to catch her attention, and she subtly tilted her head to listen more closely, the last 'n' of his name blotchy with excess ink.

"I heard there's an investigation. Who do you think it is?"
"How the petch would I know? I just hope they find the murderer soon. I don't want there to be more deaths. It's scary. I'm afraid to be out in the dark, even under Leth's light."


Ennisa wrinkled her nose in thought, and finished the sentence she was writing with an overly-elaborate full stop. The conversation drifted to a finish as the two girls carried on their work, but it was time for Ennisa to go home anyway. She snapped the paperwork shut and wended her way over to file it in the correct place. After a short period of searching, she slotted it where it belonged, and shut the door behind her on the way out.

She gradually forgot Ssilesen as she walked. It was the beginning of the dusk rest. True to its name, the sun was settling on the horizon, and the sky was shifting to a beautifully dappled evening of fish scale clouds. It was mild. A truly pleasant evening, not far off a typical summer's evening. Wine would be flowing, stories would be swapped, and music would be playing... If only there wasn't an extremely powerful murderer seemingly wandering the streets of Lhavit, willy-nilly. That little fact lent an odd quietude to the city, an air of unease and nervousness that even the perenially chipper Ennisa couldn't fail to miss.

She walked, deep in thought about everything and nothing in particular, until she reached Surya Plaza. There she found herself a stone bench where a few other people were chatting and resting, and settled herself down to people-watch. She leant her arms back and listened in on the conversation flowing. The conversation inevitably featured the murder of the Crone, but it seemed they had not much else to add except speculation and gossip. Ennisa zoned out.

Instead, she remembered some of the other people she'd spoken to that day in work. Boredom had filled her with a kind of curious imagination, and she landed upon a young woman named Clara who she had briefly spoken to about her search for a new job. Clara was the type of woman that Ennisa and Itzi usually took the piss out of. She was petite, neat, pretty, and overly confident in herself. Her mother was, "A mage and important tradeswoman, don't you know?" They'd travelled from somewhere or other, a journey that had left its marks on the young Clara, who looked more haggard and tired than her age and make-up would suggest.

Clara. Her name had a nice ring, now that Ennisa thought about it. She stood up from the bench and set to wandering about Surya Plaza. Clara. She mouthed the name silently, and tried to picture the way that the young woman had strode into the Cosmos Centre to introduce herself. Ennisa mimicked her style as best she could. She slowed her walk and bounced a little more on the balls of her feet. It felt odd, as if she was an idiot-woman, but no-one seemed to pay her much mind.

Could she be Clara, if she needed to be? Could she be a different person, and what kind of person would her version of Clara be? The pompousness she could keep, and the vague posturing about her 'famous' mother. Clara's chatter was the kind of drivel that was easily ignored. In a strange way, Ennisa figured that was a good way to blend into the crowd - by spouting such boring nonsense that everyone saw her only as a stuck-up young girl without much of a brain in her head.
Sharai | Shinyama | Zintia (home) | Tenten | Sartu (work)
4-6, Dawn Rest | 10-12, Noon Rest | 16-18, Dusk Rest | 22-24, Midnight Rest

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Ennisa
Miss Chievious
 
Posts: 257
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Joined roleplay: September 8th, 2019, 11:05 am
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What You Don't Know...

Postby Ennisa on January 5th, 2020, 10:12 pm

"speech"
"others"


Image


Since the encounter with Madeira earlier in the season, Ennisa had grown preoccupied with her hobby of alter-egos. It had started as a joke with Itzi a few seasons previously, where they'd both pretended to be someone else for a day or so, but Ennisa had taken it further than Itzi could be bothered to. Then, every so often she would give a different name, or tell someone she was someone else for the kick of getting away with the lie. It wasn't often that her lie had been so easily seen through, however. Ennisa was uneasy with the ease that Madeira had seen through her admittedly hastily constructed falsehoods. A better person than her would probably want to reform their bad ways, but Ennisa really only wanted to improve the alter-egos so that no-one would know who she was. After all, the heady rush of glee when she got away with it was not something she wanted to give up.

There was something else deeper too, that Ennisa's introspection didn't penetrate. A feeling that she wanted to protect herself from society, which might damage her in some way if she showed too much of her inner self, her vulnerable core, her most innermost thoughts that she didn't even share fully with Itzi. Those feelings were vague and unformed in her brain, but instinctually she felt it. She also felt alarmingly bare of knowledge and, as a result, defenceless. Again, the meeting with Madeira was the chief cause of this. That she knew so little of magic, like spiritism, and so little of other such goings on in Lhavit let alone the rest of Mizahar worried her, for how could she ever hope to compete in the world if she was this unprepared?

As she dwelled on these subjects, she walked. She was still attempting to mimick Clara as she remembered her - a woman full of suave self-importance and self-assurance. Annoying, definitely, but in some ways also admirable. She found herself a quieter corner of the Plaza and chose a low bench to sit upon as she practiced Clara's tone of voice under her breath. It was difficult to get the right inflection. As she spoke simple phrases, like greetings and introductions, she was a little alarmed to discover she spoke fast. Far too fast.

She slowed down a little, and said, "Hello, my name's Clara." She said this a couple more times, each time slightly adjusting how she ended the sentence until it sounded sure and clear. She ignored the strange looks occasionally cast in her direction by the odd passer by. In the gathering gloom, she withdrew her notebook from her backpack, and slid the nib of the pen into the ink.

She began to write. Clara. This was her heading. Confident daughter of a 'famous' trader/mage. What does she trade? Something simple enough to be overlooked, and easy enough for me to learn about. She tapped the pen against her chin a little. What was a tradeable thing? What did Lhavit need, really? She scratched her head, and wondered if the pretentious woman had herself been lying about having a trader for a mother, but then Ennisa remembered the small docks and sighed.

Petch it. She wiped the pen dry, and slammed the notebook closed. The port was her least favourite place in Lhavit. A decent portion of her younger years had been spent there. The scent of fish and brine was the smell of her childhood, but she preferred the solid land and lofty heights of the mountains, not the lapping of the ocean waves. They only reminded of her absent father, who she always preferred not to think about.

She rolled her eyes, and stretched ungracefully, before slinging the backpack she carried everywhere onto her back. Fancying an injection of fresh air, and appreciating the encroaching darkness, Ennisa decided she would use the rest of the dusk rest to run down to the port to begin the next part of her character building. It was always more fun to run downhill, and it was almost all downhill to the sea, of course. She began running slowly to build into it, and gradually increased her pace. After a few chimes, she began grinning as her feet slapped down on the ground, her breath hitching with the vigorous exercise. Lhavit slipped by, painted a luxurious satin darkness as Leth took control of the day.

Ennisa's mood was as flexible as her version of the truth, and her previous unease was stripped from her as she hurtled down the varying slopes of Lhavit's peaks, down towards the port. The run was strenuous, but as it was downhill it was perfectly manageable. She leaped a couple of times to jump over small rocks, and a couple of times she bleated loudly at a bemused okomo and one time, an equally bemused Lhavitian. By the time she reached the port, she was out of breath, but childishly happy.
Sharai | Shinyama | Zintia (home) | Tenten | Sartu (work)
4-6, Dawn Rest | 10-12, Noon Rest | 16-18, Dusk Rest | 22-24, Midnight Rest

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Ennisa
Miss Chievious
 
Posts: 257
Words: 261967
Joined roleplay: September 8th, 2019, 11:05 am
Race: Human, Mixed
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What You Don't Know...

Postby Ennisa on January 6th, 2020, 4:46 pm

"speech"
"others"


Image


The run had taken longer than she'd thought, so she was now well within that period of time between the dusk and midnight rest, where shadows crept and Lhavitians relied upon lanterns and Leth. The moon was blessedly visible enough to provide a low level of light, but nevertheless Ennisa walked carefully up to the docks and the shipyard, seeking the dim glow of the various lanterns dotted around to illuminate the working space. She took a quick swig of water from her drinking skin, and as she was fastening the cap back she looked around, searching for activity.

The smells and sounds of the ocean were becoming apparent the closer she got. She wrinkled her nose at the pungent fishy scents that emmenated from all around, where fish traps and stowed nets lay in tangles and piles alongside the wall. The ocean slapped against the wooden poles that extended into the water. Ennisa looked out at the jetty, but could see no further than ten metres away. Sea fog had rolled into the bay.

She frowned a little and shivered down into her cloak. It was not cold, not really, but the air was damp and it was dark. Mysterious. She trod forwards, doing her best to avoid coils of rope, as she wended her way to the shipyard where she was mostly likely to find people, for it was people that she needed to see.

After a few chimes, she had found the shipyards, which were by far the most impressive part of the underwhelming sea front. Though it was dim and foggy, several glass lanterns shone through the gloom, and now that she was closer she could hear laughter and voices drifting ethereally through the mist. Ennisa, deciding it was better to announce her presence than risk being treated with suspicion, shouted a mild, "Hey there!"

"Hey yourself, who's that?" The voice that responded was young and male. The person to whom the voice belonged approached with a guarded expression plastered across his surprisingly rugged face, but Ennisa smiled a mostly innocent, welcoming smile, and introduced herself. "My name's... Sky." She stuttered over the name, as midway through speaking she'd realised the actual Clara might very well be down at the docks, and she probably wouldn't be too appreciative of the identity theft. Her own idiocy had very nearly spoiled everything before she had even started.

"Sky, was it? I'm Garron. What are you doing here, Sky?" The young man ran a hand through his russet hair, and cracked the knuckles of his right hand slowly as he analysed the stranger at the docks. Likewise, Ennisa carefully looked over the lean youth, who seemed only cautious at the moment. She meant him no harm, and suspected it was only the low visibility which gave Garron his nervousness.

"I'm looking for a bit of help. I have a friend who's father is looking to start up a shop. I was just looking for a bit of advice whilst I was out walking, if you would be so kind?" She smiled again, and approached Garron so that she could see him better. To her surprise, the man didn't seem to relax, and his hand had even crept slowly to his hip where Ennisa could only presume there was a weapon she couldn't see. What the petch..?

"I'm not looking for any trouble, Garron! Did I startle you?", she said, a trifle alarmed herself. She extended her hands slowly to show the man she held nothing there, and though he briefly flinched, he studied her face a few more ticks and dropped his hand from his belt. "No, I..." He dropped off speaking as from the swirling shadows, a taller man approached with a low, mirthful chuckle. "No, Miss Sky, my Garron is feeling a bit twitchy because of the mage-killer! And he's not even got a scrap of magical knowledge in him! You wouldn't happen to be the mage-killer, would you?" The man loomed into view. Ennisa looked up, past the hearty gut and the curly ginger beard, to the grinning face of Garron's mammoth father.

"I'm Lonne, m'dear." He slapped her on the back welcomingly. Ennisa tried not to splutter from the force. He continued as he ushered them into the circle of light, where fishing gear was strewn around in the process of being repaired. "And I know you're not the mage-killer. You wouldn't be so, so, so polite if you were!" He guffawed to himself as he pointed for her and Garron to sit on the upturned crates. She simmered quietly to herself, having decided there and then she didn't like the man's slightly mocking tone.

"What was it that we could help with again, Sky? Someone or other's dad wants to start a business? He could sell our fish, if Garron could pull a finger out and catch something, har har harr!" The man's laugh grated against her ears, and she snuck a look at the russet-headed son, who only hung his head and picked up the fishing net with delicate fingers. Hmm. Ennisa smiled tightly at Lonne, who beamed incongrously.
Sharai | Shinyama | Zintia (home) | Tenten | Sartu (work)
4-6, Dawn Rest | 10-12, Noon Rest | 16-18, Dusk Rest | 22-24, Midnight Rest

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Ennisa
Miss Chievious
 
Posts: 257
Words: 261967
Joined roleplay: September 8th, 2019, 11:05 am
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What You Don't Know...

Postby Ennisa on January 8th, 2020, 8:41 pm

"speech"
"others"


Image


"Well, you're right. My friend's father is looking to start up a business. I don't think fish would be quite up his street, I'm afraid!" She slowed her speech down, aware suddenly of her own voice. Lonne regarded her with a cool, unshakable look in his silvery grey eyes. She spoke again. "He's looking for smaller items, trinkets from abroad, that sort of thing. He doesn't really know about this stuff, and his daughter - that is, my friend - has been looking for help. I was in the area, and thought some dock workers might know a thing or two about trade in Lhavit."

Garron looked up at the mention of trade, and Ennisa caught the skittish man's eyes across the muddle of fishing net strewn across the floor. As Lonne hummed a long, deep, thoughtful hum, Ennisa slowly let a smile spread across her lips as she gazed into Garron's eyes. He was the first to look away, back down at his work. She chuckled silently to herself. The man was overly nervous, which could be for a variety of reasons, yet Ennisa felt that he would be easier to talk to than Lonne. He couldn't hide the keen cleverness hiding behind his jovial appearance and booming voice, and Ennisa naturally preferred the easy life. Lying to a clever person didn't usually end well.

She dragged herself back into Lonne's attention as he began to answer her. "Well, m'dear, I'd be happy to help you. Only, couldn't you be a competitor, looking for some advantage over my friends 'ere? I would hate to betray them. What's to say I trust you?" The empty smile didn't leave his face, but he had stopped working, so she supposed he was being serious with her. Ennisa frowned slightly, and ran a hand over her chin. "Well, Lonne. I don't suppose there's much I can say that would convince you, one way or another, but I promise I'm only looking for a bit of advice. Nothing more, nothing less. I'd be hurt if you didn't trust me, as I'm only a regular citizen of Lhavit. No funny business here."

Lonne's smile dropped slowly as he considered her. Garron listened carefully as he sewed, and Ennisa subtly leant forwards on the makeshift stool. The mist swirled around them. "A bit of advice, sweetheart. Your friend's dad should come and do his own business. It don't look right to send an inexperienced youngling such as yourself to come and do the talking. But, as he's new to it all, I'm happy to help in as much as I can."

Ennisa bit her tongue to stop herself retorting, and then ignored herself to butt in, and then almost instantly regretted what she was doing. "Well, my friend's dad didn't ask me to ask you, I came of my own initiative. Thank you, though." She decided there that Miss Sky, whatever her character was supposed to be, would no longer be quite as impulsive and argumentative as Ennisa. If at all possible.

Lonne's bushy eyebrows lowered. "I don't appreciate that tone, missy. And I don't like you making doe eyes at my boy. He's got work to think about, not some prissy little girl like you." Ennisa flushed in the cool dark, but Garron had bowed his head. She figured it was a lost cause, and stood abruptly.

"Fine. I'm sure we can get some help elsewhere." She nodded as cordially as she could manage. "Lonne, Garron," and left. The encounter had initially left her feeling irritated. The grizzled fisherman's tone of voice, and his son's skittish and reclusive behaviour had grated on her mood, and the fact that she'd failed to find out any information got her frustrated. Then, as she was walking away and had almost neared the walkway up to Lhavit, rising out of the mists, she heard hurried, furtive footsteps behind her.

WC : 648
Sharai | Shinyama | Zintia (home) | Tenten | Sartu (work)
4-6, Dawn Rest | 10-12, Noon Rest | 16-18, Dusk Rest | 22-24, Midnight Rest

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Ennisa
Miss Chievious
 
Posts: 257
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What You Don't Know...

Postby Ennisa on January 8th, 2020, 9:06 pm

"speech"
"others"


Image


"Garron?"

She whipped around. Lo and behold, the wiry young man was stood behind her. "You pissed off my Da." He flung the statement out there. Ennisa stayed on her guard, suddenly nervous as they stood alone in the cloying darkness. He wrung his hands, and struggled with himself for a moment. "What I mean to say is... You pissed off Da, and I just wanted to say thanks. And I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be scared of you. Just, in this mist, and because of the mage-killer."

"Anyway. There's not a huge amount of tradeable goods that come into Lhavit. 'Specially not at this time of year, with the ocean currents as they are. And the weather. If anything, it'd be things we don't tend to get. Some wines, I think. And spices. I don't know if that's any help at all for you and your friend's dad."


Ennisa grinned broadly and clasped Garron's arm in thanks. "That's great. I appreciate you coming to find me." She smiled sweetened. "You're a dear. Where would I find you, when you're not working, Garron?" The man blushed, which even she could see despite the nighttime. Her pitiful attempts at flirting seemed to have paid off.

"Uhh, I like the Temple of the Sun." He broke off. Ennisa, who was simply surprised by the man's answer, said nothing as he said his goodbyes. "I need to go back now." He scurried off into the dark.

She raised an eyebrow at his retreating form. That wasn't so bad. In a detached kind of way, she found it interesting how Garron had taken it upon himself to supply her with the information, despite having barely spoken to the man. It seemed there was more to the lying game than first met the eye.

However, in a more socially minded way, she was intrigued to have made her new acquaintance. She decided she would find some time to ferret the young man out, sometime, if only to have someone to practice her 'Miss Sky' routine on in secret. He seemed suitably gullible enough, anyway.

She now also had a bit more knowledge to begin to build a suitable facade for her Clara impression. Wine sounded like a reasonable enough trade item, and she spent enough time in the inn to have some idea about it. Right? She wrinkled her forehead and began to climb up the steep steps into the city.

As she ascended, the fog faded away behind her, leaving her with a clear view of the night sky. Leth's vibrant disk shone more clearly in the crisp, inky darkness. Stars twinkled about her, and she breathed in deeply to enjoy the smell of autumn in the air. With the sun gone down, the oppressive heat faded. She took her time returning home, her mind filled with daft ideas and shenanigans to come.

WC : 480
Sharai | Shinyama | Zintia (home) | Tenten | Sartu (work)
4-6, Dawn Rest | 10-12, Noon Rest | 16-18, Dusk Rest | 22-24, Midnight Rest

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User avatar
Ennisa
Miss Chievious
 
Posts: 257
Words: 261967
Joined roleplay: September 8th, 2019, 11:05 am
Race: Human, Mixed
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Plotnotes
Medals: 1
Mizahar Grader (1)

What You Don't Know...

Postby Madeira Dusk on January 13th, 2020, 10:18 pm

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Grades Awarded!

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Ennisa

Skills
  • Stealth: 1xp
  • Observation: 4xp
  • Writing: 2xp
  • Impersonation: 2xp
  • Acting: 3xp
  • Running: 1xp
  • Socialization: 2xp
  • Planning: 1xp
  • Seduction: 1xp

Lores
  • Stealth: unassuming eavesdropping
  • Lore of the Magekiller investigation
  • Gossip: the Crone is dead!
  • Impersonation: copying a gait
  • Impersonation: the difficulties of inflection
  • Location: the Shipyards

Awards & Retribution


Notes
Ennisa is such a wonderfully unique character. I cant wait to see what she does with all her sneaky, morally grey ambitions!

If you have questions or think I missed something make sure to let me know :thumbsup:
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Madeira Dusk
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