Solo Night is Day Pt. VI

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This lazy agricultural settlement rests on the swampy shores of the Middle Suvan at the delta of The Kenash River. The River's slow moving bayou waters have bred a different sort of people - rugged, cultured, and somewhat violent. Sprawling plantations of tobacco and cotton grow on the outskirts of the swamp in the rich Cyphrus soils, while the city itself curls around the bayou and spawns decadence and sins of all sorts. Life is slower in Kenash, but the lack of pace is made up for in the excesses of food and flesh in a city where drinking, debauchery, gambling, slavery, and overbearing plantation families dominate the landscape.

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Night is Day Pt. VI

Postby Lacerta on November 13th, 2013, 6:06 pm

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Spring 67th, 491 AV


The Rajors were in financial trouble. It was obvious, if you watched carefully. Unnecessary slaves disappeared daily, and there were fewer freeborn around the plantation. Oh, and Tressyl was in a worse mood than usual. That was a sure sign of it… he was grumpy and irritable, and Lacerta had heard him arguing with people on more than one occasion. He was not a… happy man. She didn’t know how deep their money problems were, or if they’d been fixed at all… but of course, a slave wasn’t allowed into that sort of conversation. As if she was stupid. At least… it might have meant she would be sold again. And that would be welcome. Nine years in one place was getting to her, ignoring the nine years as a ‘slave’. She’d been particularly tense over the past two years, since that event with the dark… but she still avoided getting on any of the Dhani’s nerves. They were a touchy lot, though the same could be said for most Dynasties.

She was helping out in the kitchen today, and had to work particularity hard, considering the lack of workers. Marie was still there, and so was Nosalin, though both were much older than they had been before… and the latter had a lot of white in her hair. Marie looked even more stressed than usual, attacking bread dough like it was trying to eat her first. The Ethaefal herself was chopping up vegetables for lunch, adding them to some kind of soup or stew that Nosalin was preparing. She was used to this by now, and her knife moved slowly but carefully to cut up the leek. Slice it down the middle… and chop it into inch wide pieces. She’d already dealt with the end, putting it aside for compost later. Another one of the slaves would deal with it later, and eventually they’d use the compost as fertilizer for the crops. She had three leeks to cut up, and went through them at a slightly lower than average speed… if you wanted to be specific. For each one she lopped off the end, cut down the middle, then sectioned it off into even parts. Once the last step happened, with little effort all the layers of the vegetable simply fell apart, creating a small pile at the back of her chopping board. Once all three leeks were done… she scooped them up and added them to the large pot.

Someone stomped into the room as she did so, but the sailor decided to finish her work before turning. She found an important-looking man… but still a slave… standing behind her. He was probably in a ‘high’ position for a slave, so was completely full of himself… the brand was quite obvious on the side of his face. She raised both eyebrows at the slave, asking “Yes?” She wasn’t quite sure what he wanted… but had a vague idea. They finally needed the extra cash brought in by selling an Ethaefal, didn’t they? The man answered her silent question almost immediately, stating “You’re being sold. Come with me.” Without another word he began striding quickly down a corridor, with the sailor quick in pursuit. Finally… a chance to leave this annoying plantation. She’d miss Marie and Nosalin, but… more things were coming. In fact, a wry grin even made its way onto her face, the first she’d made in seasons.

In a small sitting room, she found Tressyl sitting on a plush sofa. He had a glass in hand, and was sipping from it quietly. When the pair entered the room, he glanced at them, before setting his drink aside. “Good. You two – you are joining today’s group of slaves to be sold. Leave anything you have been given here, and be at the docks in five chimes.” When they both paused for a moment, he snapped “Now!” The slave beside her was trembling, staring at the Rajor with horror in his eyes. “But… but… Master…” he pleaded, shaking his head in disbelief. “No… I’m not being sold… no…” Honestly, the sailor thought he was being pathetic, and apparently the Dhani agreed… that was a first. “Shut up. Go. Now.” The last was a vicious order that made even Lacerta blanch. Quickly, she turned on her heel and strode out of the room, even forgetting to bow… oh well, she hated doing that anyways. And Tressyl seemed to stressed to care, as she heard nothing but the quiet weeping of the man behind her.

“Oh shut up” she told him just as sharply as the Dynasty ‘brat’ had, glaring daggers. He was just being annoying. The slave practically choked on his tears, staring at her imploringly. “Won’t you miss our generous masters? I… I…” He trailed off, utterly bewildered. For a man with such dignity earlier, he’d certainly lost it. And the Eth had lost her patience… it was good to be at the top again, she had to admit. “No” she stated abruptly, before using her long legs to quickly stomp out of the main house and along the path to the ferry docks.

She spotted another pair of slaves waiting awkwardly at the water, both silent and emotionless. Actually, the group made five, including the two ferry slaves and a freeborn guard. The latter looked rather smug with himself, for who knew what reason. The composer quietly joined the group, clasping her hands behind her back and watching everyone from a point above their heads. She was in a very good mood… she was finally getting out of this place. She’d visited the main city once or twice over the years, but now… she was never coming back here. Never. And that was an amazing thought. No more Tressyl, no more Dhani. Maybe she’d be bought by some nicer family, though… they would possibly be worse. She didn’t want to think of that, though. It would be best to sit with more positive thoughts, and not go into the negative side of things… It would be easier. Things would get better. Not worse. Better… right? She wasn’t entirely sure of this, and felt a little off, but repeated the mantra in her head over and over again, attempting to persuade herself that it was true.
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Lacerta
Daughter of Syna, past Eypharian
 
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Night is Day Pt. VI

Postby Lacerta on November 18th, 2013, 9:52 pm

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After several bells of sitting on a ferry, they finally reached the main city. Lacerta was honestly relieved to see somewhere new and.. if she focused.. she could almost smell the sea from here. Being stuck inland for years on end had gotten to her… she was a creature of the sun, sea, and music, and hated leaving any of those. Sadly, she’d gone too long without the last two, and occasionally went without the first as well. The small party marched their way back to the auction house… it hadn’t really changed over the years. After a quick exchange of coins with a slightly older man, though still the same one, and all four slaves were sold out of the Rajor family. She felt immense relief when Tressyl walked away, along with his two other guards… no more Rajors, no more snakes… it was honestly amazing. She even allowed a wry grin to touch her features, until she spotted…

People. A pair of richly dressed women paused near the entrance, their faces barely visible from this distance. They stared at the small group of slaves, before whispering to each other and rushing out of sight. The Ethaefal frowned, wondering what the scene had been about… slaves? Maybe the dealer? Her? She had no clue, and wasn’t about to guess. She would just wait and see… Until then, she allowed herself to be led away into the confines of the slave holding area, where she waited patiently for the sun to return. She was near the entrance, and Syna’s light still shone through and lit her with the goddess’ glow… so it was enough. Maybe she’d be sold to one of the plantations near the sea… that would be remarkable. Maybe someone would be into music as well, and she’d be able to listen to that. It would be the perfect place… except, of course, she wouldn’t be free. Nowhere could be ‘perfect’ if she was still a slave… but closer to the city meant more chance to the docks, and maybe… just maybe… escape. She could commandeer a boat, or persuade a Freeborn into helping her. It was possible… just a little unlikely. Who knew though, an opportunity was sure to pop up after a while… right? And if she ever met Apus again… she would be able to gain revenge, too.


The bells passed, and soon… she saw the two women return. Two other men accompanied them, the slave dealer, and someone who looked like their relative. They all looked related, with pale brown hair and bright eyes. They carried themselves proudly too, and from their clothes… they were probably Dynasty. The sailor eyed the quartet as they approached and even smiled as they stopped before her. She was seated comfortably with crossed legs, attempting to ignore the annoying chains. She’d had the collar removed during the selling, a welcome reprieve… though who knew when it would be back again. One of the women smiled at the Eth, not a cruel smile… but a honest kind one. A nice one. Lacerta was actually startled into raising both eyebrows, before returning the expression. She’d never seen a Dynasty smile like that… so maybe this would turn out well… anybody who smiled at a slave like that would probably be quite the person.

The two men backed off to debate – probably about her price – while the two women continued to gossip, whispering to each other in hushed tones. The composer wasn’t entirely sure about what to think of this… if it was positive attention, or negative. Or if she wanted attention at all. But it wasn’t entirely her choice, so she decided to let it pass… panic for another day. There was one comment she heard from the former discussion, something that set her on edge. ”Would you like a better look?” the slave dealer had asked the Dynasty man. She didn’t know what that meant, but didn’t like the sound. She hadn’t heard the answer either… would they get a ‘better look’? Her lips curved into an irritated frown as she stared at the dark pair, their discussion continuing quietly. Only another, louder, statement brought her out of this intense observation.

”What’s your name?” one of the women asked, the same one who had smiled. Lacerta glanced up, startled. Partially from simply being addressed, and partially because… they were asking her name? The Rajors had never done that in her lifetime. Never. They just called her ‘slave’, or ‘the Ethaefal’. She stared at the Dynasty for several moments, confusion and amazement obvious, until the woman repeated herself. ”Oh. Right. Um. I am Lacerta…” She didn’t know if she was supposed to address the woman with some kind of title, or ask a name in return, so instead fell into silence. This was strange… incredibly strange… but not unwelcome. Simply different. She didn’t know if the Rajors were the exception, or this woman… or if all the Dynasty ‘brats’ as some called them were just strange. She hadn’t seen, or met, enough of them.

”Nice to meet you Lacerta! I am Marie Paille, and this is my sister, Rosa Paille.” Marie motioned to the woman beside her as her sister. Her smile was wide and genuine, making her look positively beautiful with long brown curls. Her sister had slightly shorter, more modest hair, framing a quiet and shy face. Rosa and Lacerta nodded in greeting, the latter still feeling relatively awkward. After the introduction, however, that feeling grew in an annoying silence. Rosa glanced behind her to check on the two debating men, apparently in an attempt to find something to do. Their wait was not too long, however, as the Paille man broke from the conversation after a large exchange of gold, and stated ”She’s sold.” The Ethaefal saw both of the women’s faces brighten, and vaguely, she wondered what they wanted her for. To show off, or simply as a person? Or a mix of both? Whatever the matter, she was quickly re-chained, re-collared, and sent off and out of the dark building.
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Lacerta
Daughter of Syna, past Eypharian
 
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Night is Day Pt. VI

Postby Lacerta on November 20th, 2013, 4:27 pm

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The quartet’s ride to the plantation was much different from her first ride to Smoeksend. For one, it was by land, rather than water, as they were all riding in a comfortable carriage. Honestly, Lacerta was surprised she was actually inside the carriage, but it turned out there was no room on the outside.. they’d brought a few other slaves along, and the seats there were limited. Instead, she sat rather stiffly against one wall, trying to take up as little space as possible. However, her long legs were a burden here, and they were awkwardly bent in an effort to stay out of Marie’s way… who was sitting before her. The Paille man, who had yet to introduce himself, was sitting to her right, and Rosa diagonal from her. The two sisters sat rather companionably beside each other, with gorgeous dresses slightly overlapping. The other pair, however, had a large gap in between them. Though the Paille was obviously not attempting to squeeze away, like the composer was, he was certainly sitting with a regal stiffness, legs crossed as he frowned at the spot just above Rosa’s head.

Lacerta tried to let her mind wander as she stared out the window, watching the jungle pass by. She hadn’t yet decided how she felt about this entire situation, but was incredibly glad she was out of Smokesend, hopefully for good. ”So! Lacerta! Where were you before this? I don’t think you’re fresh caught.” There was a little giggle from the speaker, Marie, as the Ethaefal glanced over surprised. ”Oh, yes. I worked in Smokesend for… nine… years? I can’t quite remember.” She shrugged feeling slightly embarrassed. The Paille man obviously thought this was quite strange as well, since he glanced over at Marie sternly. ”Marie…” he warned, but she simply laughed. ”Psh. I don’t care about talking to slaves… they can be more interesting than some people.” She rolled her eyes at the man, causing Rosa to giggle as well. He simply snorted and addressed the Ethaefal sternly.

”I don’t care if she’s too friendly with you, but… you will address her as Mistress.” Lacerta heard the woman across from her sigh irritably, but nodded in understanding. It had slightly been weirding her out, to be honest. It was nice… just… strange. Still, it would have been nicer to not be forced to call Marie ‘mistress’, though there probably wasn’t a choice about that. It made her feel more… slave-like, and bitter. It was really irritating, actually. Still, this place was better than Smokesend, and maybe – just maybe- she’d be able to get herself out of here. She was still determined to escape and return to the sea, and freedom. All she needed to do was… wait.

For the third time that day, Marie interrupted her thoughts. ”Say, Lacerta... I guess we should explain things to you. You are going to be Rosa and I’s personal slave… so no field work for you. I bet those Dhani put you to hard work?” She giggled at the joke, and the eth smiled wryly. She debated about explaining about what she’d really done – cooking – but decided not to bother. Let them have their prejudices about the Rajors… most of their reputations were well earned. They were snake-like, for all they pretended to be humans. Lacerta nodded at the assignment, wondering what this job would be like. Rosa seemed like the quiet one, following her excitable sister… though being a personal slave would probably be better than working in the kitchens. She’d found a slight distaste for cooking, with all the bitter memories mixed in. She wondered what, exactly, she would do… but that would all be figured out later. Instead, she sighed quietly and attempted to relax, leaning heavily against the walls around her corner.

The carriage ride went on for another few bells, until the horses finally slowed. They were able to slip off and onto a small path, Lacerta going first for politeness. She held the door open as the three Pailles filed out, first the man, and then the two sisters. Marie flashed her a grin as the woman walked passed, putting the Eth slightly off. This woman took slave ‘rights’ (or lack of them) very strangely indeed… and she couldn’t help thinking that Marie was an exception to the rule, as well. What would the other Pailles be like? Would they be like this man – silent and calm? Or more like Rosa, or Marie? Or were they all simply different? The only Rajor she’d truly gotten to ‘know’ was Tressyl, and he hadn’t been the sweetest Dhani in the nest. That was a sure. But this family… she didn’t know what they would be like at all. Her views so far were… mixed. But at least they seemed like real people. Well, Rosa and Marie did. She didn’t even know the other man’s name, and he hadn’t bothered to introduce himself.

Marie shot a short, but bouncy ”Come” to the Ethaefal as she began walking. They wound their way through bushes and trees, with various gardens spotted here or there. It was, overall, quite pretty, but the most obvious thing was… the smell. The salty smell. The completely welcome and familiar smell of Laviku’s domain. She was so tempted to quicken her step, keep walking, and find a beach, a cliff, anywhere, where she could see the sea. Her closest hope had come true… this plantation was on the coast. The smell, and excitement, almost made her want to jump and run, but her self-control was strong enough to keep walking slowly behind the three Pailles. Still, she kept straining her neck in an attempt to see over the trees, over the vegetation… but it was mostly hopeless. Still, she was on edge for the rest of their walk. She hoped to Laviku that they were heading towards the water, rather than away from it… the closer she lived, the better. If it was right on the coast, well… it was almost as good as sleeping on the sea, right?
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Lacerta
Daughter of Syna, past Eypharian
 
Posts: 219
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Night is Day Pt. VI

Postby Lacerta on November 20th, 2013, 5:25 pm

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When they arrived at Marie and Rosa’s residence, Lacerta nearly stopped in her tracks in amazement. It was exactly what she’d been looking for… right on the point of a peninsula (or what looked like one), sat a medium-sized, well cared for house. Glancing to the left and right, she quickly realized it wasn’t a peninsula… but the point of a bay. She could see another, massive house sticking out from the middle, and one similar to this on the other side of the bay. Behind her was a small, white, clapboard house that was probably the slave quarters… but still close enough that the Eth would be happy. The building before her had a wide front door, wooden, with stone steps that wound around a small garden at the front. ”Welcome to our home!” Marie exclaimed, displaying the house with a small flourish. ”This is Stormgrace Plantation, the most beautiful of all the plantations.” The woman gave a wide grin, whilst Rosa giggled quietly.

Lacerta gave a slight bow, partially for politeness, and partially to hide the small grin that twitched at her features. ”It is quite beautiful… and right on the water. My favorite. Now, uh…. Will I be living with you, in your house, or that one back there?” She motioned to the place she’d assumed to be a slave house, before hastily adding ”Mistress.” She hated the word, but… she didn’t entirely feel like a slave right now. More like a servant… though she still hated the idea of serving someone, this was much, much better. This also looked like an excellent place to worm her way out of this hateful city… either by working with her new ‘Mistresses’, or using their lenience against them. She hated to hurt such nice people, but… freedom was the big goal. She could wait… but she needed to be paying attention when the chance came… freedom would be quite hard to come by, after all.

”Oh, as our personal maid, you’ll be sleeping with us! Come… we’ll show you in.” Marie waved a delicate hand for the Ethaefal to follow, and she did so, though with slight hesitance. The Dynasties were even bothering to give her a tour, of sorts, rather than simply asking another slave to do it. That was what had happened at Smokesend, anyways… but this place was strange, and different. Very different. It certainly looked much nicer, for one, with all the water and plants. The people were very different as well. Certainly more human, but also… different. And strange. She couldn’t get over the strangeness. And she hadn’t yet decided if it was a good strange… or a bad one. She’d figure that out later, but she was slightly leaning to the former, at the moment.

She quickly stepped in to follow Rosa and Marie, slipping through the wide wooden doors and into a well-lit hallway. There were numerous large windows to let in the sunlight, as well as plenty of candles and stormgems lighting up the room. An abnormal amount of stormgems, actually… it was pretty surprising, but she let it slide. Figure it out later. However, Rosa seemed to deem it time to answer the unspoken question, and spoke quietly. ”You may be wondering about the surprising amount of stormgems. Our family has a particular affinity to Zulrav, so there are many Stormwardens around. Marie, in fact, is one of them.” Her voice was soft and sweet, much calmer than her sibling’s. It was quite a surprise for Lacerta to hear the woman talk, but she seemed like the quiet, sensible kind, rather than loud and boisterous. Marie was certainly more obvious, in looks and speech, but Rosa was… the silent beauty, if you wanted to put it poetically. Instead of answering vocally, the sailor simply nodded in reply, folding her hands behind her back for comfort.

The tour went on, and the Ethaefal quickly learnt where the two woman’s suites were, as well as her own chambers. She was sharing a small room with two other house maids, but it help a nice window that faced the sea, and allowed plenty of sunlight in. She’d noticed the Paille’s personality differences in their rooms as well: Marie’s had bright, vibrant colors, slightly cluttered, but that stood out remarkably. Rosa, however, had softer, calmer colors, with small touches of pretty here and there, and wide spaces with lots of light. There was a small desk under one window, piled with neatly stacked papers and books, labelling the woman as a scholar.

Once the tour had finished, Marie had dashed off to her own rooms, leaving the Eth alone with Rosa. Their silence was a calm, quiet one, until the brighter woman called ”Come! Let’s play cards!” The Paille woman stuck her head out from the door with a grin, waving a pack. Lacerta herself had rarely ever played cards, and knew only a few games. Anyways, every city had their own rules, suits, and games, making things complicated when she traveled. However… she realized she didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, so went to take a seat around a circular wooden table along with the other two. By now, she was feeling less like a servant, and more like… an odd friend. It was a good feeling, and one she didn’t want to let go. Just stay amiable with these women, and maybe she could make it out of this city without anyone getting too mad at her.

Lacerta mused on this whilst the other two quietly debated on various games to play. Her eyes were on the cards, but she didn’t see them, mind too far in thought. It had actually been quite the long day, in retrospect. Quieter than usual, Marie commented ”Lacerta – do you know how to play Portraits?” She lifted the stack of cards. From the few scattered on the table, the Eth realized it was a familiar pack… one from Riverfall. The Gems, Spears and Shields she could see said that. Frowning, she attempted to remember said game, racking several hundred years of memories in thought. ”Nope” she admitted honestly, shrugging. ”Great! I’ll teach you.”
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Lacerta
Daughter of Syna, past Eypharian
 
Posts: 219
Words: 199277
Joined roleplay: May 6th, 2013, 11:10 pm
Race: Ethaefal
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Medals: 2
Overlored (1) 2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

Night is Day Pt. VI

Postby Translucent on December 2nd, 2013, 9:52 pm

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Congratulations On Your Hard Work!


Lacerta:
XP:+1 cooking, +1 rhetoric,+1 socialization, +3 observation
Lores: Rajor’s in financial trouble. Paille’s: New owners.

Notes: Don’t forget to edit your grade request

As always PM me if you have issues.


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Translucent
To be Translucent is to be Vulnerable.
 
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