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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Jan 13, 2022 9:08:42 GMT 1
Laena wore a guilty look briefly on her face briefly. "Sorry." She says softly. "I...No." She looks down. "Just... sorry."Laena shrugs with nonchalance. "Then I adapt. I'll send a dozen Lyseni whores wearing nothing but gift-wrap if that's what it takes to keep him out of the matter." Her tone leaves it ambiguous as to exactly how literally her statement should be taken. he said in a weak attempt to make it seem like it wasn't that big of a deal to him despite all evidence to the contrary. Balon let the moment of awkwardness pass as there was nothing to say. After all one can not change the past. "If Lyseni whores was all it took to keep him out of people's affairs I think he'd have a couple hundred by now." Balon shook his head, "I'm afraid he doesn't forget slights and the Companions have offended him greatly." Balon looked away as he took a drink, "While there's no proof of it I'd wager all my gold that he had everything to do with the demise of the Hastwycks so I can only imagine what he has in store for Lord Starling and his chivalrous knights."There was a long pause. Balon had a question for Laena and he'd asked it in some form in the past but he had to ask one more time, just to be sure. "Would you stay your hand against the Cordwayners until after war if it meant it greatly increased the chances of me surviving? Or is it too personal for you and vengeance can't wait? |
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jan 14, 2022 17:50:13 GMT 1
"Everything is about narrative. He just needs to see matters as rats leaving a sinking ship, rather than an attempt to come at him from a new angle. And a married man is much less reckless than a single one, for he feels he has much more to lose."[By my request: [Phase 4] Slight Returns, Awarenss: 3d6 16] At his question of delaying her vengeance, Laena grits her teeth and looks down. She growls slightly and her head snaps to the right, staring into the wall. She begins muttering near-silently to herself, Balon only catching some of it. "Impossible, impossible, impossible......ocus, focus - just one ..... Not even......t wants to know...... Hrm............gangrene. .....to be me. Has to be."Laena blinks a few times, eyes focusing on the world around her once more. Turning back to Balon, he can see her clearly packing her emotions away, expression falling off her face like leaves in the autumn, until she's looking at him with nothing but detachment. However, she still does not speak. Instead, he can see as she drops the disguise piece by piece - not the clothing she's wearing, but the body language that goes with it. Rigid back, head tilted slightly to give the illusion of looking down at him. Eyes of burning ice, she finally speaks - quietly, but with the weight of thrones behind it. "They can run. Hide. Try their little schemes. Burn all they hold dear and hide in the ashes. It doesn't matter. Their history ended when they took from me. When I have an opening to their black heart, I will strike. And not pity, nor mercy, nor hate, nor prayer, nor love will stay that blade for one day, one hour, one breath.
"I am... inevitable."
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Jan 16, 2022 8:51:49 GMT 1
"Everything is about narrative. He just needs to see matters as rats leaving a sinking ship, rather than an attempt to come at him from a new angle. And a married man is much less reckless than a single one, for he feels he has much more to lose." Balon gave Laena an incredulous look, "Really? You think Lord Eldon, one of the most vengeful and spiteful men since your father, is going to let a Companion, who is marrying his former betrothed, who *humiliated* him, just usurp Hammerhal, and do nothing about it. No." Balon pinched his lips and shook his head. "Furthermore you think Ser Roland, one of the most chivalrous knights in the realm, who does what is right come hell or high water, is just going to sit back while Lord Eldon continues to assault Kingsbridge and his former comrades in arms because he married some tart who's already past her prime?" Balon gave a harumpf, "Be serious."At his question of delaying her vengeance, Laena grits her teeth and looks down. She growls slightly and her head snaps to the right, staring into the wall. She begins muttering near-silently to herself, Balon only catching some of it. "Impossible, impossible, impossible......ocus, focus - just one ..... Not even......t wants to know...... Hrm............gangrene. .....to be me. Has to be."Laena blinks a few times, eyes focusing on the world around her once more. Turning back to Balon, he can see her clearly packing her emotions away, expression falling off her face like leaves in the autumn, until she's looking at him with nothing but detachment. However, she still does not speak. Instead, he can see as she drops the disguise piece by piece - not the clothing she's wearing, but the body language that goes with it. Rigid back, head tilted slightly to give the illusion of looking down at him. Eyes of burning ice, she finally speaks - quietly, but with the weight of thrones behind it. "They can run. Hide. Try their little schemes. Burn all they hold dear and hide in the ashes. It doesn't matter. Their history ended when they took from me. When I have an opening to their black heart, I will strike. And not pity, nor mercy, nor hate, nor prayer, nor love will stay that blade for one day, one hour, one breath.
"I am... inevitable." Balon watched the scene unfold with a mixture of shock, sadness, and regret. He'd seen that kind of anger, that kind of hatred before. He'd seen it in himself. A righteous fury that no one could be dissuaded from once their path had been set. At that moment, for the first time ever, Balon truly pitied her. "You once asked me to tell you if you ever saw the madness creeping into you. You feared you wouldn't recognize it or know it's there. Well I'm telling you, right now in this moment, I see it." He didn't enjoy telling her that, but it needed to be said. Hopefully his words would jolt her out of the state she was in. |
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jan 16, 2022 23:36:46 GMT 1
"He wouldn't be the first knight to do foolish things for a 'tart past her prime'." She says, somewhat pointedly. Ignoring his other points. Not like she can do much about it other than what she'd said - adapt as it came.
When he gives his warning, she simply stares imperiously at him for a few moments. "Then I may need you to repay me for this when the deed is done by helping me find my way back to me." Sounding less like a request, and more like a command of reality itself. Her face twitches lightly, and she tilts her head briefly, as if listening to something. "I must go. You will be informed if I hear anything. Farewell." Hastily donning the body language of the woman she was dressed as, she stood, took a couple of steps, then paused. Turning back momentarily, Balon may think she had some final words for him, but instead, she simply leaned back and took the carving off the table, before, if he does not stop her, leaving. While not obviously rushing, it was, to Balon's eyes, clearly not a calm, leisurely departure.
[OOC: Given the parallel structure, it's a bit odd to end both conversations here, but the upper one is I think largely at an end anyway, barring maybe the usual boosting of Laena's self-confidence, so I think it largely works.]
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Jan 21, 2022 7:44:24 GMT 1
"He wouldn't be the first knight to do foolish things for a 'tart past her prime'." She says, somewhat pointedly. Ignoring his other points. Not like she can do much about it other than what she'd said - adapt as it came. When he gives his warning, she simply stares imperiously at him for a few moments. "Then I may need you to repay me for this when the deed is done by helping me find my way back to me." Sounding less like a request, and more like a command of reality itself. Her face twitches lightly, and she tilts her head briefly, as if listening to something. "I must go. You will be informed if I hear anything. Farewell." Hastily donning the body language of the woman she was dressed as, she stood, took a couple of steps, then paused. Turning back momentarily, Balon may think she had some final words for him, but instead, she simply leaned back and took the carving off the table, before, if he does not stop her, leaving. While not obviously rushing, it was, to Balon's eyes, clearly not a calm, leisurely departure. : 4d6k3 10
Maybe it was the look she gave him, or the way she spoke but Balon didn't care for it. Not. One. Bit . How dare she think I have to repay her. She owes me! In Balon's mind he'd granted her two huge favors. The first was to stop any hostilities towards the Starkwoods. The second was to not involve himself with the Cordwayners. He'd done both to his own detriment (in his opinion) and now she had the nerve to speak to him in such a manner? How dare she. The one thing he'd asked for in return she'd failed to deliver. He was about to tell her something to that effect when Laena abruptly got up to leave. His mouth was slightly agape when she turned around and he managed to force it closed, assuming she was going to say something of note. Instead she reached for the carving. Without thinking his hand quickly reached out to grab her wrist as she picked up the figure. Not violently or with the intent to injure but to keep her in place for a moment. "It's not too late for you." He let go of her wrist, withdrawing his hand to underneath the table. He didn't know what his point was or why he'd grabbed her but the flare of anger that had caused him to act had subsided. "Be careful." He managed to mumble before turning away, wondering what was happening to Laena. |
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jan 21, 2022 21:04:25 GMT 1
Laena lowered her eyes when he grabbed her wrist, but just as he turned away, she'd seemingly accidentally raised her eyes enough that they met for just a moment. [By my request: [Phase 4] Slight Returns, Awarenss (Empathy): 3d6 10] Her eyes were burning again. It takes Balon a few moments to realise it was not with fury this time, but pure fuck-me lust, aimed at him, which she clearly did not intend for him to see. But by the time he realised that, she was already most of the way to the door, and in another moment, gone. |
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Jan 24, 2022 7:43:50 GMT 1
Laena lowered her eyes when he grabbed her wrist, but just as he turned away, she'd seemingly accidentally raised her eyes enough that they met for just a moment. Her eyes were burning again. It takes Balon a few moments to realize it was not with fury this time, but pure fuck-me lust, aimed at him, which she clearly did not intend for him to see. Fireball had once told Balon that while thick walls were a good defense, they wouldn't keep out a determined foe forever. Balon's mind worked in a similar manner. After Laena had left he sat there mumbling to himself, annoyed at how things had gone since the Riverlands. All the while a sliver of subconscious realization was trying to worm it's way into Balon's stream of thought. He stared at a stag's head mounted on the wall, wishing for a better past while a nugget of truth tried to overcome his mental defenses. Balon got up and bought another beer then sat by the hearth, remembering the fires and screams of Riverthorn. A crack formed in the proverbial wall as he drained the contents of his mug. Whitewalls. Pain and joy in equal measure. The crack became larger. Pain and joy... There was a breach. By the Seven I know that look. Balon started to leap out of his chair but stopped knowing Laena was long gone. Despite the few odd glances that were thrown his way he resettled into his seat. Where would she be staying? If not here probably somewhere close. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind and he settled on the one that was least likely to be true. She clearly misses me more than I her. Perhaps it's best to let that build up in her. Yes. Some of the best lies were the ones we told ourselves. /scene |
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