Veera stepped through the portal, feeling sick to her stomach but managing to keep her insides within her body as she looked around for a moment, assessing her surroundings. The smell of musty books and the dust in the air told her one thing; they had appeared in the library. She held Tatiana up and stepped aside so that Kruez, and Evander, if he chose, could step through. "If you're going to be sick, give me ample time to get you a pot. Or a balcony." Hopefully no one would be standing below. She sighed, and squared her shoulders as Kruez walked through, yellow eyes narrowed but determined. "Welcome to Kaer Morhen. My home."
"It's just a bloody shame that someone dear to me had to pay for my screw up.." Tessa bit her lip as she peered over Conrad's shoulder to watch. She knew all about someone special having to pay the price. She turned away and grabbed the parsley, beginning to chop it up into fine pieces as she thought of a response. A good response. The voice behind her nearly startled her out of her mind, and her hand slipped along the knife, creating a wound along the palm of her hand. She hissed and quickly pulled the wounded limb away from the food before grabbing a towel and pressing it to the bleeding opening in her skin. "Um..hi." She said to Beucette, hoping to ease the awkwardness that she felt. Hopefully I'm the only one who feels it. "I'm hoping soon, you'd have to ask Conrad, he's really the one who knows what he's doing." This also caused her to notice an up until now unnoticed girl, who was rummaging for things. "Hi." She said uncertainly again, this time to Silvia. "Do you need help?"
Tessa kept on protecting Alexis with that golem, like the adorable little rock boss she was.
Tessa frowned at Conrad's words, but followed his directions. She made a face as some of it splashed her arm, and after she was finished, grabbed a towel to wipe her arm down with. The last thing she wanted was to go around smelling like stew. Not that it smelled bad, but she didn't think she would appreciate going everywhere smelling like food. "Everyone makes mistakes, you know." Obviously, Tessa, since you are such a shining example of perfection. But this line of thought led her to something. "If we had both not made mistakes, we wouldn't have met." She offered, glancing at the man as he stirred the strangely colored liquid.
Tessa moved to Conrad's directions, washing the vegetables in the sink before grabbing the chopping knife and getting to work. She moved slowly, but surely and hummed while she worked, her eyes on the slowly moving knife as it cut the carrots into little circular shapes. "That sounds awful." She replied to Conrad, her voice soft as she resumed humming. She waited until she had finished the carrots to respond, leaving them in a small bowl next to Conrad's work station. "I don't see you as someone who lets others get the better of him." She grabbed the onion, examining it before setting to work on the tear inducing food. "I don't think you'd let them escape." The thought, and what it meant, sent a small shiver down her spine before she wiped her eyes, the juice from the onion tearing them up. "Damned things." she swore softly.
Veera frowned. "Some walls, hm?" She asked, mostly to herself before turning to get Tatiana, gently shouldering past Kruez. She knelt down next to the girl, who seemed to be struggling to stay awake. "Hi." Veera said, in a soft voice. "We're going to go now, someplace safe. I need you to help me get you dressed, we can't just have you running everywhere half naked, can we?" She managed to add a smile to the sentence, but in reality, she was nervous, ad a pit of anxiety whirled in her stomach. "So up we go, to get some clothes and get out of here." She half hoisted Tatiana out of the bed, helping her to sit up before leaning her against the wall that bed was placed against. "And if what you said was true, you might be seeing your brother soon." Teliana had started to laugh when Zach sat down, his dog, or rather wolf like idiosyncrasies somewhat endearing. The laughter died in her throat as the vampire suddenly appeared next to her. She felt her heart begin to race, and with adrenaline crashing through her system, it made it very very hard not to scream and run. No, she was Teliana the Crimson, and she would be dammned if she ran because she was a little scared. Zach, off to her other side, began to growl, and as she turned her back to the High Vampire behind her, (something you should never ever do, if you were wondering), she put her hands out in a placating gesture, keeping her voice low, and calm. "Zach, it's okay. Just breathe." She thought she saw his skin ripple, but when he shifted again, it was just the play of the light from the window. "Zach, remember who you are." If anything started between the werewolf and the vampire, her chances of survival without serious injury would be slim, at best. "I think perhaps we should talk outside." She said over her shoulder, uncertain who to keep her gaze on. In one hand, she needed to know if the extra stress would shove the change onto Zach. On the other hand, Vyle's motives were uncertain, but she had no desire to become a meal today. Glancing at the mortor and pestle, the plants had been crushed. It would be even less tasty then a potion, but if he had to, Zach could eat the paste with his fingers. Tessa started as Callum changed the arrangement. She hadn't expected the witcher to agree, honestly. Where it is.....She started to shake her head, then stopped. Oh. OH. "I accept." She said with a sly smile, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "I hope you're a good lawyer." It would have been funny, to consider she made a bet with a witcher to argue for the good of her kind. But she didn't have time for laughter. "Ready?" She gave time for him to answer, then grinned, crouching low. "Go!" And took off, down a side alley. At least she had little to lose, if she really didn't make it before him. Had a doppler beat a witcher before? Ah well, first try for everything. Oh shit, was he following her? The thought spurred her on faster, ducking around corners and dodging people as if she was running for her life. Zack remained passed out on the bed, and if he knew what was good for him, he would stay that way. "With that attitude, you won't have a future." Bryce rubbed his chin, feeling the day old stubble beginning to protrude from his skin. "You could get a job here, or something respectable in Oxenfurt, after the hunt for you has died down. I'm sure Tessa could use help with her tavern. She runs the thing by herself most days." Which was why he argued that she had to be taught to defend herself. Most nights he would place one or two of their people, or hire humans to serve as body guards, but the fact remained she was a small girl in a large area with a lot of drunken men. Bryce sighed, and dropped his hand. "Seth, you have to choose whether you want to change your life. You don't have to choose now, and you're welcome to stay, but you won't be able to keep making the wrong decisions forever. It'll catch up with you." Bryce was a big believer in karma, and the way he saw it, Seth had a lot coming. It worried him, to see the younger man so uncaring about his fate. "I"ll send some of my spies out, and see if I can find out how big the search for you is. Perhaps it won't be so bad." He gently clasped Seth on the shoulder. "I've got business to take care of, but stay, have a few drinks. Please don't end up like Zack. Think about it." He emphasized, before heading outside of the inn and down the street. It didn't occur to him that Tessa had not yet returned.
Unless it just doesn't kill you right away, and waits until later. Like a troll.
Canary clenched her fingers first, before moving on to wiggling her toes. She was cold, and the surface beneath her was cold. So she had been here for some hours, at least. The clanging of the metal bars brought back sporadic detail, along with a headache, and annoyance. At least they left my mask on. She thought with some irony, sitting up slowly to avoid a head rush. "I don't recall Destiny ever setting a date." She responded, slowly rubbing her temples to massage the headache away before swinging her legs over the side of the flat surface. Was this supposed to be a bed? She stood, testing her balance, then checked for her weapons. Gone, of course. This only served to annoy her, as she rested her hands on her hips. "If I say please, will you let me out?" Canary asked, her voice angry. Take her weapons and lock her up? Well she would just have to find a window to crawl out of. Preferably soon.
Teliana offered a smile before turning in the direction of Zach's house. It took her a moment longer to get her legs moving again. Her mind was resisting the state of shock her body desperately craved, but she couldn't give in yet. She had to finish this first, then she could break down into a sobbing mass of female hormones. She smiled at the state of his home, what she considered a pure signpost of male slovenlyness. Perhaps she was overly critical, but she didn't speak a word as she placed the basket on his dining room table, in between dishes and a stray project here and there. "I warn you, this probably won't taste good." She said as she pulled the plants from the basket, along with her mortar and pestle, safely nestled in the bottom. As she began to grind the plants into a paste, she hummed to herself, letting her mind shut away what had happened earlier in a cloud of denial. "If you start feeling like it's going to happen soon, let me know." she interrupted her song softly. She had seen Zach change once, and once had been far frightening enough. Without the potion anyway. "It should calm you down. You'll still have to change, it's too late to reverse that, but you should be able to recognize people from prey." Or so she hoped. It wasn't like she had a line of test subjects just waiting to help her. "Tessa. And you could use a bath." She wrinkled her nose, crossing her arms over her chest. "You can't go with them." She interjected, following Callum's line of sight. To be honest, his eyes kind of freaked her out at the same time as they intrigued her. What could do that to a person? "You're not one of us." At this she sighed. "I wish we didn't have sides. Everyone just gets hurt, and innocent people get killed." She turned, and started off in the direction of a bathhouse. "If you don't come with me, you won't know what they're hiding down there." She teased. And I want to know if you can catch me. "Tell you what. You beat me to that," she pointed to a particular wooden rooftop, painted green. "And I'll tell you where they're going. Not how to get in, not where it is, but what it is. And if I beat you..." Her eyes turned determined. "You have to take me out of this city." Good thing Bryce still thought she was a stupid teenager. Bryce glanced at Zack as he began to wake up from his minutes long stupor. "Alright, Seth. Let's get some food and sleep in you, then we can talk about your future." If that was something he even wanted. Glancing at Seth, it was clear something was troubling the young man. Ah well. Bryce led the way to a small wooden building. "The tab is on me. But only enough for a meal and a room. You can pay me back by dropping Zack here, off in one of the beds. Sound like a deal?" He really hoped it did. His back was beginning to hurt from carrying the other man, and he needed to check on his....things.
It seemed to take an eternity to get through the guild and into the kitchen, but they managed it without incident. "That sounds good." She peered over Conrad's arm, finger moving down the list of ingredients as she mouthed the words to herself. There wasn't anything unfamiliar, and that was a good start. She wasn't a bad cook, but she wasn't sure how far the skill extended. "Um, I'll start getting the stuff together?" She offered, heading for one of the further cupboards and opening it, to sift through the spices. Now that they were actually in the kitchen, her stomach began to rumble as she grabbed several different seasonings and brought them back to Conrad, gently setting them on the counter in front of him. "And I can cut the vegetables." She clarified. Once she found the blasted things.
Name: Kala Kendrick Age: 20 Gender: Female Race: Succubus (feeds off of life energy) Appearance: ! Role in society: Maid to the Royal Family and occasionally errand girl. Weapon: Pictured in above picture. Power: She can feed off the energy of any living creature by pressing some part of her skin to a person's jugular vein. How long it lasts depends on the contact. Bio: Kala appeared in Kaynta a few odd years ago, telling a story of parents lost in battle, and homes lost to titans. She chose to follow the way of peace instead of battle, and managed to get a job working as a maid for the royal family. She has ambitions to get elevated to Princess Amber's bodyguard. Other: B)
Tessa blushed, then smiled once more. Her roommate was friendly..and kind of funny. She couldn't curtsy in return, but bobbed her knees quickly, hoping it would suffice. "So, do you have a clue what's going on? I mean, I saw one person here I knew from where I came, but it wasn't my home, either." She paused, uncertain how to describe her circumstances. Then something Renee had said caught her attention. "Wait, what do you mean how long we'll be roommates? You don't think this will last forever?" Ana smiled at Zephyr's kindness, and gratefully leaned against the wall as she stowed the culprit that caused her wound back into her waist band. She wouldn't be forgetting that lesson any time soon. But when Zephyr said "magic", she nearly fell over in her attempt to shush him. "Keep your voice down." she whispered, glancing at the doorway that led to Isabela's room. "I have magic, or rather, had. It seems in this world, my spells do not work as they should. What about you?" Content that he would be quieter, she leaned back against the wall. Maybe she was being a little paranoid, but in this strange place, it didn't hurt. Not when her only defense was a piece of iron, a weapon she had already stabbed herself with. Veera followed the conversation, absentmindedly rubbing her shoulder before deciding the floor was an awesome place to rest, and sat down. Her creator has inserted her only because she no longer remembers who she was waiting on to post. @Hyuge ✧ @Takeru Tenkuji
Veera stiffened as Evander admonished her for using Swallow on Tatiana. "You think I wished this pain upon the girl? I had no other allies, and unless I wanted her to bleed to death, I was out of options!" She snapped, before pressing her hands to her temples to ward off the impending headache. "I mean to take her to Kaer Morhen. There is a man there, a mentor and a friend. He will keep her safe, and help me track down the monster that did this. And I hope, that he will help me take care of the rest." She was sick of watching people get hurt because of something so foolish as a bestial nature. "They're animals, and they deserve to burn." She dropped her hands and opened her yellow eyes, glaring first at Evander, then at Kruez as he entered. "So will you help me or not? I need the rest of the witchers gathered and brought there. Veceslav might be able to tell me where they are. Or were last heard from." Bryce sighed, stopping for a moment to lift Zack back onto his shoulders before continuing. "You know, if you didn't continue such destructive behavior, you might not have to consider giving yourself up." As they neared the end of the tunnel, the light of the lamps shining the way, he glanced at Seth. "Welcome to your home, however temporary you may consider it to be." The tunnel ended on the edge of the town. Built in an underground cavern, dopplers bustled to and fro, coming in and out of the multiple entrances that led to the city of Oxenfurt above. It wasn't much, but he was proud of his accomplishment, of the hard work of all of his people that had gone into making a safe place. Sure the air smelled a little foul, and sometimes it got a little too close for comfort, but all in all, it wasn't bad.
Tessa offered a half smile to Conrad. "I'm nervous." She admitted, her hands twisting and turning in her shirt. "Nervous they'll notice me, nervous I'll mess up. But as long as you walk in front of me, I think I'll be hidden enough." she tried to joke. Alright, you can do this. She took a deep breath, then another step forward. Her hand reached out and snatched the end of Conrad's jacket, holding it tightly for a moment, before she blinked. What am I doing? But the touch felt oddly comforting, and she felt her shoulders relax slightly. "If this is okay, I think I'll make it just fine." And if anyone tries to mess with me, I'll just have to remember. Her friend's white and pain stricken face flashed in front of her eyes, and she tightened her grip on the jacket once more. Remembering wouldn't be a problem.
Everyone is accepted.
His words did little to reassure her, but Tessa kept them in her mind as she waited, hands locked in a tight clasp in front of her. Back down into hell we descend. She thought to herself as the noise of the guildhall reached her ears. It sounded mostly of chatter and dishes clinking, but to be around so many people....Suck it up. As Conrad exited the room and twirled for her, she couldn't help but laugh before stepping forward, pretending to brush dust off his lapel and pull a loose thread from his shoulder. "Much better." She replied with a grin. "I suppose, I'll let you lead the way?" She stepped to the side, hands gripping the bottom of her shirt somewhat nervously. She had no delusions that anyone would pay attention to her, but to enter the guild hall that could be occupied with at least two people who knew what had taken place, not to mention the man who she had injured, would probably have caused anyone to have nerves. Ah well, couldn't be any worse then that angry mob in Litania, right? But those people had been magicless. Part of the reason why there had been a mob after her in the first place. "Ah....after you." Tessa said, a little more anxious now.
Tessa frowned with an exasperated sigh, but she couldn't help breaking into a little smile. "You can't go downstairs like that. Vance might be persuaded to attack me, and Thea, if she's down there, might get upset again. She didn't see what happened, remember?" There had been allusions made that Thea was in fact no better at controlling her abilities then Tessa. While Tessa was loathe to believe the whispers and rumors, it didn't hurt to be careful. "So come on, change your clothes. There's gotta be something around here somewhere." She headed for the door, intending on giving the man some privacy. "Unless you need me to find them for you." She teased Conrad. "I'll be outside the door otherwise."
"It's because I'm a vi-" Veera was cut off by Eon's and Xara's excited responses, and perhaps that was best. Not in front of the kids. She reminded herself, crossing her arms with a slight frown. This man seemed to know something about them, but she had yet to be impressed. He didn't strike her as one of them either, wandering around in the darkness. He was much too calm, besides exclaiming that they were both kids and adults. Can only be one or the other. Unless they started recruiting babies. Then things would truly be desperate. "All we want is to get out." She added softly to the end of Xara's response, not really caring who or what this man was, as long as he knew a way to escape the darkness.
Veera would have liked to bang her head against the nearest wall, slowly and surely, but instead she left and walked towards the back of the house, flipping her sword to and fro. She had promised to protect the girl, but she had no desire to see her naked, and if she was just going to expose herself, Veera didn't want to stick around for what happened next. It would also be more then a few minutes before the men were able to collect their attention. She gave a derisive sigh, taking in the broken down door. Regardless of how they got there, she could think of a certain someone who was going to have some very stern words for her decision. Despite her age in human years, she was still relatively young. Monsters she could handle, but humans....humans were sometimes scarier to try and deal with then a mother griffin. "Right. Get Tatiana to Kaer Morhen. Get me to Kaer Morhen. Get Veceslav on board. Kill the dopplers." She recited the scenario to herself over and over, grasping her medallion with her free hand. It offered her little comfort. Bryce grimaced at Seth's lack of respect, but shrugged it off. Since when did Seth respect anyone? "And now we continue onward." Bryce slung Zack over his shoulder once more with a sigh, and continued on down the dark, and slightly rank tunnel. "Seth, you put more then yourself at risk when you antagonize the witchers. You put families in danger. Women, and children. You put Tessa at risk." He used the girl's name, unsure of how else to try and make Seth care. "Do you think, despite what she pulled, that she could stand up to a witcher? I'm trying to keep us safe, here. But I need to know, who is going to look for you?"
Tessa blushed, listening to the steady sound of Conrad's heartbeat before pulling away. "You're welcome." She said, blushing but smiling. She was fixing something. The excitement of making someone feel better caused her to nearly start bouncing on the mattress, but she managed to contain herself. "Did you want to try to sleep some more? Or we could go get food downstairs..." She herself wasn't hungry, but long days on the road had taught her to take her meals when she could, where she could. And hey, if there was hot food available, she wouldn't say no. "Or if you don't feel well enough to move, I could go get you something." She offered, his circumstances coming back to her after her initial words. If Vance or Thea were down there, it could get slightly intimidating, but she would have to face them sometime. Right?
