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Re: A Heart of Ice [Mack]
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Z0rr0w
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| Joined: 06 Jul 2008 |
| Total Posts: 14027 |
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| 07 Aug 2016 11:53 AM |
Name: Lavina Esterios
Age: Somewhere in the 20s
Race: Grey
Occupation: Musician (Instruments may vary)
Appearance: Like a typical Grey (or at least from what I've recently read), Lavina stands at an intimidating 7 feet tall and bears light-ish stone-gray skin. Other than her soul-piercing-like midnight-black pupils, there's no feature too notable about her face. Her figure is slender and skinny, also like most Greys, but that doesn't mean her physical capabilities are weak. "Athletic" wouldn't be a good adjective for how she looks, but neither would "unhealthy".
Her hair's a dark black, a small part on the side, usually clean, and is nearly long enough to shroud the entire back of her body. In fact, a small enough Goblin could probably genuinely nest in there if she would ever allow that to happen in the first place. Though sometimes she ties it into a quick messy ponytail for specific situations, such as battle, she prefers to let it loose and sway as it pleases, as if a mind of its own.
Lavina's outfit depends on the type of music she feels like or is expected to be playing. If it's something classy, formal clothing like vests, ties, sports jackets, and suit pants would be her attire. Something more easy-going coming her way? Loose shorts and tank tops wouldn't be a unusual outfit to see. Maybe some new-age EDM is what's in store. If so, Lavina has an entire line-up of party suits decorated with unique features and stand-out colors. But none of that really matters when Lavina is trying to keep to herself in her own privacy, in which case clothing isn't a thing she cares about.
Starting Weapon: Tattered Spellbook (I can't resist magic missiles)
Biography: As a newborn and toddler, there is nothing really spectacular to say that happened during this part of Lavina's life. Her parents were perfectly fine parents, still living in a home of their own today, and her livelihood hadn't been affected drastically in any way. As a child, Lavina still lived a relatively normal life for a Grey, and was beginning to adapt the ideology of having to live among others that feared her for rather ridiculous reasons. Education wasn't really a problem for her, and though she never excelled at any class, she never failed one either. It was just a pretty average childhood.
Her preteen/teenage years brought on differences, however. During these years, Lavina discovered the two things that almost practically made her for who she is: music and the Gridnet. Both fascinated her and pushed her to learn more about each. Music itself literally, obviously, wasn't a discovery as she had listened to it as a kid. But it wasn't until a search of boredom through her parents' attic that she discovered her first instrument, a guitar. And after a few hours of tuning it and noodling around with it, she discovered she was pretty good [insert iDubbbz meme here]. Shortly after, the "discovery" of the Gridnet was also uncovered. Again, it wasn't literally a discovery as she knew what it was as a kid, but it wasn't until now that she realized she could actually do stuff herself on the Gridnet, one thing of which included uploading the music she played in small audio clips.
As she grew, her addiction with the Gridnet and her musical abilities grew with her. An adult now, her popularity among anyone really is not high at all, and her income allows her to live only in a medium-sized room on the second floor of a tavern that doubles as an apartment in the midst of a human-infested city. She could go and live with other Greys, but prefers the fascination of other species, despite them petrified of her or not. And though she continues to use the net and create her own music for her own enjoyment, she'd wish there could be more to her life than how repetitive it is now.
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Spells: Grey Magic Missile (10 mana) - Fire a blast of magic at an enemy, dealing damage and tagging them. Tags are used by other spells. The missile can be aimed at a surface, creating a small explosion that can do damage to multiple enemies, but does not tag them and doesn't do as much damage as a direct attack
Weak Heal (15 mana) - Mend your wounds and heal yourself for 20 health. Incoming damage is reduced for one turn following the spell cast. Health regenerates outside of combat, so you shouldn't need to use this spell when combat is finished.
Grey's Minor Shield (20 mana) - Hold up a shield created from magical energy which greatly reduces the damage of attacks that it blocks. It shatters after sustaining damage from one attack. If a tagged enemy attacks the shield, the damage is reflected back at them.
100/100 HP 100/100 MP
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The lights shine down on the crying performer on stage as he seems to be having a mental breakdown while singing. "♪Like, I don't even know what I'm doing here ♪What am I doing here? ♪Am I making you all happy? I hope you're all happy♪ ♪But I know I gotta take care of myself, gotta make myself happy♪ ♪Dunno if music can even make me happy♪ ♪I just wanna be happy♪"
A Grey is sat beside you, his body hidden by a black hooded cloak. "The Order of Greys need you," he tells you, "They need you right now. This instant. Do not wait. You will go now to meet them in the underground hideout by the Gro-More Botany Store. Do not fail. Go now."
The singer on stage seems to have finished. He walks off with his head down. A few people clap. Others just seem really upset and concerned. The manager of the music in the tavern walks on stage and takes the microphone.
"Next up, we have a Grey performer! Don't be afraid of her ladies and gentlemen, she doesn't bite, in fact, she's really a delight! Please put your hands together for Miss Lavina Esterios!"
You see the hooded Grey stare at you from behind his hood, watching to see where your priorities lie. |
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| 07 Aug 2016 12:12 PM |
(I'll do this in the first-person, since it feels more fitting seeing you do it in second-person.)
I didn't expect the night to become so intense so quickly. As far as I was concerned, I was just going to wait my turn to perform, play my song, then return to my room, with no interference of the Order. How do I hate them, but I have no options of getting away from them. I can't seem to remember how I got affiliated with them, probably from searching around the dark Grid, but it's undoubtedly the biggest regret of my life.
It wasn't worthy risking my life for one play of music, so hopefully without anyone seeing, I'd stand up from my seat and proceed to try to escort myself out of the building without anyone knowing. My current clothing consisted of a white t-shirt under a brown sports vest, above somewhat-ripped jeans and gray sneakers; what I thought would look fitting for the acoustic solo I planned on playing. I don't care what the Order wants me to wear, in fact I don't think they actually care either, I was going to have to make it to this meeting nonetheless.
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Z0rr0w
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| Joined: 06 Jul 2008 |
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| 07 Aug 2016 12:25 PM |
You feel someone watching you as you leave. It's a cold, cold gaze, and it doesn't come from the Grey. "Lavina? Lavina? ...Guess she's sick. Sorry folks, we'll just move on to our next performance. Miss Charlwood, are you here? Oh, yes, good! There she is folks, the redheaded beauty performing her rendition of the hit song 'Bite the Pillow, It Tastes Like Candy.'"
You walk out of the tavern and leave behind a chance to play music for people, a chance to become more accepted as a Grey musician, and a chance to be happy for awhile. You can still feel that frozen gaze on you from somewhere. It's bothersome, troubling, and a bit frightening, but you hope it's just a feeling.
You soon reach the Gro-More Botany Store. It's a rather small store, but its exterior lacks the warmth of a family-run business. You recall this store sells seeds, the kind that you plant in the ground, as well as tools for making the seed grow into something useful. Like flowers. Or plants. Or a somewhat sentient carnivorous crop-demon that spits blood which may be collected in a jar to offer to the Elder God Nyarlathotep, the most commonly worshiped Elder God in this town of Wakefield
You walk around to the back of the store and tap your foot in a short "tap, tap tap tap, tap" rhythm. The ground then slides open and you climb down a ladder into a rather small hideout. The ground closes above you, the natural sunlight being replaced with artificial light.
A few computers are switched on around the place. Most of them have cute-looking cartoons on them. Only one Grey is currently watching the computers. In fact, he seems to be watching all the computers and all the cartoons at once.
"Lavina," a Grey says to you. This is the voice of Xaleus, the leader in this particular area. He's dressed in a formal black-and-white suit, but his face is hidden by a white mask with a shockingly neutral expression locked into its porcelain face. He wears a brown hat on his head, hiding his hair from you.
Xaleus gestures to a tied-up Human male kneeling on the ground in front of him. He has blonde hair, a pair of blue eyes, and light skin. He looks naked, afraid, and you see several recently-inflicted wounds on him. "We have called you to test your loyalty to our cause. Some of our agents have been watching you. You seem unhappy here, and therefore untrustworthy. We do not wish to kill you. Therefore, you must give us reason to trust you again," Xaleus says, stepping off to the side of the Human.
"Kill this Human. He has openly attacked Greys in the past. He deserves only death. Kill him and prove your loyalty." |
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| 07 Aug 2016 12:35 PM |
(my god this escalated)
I knew the Order were anti-Humans, and I suspected that had murdered humans in the past, but I never expected them to have me commit such a deed. But no matter how evil the action they wanted me to commit was, I'd have to do it if I wanted to live, even if it meant taking another life. And besides, they had claimed this Human had attacked Greys, so it maybe it wasn't all for no redeemable reason. There was still one concern for me, which I shakily expressed to Xaleus: "Sir, I do not have any weapons on me to kill this Human, and I do not wish to exhaust some mana on such a... worthless being of life."
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Z0rr0w
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| Joined: 06 Jul 2008 |
| Total Posts: 14027 |
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| 07 Aug 2016 12:45 PM |
Quest Started: Out, Damned Spot! Xaleus has tasked you to kill a man. He is weak and helpless. It is no trouble for you. Will you choose to do it?
"You have two hands. This Human is weak," Xaleus tells you, looking over to the Human. He's quivering in fear and you're certain that Xaleus is communicating to the Human as well as to you.
"Choke the life out of him," Xaleus orders. The Human suddenly begins shaking and trying to scream from his gagged mouth. You feel like you're looking at a bear cub with its foot stuck in a trap. |
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| 07 Aug 2016 12:56 PM |
It's amazing that all it took was the thought of having to murder with bare hands made me rethink of murder in the first place. I felt confident enough to slice his head off with a sword or shoot him with a gun... or maybe I was just telling myself that and would freak out again if the opportunity was actually given to me. I just couldn't do it, I couldn't kill without good enough reason. They claimed he was an offender, but claims were just claims, and I was too scared to ask for evidence. I'd have to make a borderline, and strangle him just hard enough to render him in pain and unconscious, but not deadly, or at least not intentionally.
Preparing myself, I would nod at Xaleus before crouching down in front of the human merely a few inches. Surely the sight of me that close, and with the thought that I would be a death-bringer, was more than horrifying for a puny human, but I honestly did not care the bit for his fears. He didn't know it, but with me and my plan he was safe...-ish. Reluctantly, I stretched my arms forward and harshly gripped the base of the Human's neck, proceeding to tighten his windpipe until no oxygen would be able to pass through it. If I did it correctly and for the right amount of time, he should just pass out into an extremely deep unconsciousness, but at least wouldn't be killed.
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Z0rr0w
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| Joined: 06 Jul 2008 |
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| 07 Aug 2016 01:01 PM |
The Human screams several variations of "mmmph!" as you wrap your hands around his neck and squeeze. Soon, his strangled shouting ceases, and his body goes limp. As you take your hands from his neck, you can feel his pulse. He is still alive.
"Very good," Xaleus says, "You may return to what you were previously doing. Have no fear, we will incinerate this body. It will never be found." |
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| 07 Aug 2016 01:07 PM |
Of course it couldn't just be over there. I can't let this guy be incinerated, that sounds way worse than asphyxiation. I could tell the Human was still alive, so I'd have to take him into my hands for a little bit, whether I wanted to or not, which I did not.
Objecting to the idea of burning the corpse, I suggested, "Sir, I believe I could take this Human to a much more fitting grave. I'd like to try to prove my loyalty as much as I can, after all."
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Z0rr0w
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| Joined: 06 Jul 2008 |
| Total Posts: 14027 |
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| 07 Aug 2016 01:22 PM |
"We are next to the plant shop," Xaleus informs you, "Today is 'Sow Gifts for our Dark Lord Day,' so many will be passing by to purchase those blood-spitting plants. I think Jim is getting one too."
"They're called Blood-Splurters sir. They make good pets and I want one," the Grey watching all the cartoons at once says, telepathically projecting to everyone in the room. It seems all the Greys in this room communicate to everyone at once.
"Good for you Jim." "I'm going to plant it here." "No you're not Jim." "Why?" "Because plants need sunlight to grow." "Blood-Splurters actually just feed on the flesh of the living." "Where are you going to get the flesh of the living from?" "The plant shop sells it." "The plant shop sells flesh?" "Yes sir." "Then what's the butcher's shop for?" "The butcher sells flesh that actually tastes good."
Xaleus shakes his head, then looks back to you. "I don't think it will be safe for you to head out to put this body somewhere. We're just going to chop it up and burn it later. No need to concern yourself." |
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| 07 Aug 2016 01:30 PM |
Those Blood-Splurters sound pretty cool. Maybe I should go with Jim to buy one. Wait, what was I talking about again? Oh yea, this Human's life.
"But I insist, sir," I continued on as I crouched back down to grip the human's hand. It was still warm if he was still alive. "For I've nothing to do later this evening, and I wouldn't want to trouble you with your, uh... shopping. If anyone asks, I'm positive they'll believe this Human was just passed out drunk and wasted."
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Z0rr0w
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| Joined: 06 Jul 2008 |
| Total Posts: 14027 |
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| 07 Aug 2016 01:46 PM |
Xaleus shrugs. "No point in arguing with you," he says, walking off then returning, dropping a pile of clothes at your feet. "You'd better dress the Human up before taking him outside. If someone finds the body though, we'll find you. Jim, do you want to go buy your Blood-Splurter now before everyone gets to the store?"
"Not now, I'm watching an episode of 'Magical Girl Kyun,' 'Happy Happy Fun Fun,' 'Yuri Yuri: Highschool Girl Love,' and 'Samurai John.'" "I thought Samurai John got cancelled." "It did, but the creator brought it back. Look, see? John has a beard now." "Oh, I see. After your shows are done, then we'll go." "We can't though. Moogle's going to be streaming himself playing 'Hat Quest 2: Retribution.'" "And then we can go." "Yeah." |
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| 07 Aug 2016 01:55 PM |
Internally screaming in victory, I nodded and tended to the Human's rope ties as Xaleus walked away. I didn't care what clothes Xaleus gave me, I just hastily put them on the Human hoping they'd be enough to not raise any suspicion once I made it outside. With those problems out of the way, and under the assumption I was dismissed, I slugged the Human over my right shoulder. He wasn't at all heavy enough to slow down my walking rate of shift my pace in any way. As I left the lair, I couldn't help but think that I've been a bit lackluster on paying for my Hooloo+. Then again, why would I want to pay for something that advertises that godawful reboot of the FlowerFluff Girls?
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Z0rr0w
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| Joined: 06 Jul 2008 |
| Total Posts: 14027 |
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| 07 Aug 2016 02:13 PM |
You attempt to pick up the Human. This attempt fails however, as the Human is an average-built Human male, and you're an average-built Grey. That means you're skinny and have no strength to carry this Human. Instead, you end up dragging him to the ladder that exits the hideout, and then run into another problem.
You need to get this Human from point A to point B. Point A is at the bottom of the ladder, and point B is at the top. You have no idea how you're going to do this since you don't have the physical strength required to carry this Human with one arm while climbing a ladder.
"Do you want me to go switch on the elevator for you?" Xaleus asks. |
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| 07 Aug 2016 02:24 PM |
Apparently I had forgotten that my weight-lifting capacity was equal to a twig, and that the way I got in was a catalyst for bad luck. It seemed convenient that the Order had time to install an elevator into this base... too convenient. But it also seemed like my only option unless I wanted to disassemble myself helping one Human.
"I didn't know we had an elevator," I said as I turned to Xaleus, with the Human dumbly flopped down other than his left arm carried by me. "But that would be really helpful if you could, thank you."
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Z0rr0w
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| Joined: 06 Jul 2008 |
| Total Posts: 14027 |
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| 07 Aug 2016 02:36 PM |
"We don't usually use the elevator because last time it went straight down and one of our old agents was killed by Gak'Thuun, The World Eater. We try not to think about it," Xaleus explains to you.
"Who was it that killed Gak'Thuun again?" a Grey asks, a brown-haired one. Her hair was long and beautiful. You recall her name as being Susan. "Nobody killed Gak'Thuun," Xaleus answers. "So he's still down there." "Yeah, that's why I said we try not to think about it." "Why do we have our base set up on top of something called The World Eater?" "Because land that is directly above something called The World Eater tends to be cheaper. Insurance rates are higher though." "We paid for this land?" "No, I did. None of your chipped in when I asked for donations." "How'd you get the money to buy land?" "Stock market."
Susan seems content with the answer and Xaleus goes over to a wall, pushing in a piece of rock sticking out. The rock wall then slides open, revealing a rather nice-looking elevator. Some smooth jazz starts playing from it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq1vzejhghI
"There's a button in there that says 'DO NOT PRESS WHATEVER YOU DO.' I really advise that you don't press it. It sends you to Gak'Thuun. You don't want to meet Gak'Thuun."
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| 07 Aug 2016 02:45 PM |
I don't think I want to meet Gak'Thuun either. "World Eater" doesn't sound like too nice of a title to interact with. I'll try not to think about it.
"What button do I press, then?" I asked Xaleus as I entered the small friendly-enough-looking shaft. The Human had his kneecaps abruptly bumped on the doorway that separated the elevator from the base as I dragged him inside, but I don't think anyone would really care. The question may have been too oblivious, but I don't think being on top of the World Eater was a good place to make even the smallest and dumbest mistakes.
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Z0rr0w
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| Joined: 06 Jul 2008 |
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| 07 Aug 2016 02:57 PM |
(heh heh small friendly-enough-looking shaft shaft hehehe)
"The one that says 'Up,' Xaleus says. Inside the elevator, you see four buttons. One is labeled 'Up' and one is labeled 'DO NOT PRESS WHATEVER YOU DO.' There's also a button with a symbol of two doors closing, and another with a symbol of two doors opening. |
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| 07 Aug 2016 03:03 PM |
(zorrow please)
I looked back to the control panel with the buttons. Sure enough, the question I asked was pretty oblivious considering the easiness of the options I had to pick.
"Oh, okay, thank you." As I pressed the button, I waved back to Xaleus a goodbye, assuming that this door would just close, go back to the surface, and that would be goodbye. Of course, only goodbye until they would call me again.
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Z0rr0w
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| Joined: 06 Jul 2008 |
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| 07 Aug 2016 03:20 PM |
| You arrive back at the surface. When you step out of the elevator, it sinks back into the ground and the ground seals shut behind you. You are now dragging around an unconscious body in the daylight. You feel that same cold gaze on you. |
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| 07 Aug 2016 03:26 PM |
It at least felt good to be out of the confines of the Order and back into normality for the time being. This feeling that I had felt earlier, I'd try my best to ignore it as well as I could. Earlier I hardly even felt it from the stress of meeting with the Order, but it was a lot harder now that it was the biggest thing on my mind. This Human I was dragging was little more than a hastily-thought decision, and I planned on ridding of him out of this area for good in a few days. Despite the fear gradually being induced into me, and despite the fact I was clearly dragging an unconscious body, I returned to my room in the tavern. If anyone tried to ask questions or stop me, I'd literally use that drunkard excuse from earlier.
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Z0rr0w
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| Joined: 06 Jul 2008 |
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| 07 Aug 2016 03:37 PM |
You do get stopped in the middle of the street by a man in a guard's uniform. After you use that excuse, he nods his head. "Well, I'm going to have to take that unconscious body from you and ask him a few questions when he wakes up. Is that okay?" |
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| 07 Aug 2016 03:43 PM |
I didn't think any human here actually would have the balls to question a Grey, even if it was their job or not. The only questions I've ever been asked before were small stuff like "Why are you looking at me like that?" and "Don't you ever blink?" or "Please do not like this Grey stand next to me- goddammit, why?"
Still, I couldn't just let this Human head off into the hands of this guard. It was much too risky if he woke up and had the memories of what happened to him with the Order. Hopefully a quick excuse would work on the Human guard, combined with my uncanny emotionless stare. "I'd prefer he stays with me, sir. He's a good friend of mine and he just had a few too many drinks. I'll promise to make sure that he's perfectly fine and healthy when he wakes up."
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Z0rr0w
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| Joined: 06 Jul 2008 |
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| 07 Aug 2016 03:54 PM |
The guard looks at you for a moment, seeming to wonder how a Human and a Grey could get along. "Well, okay... Take care now," the guard says as he walks off to continue on his patrol. You soon arrive back at the tavern and you get a lot of strange looks from the people there. They shrug and go back to watching the band currently playing on stage.
You eventually reach your room with your unconscious Human in tow. |
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| 07 Aug 2016 04:05 PM |
Despite it being day, when I'd return to my room I'd treat it as if I was getting ready for a night, of course now with an unwanted guest. I'd lock the door behind me, sit the Human down against my bed, and undress myself. Clothes just felt too uncomfortable when I wanted to be myself, and I didn't care what some Human would think of me. Speaking of that nuisance, I should probably check on how he's doing before I sleep the day away. Crouching down next to him, I tried various methods to see if he'd wake up such as shaking his shoulders, flicking his forehead, and trying to communicate to him in his sleep.
(It also just occurred to me, how do Greys sleep if they never blink? Is that the one time they close their eyes or are they really weird and sleep with their eyes open?)
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Z0rr0w
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| Joined: 06 Jul 2008 |
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| 07 Aug 2016 04:16 PM |
(They sleep with their eyes open.)
Having undressed yourself, you begin going about the task of attempting to wake up a recently-choked Human. Your methods all seem fairly tame though, and he remains in his unconscious state. You check his pulse again and confirm he's still alive.
Quest Updated: Out, Damned Spot! You've managed to bring the Human back to the safety of your room. Though, he really is knocked out. He might not be waking up for awhile.
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